Stockton-on-Tees factfile

How to get to Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a town in the north-east, split between County Durham and North Yorkshire. It is a few miles west of Middlesbrough and is well served by rail and coach. It can be reached by either the A66 or A19 roads.

Stockton-on-Tees through the ages
Stockton began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement on high ground close to the River Tees. The town grew after it was granted a market in 1310.

Stockton Castle, built in the 14th century, was captured by the Scottish in 1644 but destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in 1646.

Along with its steel and chemical industries, the town is famous for its associations with the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which ran the first ever passenger steam train in 1825. Stockton is still home to the world's oldest railway station building.

Shopping in Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees offers a diverse range of shopping options. It has three large shopping centres, all of which house major retail brands as well as independent shops and boutiques. The town's broad pedestrianised High Street hosts a lively market every Wednesday and Saturday.

Eating and drinking in Stockton-on-Tees
When it comes to food and wine, Stockton-on-Tees provides an array of quality, excellence and value. Superb bistros with international menus, cafés, tearooms and a plethora of pubs with local ales mean you're spoilt for choice.

Famous people from Stockton-on-Tees
Cult British film director Ridley Scott studied here, while Scottish entrepreneur and star of Dragons Den, Duncan Bannatyne, moved to the town when he was 30 and opened the first of his many health clubs here in 1997.

Things to see and do around Stockton-on-Tees
Preston Hall is set in 100 acres of beautiful parkland overlooking the River Tees. It hosts Preston Hall Museum with a living display of a typical local street of the 1890s. There's also an aviary, the Tees Small Gauge Railway and boating on the river.

Famous landmarks around Stockton-on-Tees
The spectacular Millennium Bridge is a footbridge spanning the River Tees. It's suspended from cables hung from a 40 m (135 ft) mast and was opened, unsurprisingly, in 2000.

Sport and leisure in Stockton-on-Tees
The Tees Barrage is a world-class water-sports facility offering flat and white water courses for novice and expert alike.

Stockton-on-Tees offers a variety of health clubs, swimming pools, sports facilities, a 10-pin bowling alley, an ice rink and several golf clubs.

Entertainment in Stockton-on-Tees
The Arc is a community arts centre which hosts a variety of live performances from plays to music and the Showcase cinema has 14 large screens.

The Stockton International Riverside Festival is one of the UK's finest street arts festivals attracting over 250,000 visitors over five days every August. It includes dancers and street performers from across the globe.