is a
Town in
North-East England and the principal location in the
Borough Of Middlesbrough . Historically in the
North Riding Of Yorkshire , in 1968 the town became the centre of the
County Borough of
Teesside , which was absorbed by the non-metropolitan county of
Cleveland in 1974. In 1996 Cleveland was abolished, and the Middlesbrough borough became a
Unitary Authority , within the
Ceremonial County of
North Yorkshire . Middlesbrough is different to the other boroughs in the
Tees Valley , as the town itself forms the majority of its borough-- thus making it the largest town in terms of area and population, but the smallest borough. The Town of Middlesbrough is defined as the area within the boundaries of the pre-1968 Municipal and County Borough.
Middlesbrough is situated on the south bank of the
River Tees on the edge of the
North York Moors National Park , recognisable from such television programmes as "
Heartbeat ". The
Yorkshire Dales are only a short distance away.
Teesport , the 2nd largest port in the country and the 10th largest in . North East of Middlesbrough, the Tees
Estuary with its colony of breeding
Seals , has extensive sandy beaches in both directions. Some 7000
Salmon and 13,000
Sea Trout migrated upstream through the estuary in 2000.
Saltburn boasts some of the best and most challenging surf in Britain, and beyond, sheer cliffs rise to
Boulby Head , the highest point on the east coast of England.
Although often thought of as a settlement with no early history, the name Middlesbrough can trace its roots back a long way. Mydilsburgh is the earliest recorded form of the name and the element 'burgh' denotes an ancient fort or settlement of pre-
Saxon origin. The burgh may have included a monastic cell and was probably situated on the elevated land where the
Victorian church of St Hildas (demolished in 1969) was later built, while the 'Mydil' or middle could be either a person's name or a reference to Middlesbrough's location, half way between the great
Christian centres of
Durham and
Whitby .
In
686 a monastic cell was consecrated by
St Cuthbert at the request of
St Hilda Abbess of
Whitby and in
1119 Robert De Brus granted and confirmed the church of
St Hilda of Middleburg to
Whitby . Up until the dissolution of the monasteries the church was maintained by 12
Benedictine monks, many of whom became vicars or rectors of various places in Cleveland. The importance of the early church at “Middleburg” is indicated by the fact that in
1452 it possessed four altars.
After the
Saxons the area became home to
Viking settlers and it is argued by some that 'old'
{Link without Title} ] has the highest density of
Scandinavia n parish names in Britain. Names of
Viking origin are abundant in the area - for example,
Thornaby ,
Ormesby , Stainsby,
Lackenby ,
Maltby ,
Normanby ,
Tollesby and
Lazenby which were once separate villages that belonged to Vikings called Thormad, Orm, Steinn, Hlakkande, Malti and Toll, but now form suburbs of Middlesbrough. Lazenby was the village belonging to a Leysingr - a freeman; Normanby, a Norseman's village and Danby (in neighbouring
North Yorkshire ), a Dane's village. The name Mydilsburgh is the earliest recorded form of Middlesbrough's name and dates to
Saxon times (400 to 1000 A.D.), whilst many of the aforementioned mentioned villages appear in the
Domesday Book of
1086 .
In 1801 Middlesbrough consisted of just four farmhouses, but during the latter half of the 19th century experienced a growth unparalleled in England. It was famously dubbed by
Gladstone 'an infant
Hercules ' in 'England's enterprise.'
Development began with
Joseph Pease the
Darlington industrialist, who saw the possibilities of Middlesbrough as a port for North East coal, but the great leap forward began with the discovery of ironstone in the Eston Hills in
1850 . In
1841 ,
Henry Bolckow (pronounced Belko), who had come to England in
1827 , formed a partnership with
John Vaughan of
Worcester , and started an iron-foundry and rolling mill at Middlesbrough. It was Vaughan who discovered the ironstone deposits. Pig-iron production rose tenfold between
1851 and
1856 . Bolckow became mayor in 1853 and Middlesbrough's first MP. Middlesbrough grew at a rapid rate unprecedented in the UK and by 1890 had extended its boundaries southwards (including the villages of Linthorpe & North Ormesby) and had gained
Municipal Borough status with around 90,000 people. In 1930 Middlesbrough had become a
County Borough and was responsible for the council of neighbouring Towns and its boundaries had reached Acklam and Marton in the South. By this time the population had risen in excess of 130,000, but as well as being a Borough, Middlesbrough was also a Rural District and the areas of Thornaby-on-Tees and Eston (within the district) were under the parliamentary control of Middlesbrough. The rapid growth of the town saw the prophetic words (probably spoken by Pease), '
Yarm was,
Stockton is, Middlesbrough will be' come true. Indeed, the motto chosen by the first body of town councillors was in fact 'Erimus'; Latin for 'We will be. The population of Middlesbrough peaked at almost 172,000 in the late 1960s (within the County Borough boundaries) but has been in decline since the early 80s. From 2001 to present, the recorded population has increased significantly, from 134,000 to 147,000.
The Bell brothers opened their great ironworks on the banks of the Tees in
1853 . Steel production began at
Port Clarence in 1889 and an amalgamation with
Dorman Long followed. After rock salt was discovered under the site in 1874, the salt-extraction industry on Teesside was founded. By now Bell Brothers had become a vast concern employing some 6,000 people.
Isaac Lowthian Bell 's own eminence in the field of applied science, where he published many weighty papers, and as an entrepreneur whose knowledge of blast furnaces was unrivalled, led to universal recognition. He was the first president of the
Iron And Steel Institute , and the first recipient of the
Bessemer Gold Medal in 1874. Bell was Lord Mayor of Newcastle in 1854-1855, and again in 1862-1863. He served as MP for
Hartlepool in 1875-1880.
Middlesbrough gained a "twin" in
1890 when the town of
Middlesborough, Kentucky was incorporated in the
United States ; it was named after its English namesake due to the discovery of ironstone deposits in the region.
For many years in the 19th century
Teesside set the world price for iron and steel. The
Sydney Harbour Bridge (
1932 ) was designed and built by
Dorman Long of Middlesbrough, and has MADE IN MIDDLESBROUGH stamped on the side. The company was also responsible for the earlier
New Tyne Bridge across the river at
Newcastle .
The great steelworks, chemical plants, shipbuilding and offshore fabrication yards that followed the original Middlesbrough ironworks, have in the recent past contributed to Britain's prosperity in no small measure and still do to this day.
Middlesbrough is twinned with the German city of
Oberhausen ,
Masvingo in Zimbabwe and
Dunkerque in France.
Middlesbrough is, naturally, not abundant in ancient buildings, and the townscape is largely workaday. There are however some relatively old buildings still to be found, such as
Acklam Hall which was built c.1680 by Sir
William Hustler and is a
Grade I listed building.
Ormesby Hall a Palladian mansion was largely built around 1740, but an older wing dating from around 1599, still exists. There are some interesting churches for example at Acklam, Marton and Stainton (c.12th century), a modern
Roman Catholic Cathedral at
Coulby Newham , and some of the modern schools are worthy of note.
Middlesbrough is no longer a heavy industrial town, though there are areas around which still support chemical, fertiliser and iron and steel production.
The Ironopolis Film Company was recently established in Teesside. A studio has been created at the state-of-the art Teesside Technology Centre in
Grangetown to the east of Middlesbrough. Its aim is to make films within the area using local actors. A recent film release was
Sub Zero which was filmed in and around Middlesbrough and first screened at Cineworld in Middlesbrough on February 9th 2006.
The companies remit is to encourage, promote and develop a film and media culture for the Middlesbrough area which will further expand and increase the profile of Middlesbrough nationally and internationally.
Middlesbrough does not have an abundance of old architecture due to its youth as a town. The town was not incorporated until 1853. However, Middlesbrough is home to a variety of raw unique structures aswell as some newer architecture such as 'Spectra-txt'. The surrounding landscape of industry has its own sense of beauty, much of it lying outside of the Middlesbrough boundaries in Billingham and Wilton. The terraced streets surrounding the town are full of character and very much part of Middlesbroughs identity. They vast streets surrounding Parliament Road and Abingdon Road are a reminder of the areas wealth and rapid growth during its industrialisation.
The Town Hall, a Grade II Listed Building, is equally a most imposing structure, while the Old Town Hall of 1864 has undeniable charm. The Empire Theatre next to the Town Hall is also a very grand building, and the Little Theatre in Linthorpe was the first new theatre built in England after
World War II . The town can also boast this country’s only public sculpture by the celebrated modern American artist
Claes Oldenburg , the "Bottle O' Notes," which relates to
Captain James Cook . Based alongside it today in the town's Central Gardens is the town's
Art Gallery (The
Middlesbrough Institute Of Modern Art ) and education suite. The
Dorman Long office on Zetland Street is the only commercial building ever designed by
Philip Webb , the great architect who worked for Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell.
The Empire (opened 1899 -see in background to Town hall pic.) is the finest surviving theatre edifice designed by Ernest Runtz in the U.K.. Originally a 'Palace of Varieties,' or Music Hall, the first artist to star there was Lily Langtry. Later it became an early nightclub (1950s), then a bingo-hall and is now once again a night club in the form of
'The Theatre.' It has recently had the missing ornate glass and steel over-canopy to the front entrance fully restored (2005)
The town's centre has been undergoing a modernising makeover in recent years, including the addition of 'Spectra-txt,' a 10 metre high interactive tower of metal and fibre-optics inspired by .
There is a large and comprehensive shopping district made up of several separate ,
Harvey Nichols &
Liberty stores in
London , and hence regarded as one of the finest of its kind in the
United Kingdom .
During university term time Middlesbrough is busy throughout the week with student nights taking place throughout the towns bars and clubs. During the holidays the town is predominantly busy from Thursday to Sunday. The most popular venue is the Empire in the centre of town. A range of events are played here which include music from dance and hip-hop.
Club Bongo is another popular weekend venue located near Middlesbrough Train Station and what is commonly referred to as the Red Light District.
The Crown on Linthorpe Road,
Cornerhouse ,
Barracuda are also popular.
it also has a
Cineworld Cinema on the leisure park on
Marton Road
