Eaglescliffe
Encyclopedia
Eaglescliffe is a small town in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees
in North East
England
. It is on the north bank of the River Tees
and for ceremonial purposes is in County Durham
. The bridge at Eaglescliffe on the border with Yarm
marked the last crossing point of tidal section of the River Tees until a five arch stone toll bridge was built in 1771 in Stockton on Tees. This bridge was replaced in 1887 by the Victoria Bridge, now a grade ll listed building. The opening of the Tees Barrage
in Stockton in 1995 made the section of the Tees through Eaglescliffe non-tidal. Eaglescliffe is divided by railway lines which lead from Yarm to Stockton and can only be crossed by vehicles at the North and South of the town, although there are two pedestrian bridges and an underpass.
meaning a church on a hill. A common myth on the name change is that in the Victorian times the sign for the new train station turned up incorrect after the signwriter thought that Egglescliffe
was a mistake and altered it.
Bishop Skirlaw of Durham built a stone bridge across the Tees in 1400 which still stands. An iron replacement was built in 1805, but it fell down in 1806.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway
passed through the grounds of Preston Hall in Eaglescliffe, and on the opening day there was a famous race between a stagecoach
travelling down Yarm Road, and the Locomotion No. 1.
In 2011, Eaglescliffe was named the 4th best place for families to live in England
and Wales
, according to the savings firm Family Investments.
the base was Metal Reclamation Unit No 2, and was used to dismantle aircraft that were downed in the north of England.
It then became the Royal Navy Spare Parts Distribution Centre (RNSPDC), and later the Royal Navy Supply Depot (RNSD) Eaglescliffe, until its closure in January 1997 as part of the 'Defence Cost Study'. The storage and distribution functions were transferred to Portsmouth Naval Base, and the procurement function to MOD's site at Abbey Wood
, Bristol.
At its height, the Depot employed more than 2,000 staff and had a significant influence on the local economy. This later reduced to around 750 just prior to closure in 1997.
Part of the former MOD site is now the Urlay Nook
Admiralty ecology park, the rest of the site was sold to a Distribution company in 1997.
Aerial photographs show that the site used to have railway sidings and a small runway.
A masterplan has been drawn up to build up to 1000 homes, a 5000m care home, 500m of community facilities, and up to 1000m of retail space on the site.
, and legend says that the name Eaglescliffe came about when a mistake was made on the railway station's sign. The village lies in the civil parish of Egglescliffe, as does Urlay Nook
, to the west. The north part of Eaglescliffe, to the west of the A135, lies within the parish of Preston-on-Tees
. Several housing estates combine to form Eaglescliffe including Millfield, Kingsmead, Sunningdale, Hunters Green and Orchard Estate.
The main road through the town is the A135
Yarm Road which was part of the old route of the A19
until the 1970s
when it was diverted near Thornaby-on-Tees
to the east. Nearby towns include Stockton-On-Tees and Middlesbrough
to the north and north-east and Darlington
to the west.
which is situated to the north of the town on the Tees. Many of these events are run by Stockton Council.
Many local groups gather at the community centres and village halls within Eaglescliffe and its neighbouring village, Egglescliffe. Egglescliffe Community Centre is the largest, and plays host to two amateur dramatics groups - Cliffe Theatre (who produce at least two plays every year), and Centre Stage (who produce a pantomime every January, as well as a musical every summer). Egglescliffe Community Centre also hosts many other community groups including a Ladies Section, a weight loss group, dance classes, a weekly church service, and many others.
, an independent preparatory and high school, originally an all girls school, it is now introducing boys within the framework of a diamond model of education. It closed for a week in June 2009 because of swine flu.
comprehensive school
and sixth form
. Beginning as a small rural secondary school of 200 pupils in 1962, Egglescliffe became a comprehensive school in the 1970s, gradually growing to its current size of over 1400 pupils, including Sixth Formers. There have been four headteachers who have run the school since it opened: Frank Davison, Alan Basset, David Oliver and the current headteacher Angela Darnell. Egglescliffe has been awarded with the Specialist Schooling title combined with Science and Art Commendations.
Egglescliffe School has held Specialist Arts status since 1999 and was nationally well known for music and orchestral work under the direction of Keith Hewson (retired Head of Music). The school was featured in an episode of the South Bank Show (19 December 2004, ITV) subtitled a Musical Nation which explored Britain's musical provision for young people. Under the Specialist Arts status, a specialist theatre was built to host the many Drama & Theatre productions throughout the school year. It also homes Egglescliffe Youth Theatre, one of Britain's longest running youth theatres, which holds weekly sessions and yearly summer productions. From 1999, Anthony Gears (died 25 June 2010) was Director of Performing Arts at the school, and was joined by a team of six in teaching Drama & Theatre.
have a bakery outside of the village to the north-east on the Preston Farm Industrial Estate. The Elementis Chromium
site in nearby Urlay Nook
closed in June 2009.
has a four times a day direct service to/from London Kings Cross station. There are also local services to Darlington, Saltburn and Sunderland.
Stockton-on-Tees (borough)
Stockton-on-Tees is a unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of north east England, with a population in 2001 of 178,408, rising to 185,880 in 2005 estimates....
in North East
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is on the north bank of the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
and for ceremonial purposes is in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. The bridge at Eaglescliffe on the border with Yarm
Yarm
Yarm is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees and for ceremonial purposes is in North Yorkshire...
marked the last crossing point of tidal section of the River Tees until a five arch stone toll bridge was built in 1771 in Stockton on Tees. This bridge was replaced in 1887 by the Victoria Bridge, now a grade ll listed building. The opening of the Tees Barrage
Tees Barrage
The Tees Barrage is a barrage across the River Tees just upriver of Blue House Point in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East of England and is used to control the flow of the river, preventing flooding and the effects of tidal change....
in Stockton in 1995 made the section of the Tees through Eaglescliffe non-tidal. Eaglescliffe is divided by railway lines which lead from Yarm to Stockton and can only be crossed by vehicles at the North and South of the town, although there are two pedestrian bridges and an underpass.
History
The name of the town is thought to be derived from a misspelling of the name of the nearby village of EgglescliffeEgglescliffe
Egglescliffe is a village and civil parish which for ceremonial purposes is in County Durham, England. Administratively it is located in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees. It was formerly part of the non-metropolitan county of Cleveland....
meaning a church on a hill. A common myth on the name change is that in the Victorian times the sign for the new train station turned up incorrect after the signwriter thought that Egglescliffe
Egglescliffe
Egglescliffe is a village and civil parish which for ceremonial purposes is in County Durham, England. Administratively it is located in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees. It was formerly part of the non-metropolitan county of Cleveland....
was a mistake and altered it.
Bishop Skirlaw of Durham built a stone bridge across the Tees in 1400 which still stands. An iron replacement was built in 1805, but it fell down in 1806.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway
Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
passed through the grounds of Preston Hall in Eaglescliffe, and on the opening day there was a famous race between a stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
travelling down Yarm Road, and the Locomotion No. 1.
In 2011, Eaglescliffe was named the 4th best place for families to live in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, according to the savings firm Family Investments.
Allens West
Up until the late 1990s there was an MOD base situated at Allens West in Eaglescliffe. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the base was Metal Reclamation Unit No 2, and was used to dismantle aircraft that were downed in the north of England.
It then became the Royal Navy Spare Parts Distribution Centre (RNSPDC), and later the Royal Navy Supply Depot (RNSD) Eaglescliffe, until its closure in January 1997 as part of the 'Defence Cost Study'. The storage and distribution functions were transferred to Portsmouth Naval Base, and the procurement function to MOD's site at Abbey Wood
MoD Abbey Wood
MoD Abbey Wood is a purpose-built site in Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom, that houses the Defence Equipment and Support procurement organisation....
, Bristol.
At its height, the Depot employed more than 2,000 staff and had a significant influence on the local economy. This later reduced to around 750 just prior to closure in 1997.
Part of the former MOD site is now the Urlay Nook
Urlay Nook
Urlay Nook is a village within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated a short distance to the west of Eaglescliffe. The village is dominated by the site of the former Elementis chromium chemicals plant and the Admiralty Ecology Site,...
Admiralty ecology park, the rest of the site was sold to a Distribution company in 1997.
Aerial photographs show that the site used to have railway sidings and a small runway.
A masterplan has been drawn up to build up to 1000 homes, a 5000m care home, 500m of community facilities, and up to 1000m of retail space on the site.
Geography
Eaglescliffe adjoins a small village called EgglescliffeEgglescliffe
Egglescliffe is a village and civil parish which for ceremonial purposes is in County Durham, England. Administratively it is located in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees. It was formerly part of the non-metropolitan county of Cleveland....
, and legend says that the name Eaglescliffe came about when a mistake was made on the railway station's sign. The village lies in the civil parish of Egglescliffe, as does Urlay Nook
Urlay Nook
Urlay Nook is a village within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated a short distance to the west of Eaglescliffe. The village is dominated by the site of the former Elementis chromium chemicals plant and the Admiralty Ecology Site,...
, to the west. The north part of Eaglescliffe, to the west of the A135, lies within the parish of Preston-on-Tees
Preston-on-Tees
Preston-on-Tees is a civil parish situated on the northern edge of Eaglescliffe, in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is home to Preston Park and Preston Hall.-Governance:...
. Several housing estates combine to form Eaglescliffe including Millfield, Kingsmead, Sunningdale, Hunters Green and Orchard Estate.
The main road through the town is the A135
A135 road
The A135 is a road in Teesside, England, running from Stockton-on-Tees through Eaglescliffe to Yarm on the A67, on the boundary with the River Tees. It is also known as Yarm Road, and was the A19 before the dual carriageway was built....
Yarm Road which was part of the old route of the A19
A19 road
The A19 is a major road in England running approximately parallel to and east of the A1 road, although the two roads meet at the northern end of the A19, the two roads originally met at the southern end of the A19 in Doncaster but the old route of the A1 was changed to the A638. From Sunderland...
until the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
when it was diverted near Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees
Thornaby-on-Tees is a town and civil parish within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees, three miles southeast of Stockton-on-Tees, and four miles southwest of Middlesbrough town centre and has a...
to the east. Nearby towns include Stockton-On-Tees and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
to the north and north-east and Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
to the west.
Location
- Grid referenceBritish national grid reference systemThe Ordnance Survey National Grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references used in Great Britain, different from using latitude and longitude....
: NZ421139 - Latitude and longitude: 54°31′N 1°21′W (54.51, −1.35)
- Road access: A67A67 roadThe A67 is a road in England that links Bowes in County Durham with Crathorne in North Yorkshire.-Route:*Bowes *Barnard Castle*Gainford*Piercebridge*Darlington*Durham Tees Valley Airport*Egglescliffe*Yarm...
from North and South, A66A66 roadThe A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. It runs from east of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire to Workington in Cumbria...
from East and West. - Rail access: Eaglescliffe StationEaglescliffe railway stationEaglescliffe railway station serves the town of Eaglescliffe in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees. It is located on the Tees Valley Line at the junction with the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line and is operated by Northern Rail...
, Allens WestAllens West railway stationAllens West railway station is in the town of Eaglescliffe within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees, England. It is located on the Tees Valley Line west of Middlesbrough and east of Darlington... - Nearest airport: Durham Tees Valley AirportDurham Tees Valley AirportDurham Tees Valley Airport is an international airport in north east England, located southeast of Darlington, about southwest of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. The airport serves County Durham and parts of North Yorkshire, and is in Middleton St George in the borough of Darlington...
Events
Many events are held in Eaglescliffe every year, mostly in Preston ParkPreston Park, Stockton-on-Tees
Preston Park is a public park located next to the River Tees, in Preston-on-Tees, England. It is highly popular and it hosts many events each year that attract people from across Teesside and further afield...
which is situated to the north of the town on the Tees. Many of these events are run by Stockton Council.
Many local groups gather at the community centres and village halls within Eaglescliffe and its neighbouring village, Egglescliffe. Egglescliffe Community Centre is the largest, and plays host to two amateur dramatics groups - Cliffe Theatre (who produce at least two plays every year), and Centre Stage (who produce a pantomime every January, as well as a musical every summer). Egglescliffe Community Centre also hosts many other community groups including a Ladies Section, a weight loss group, dance classes, a weekly church service, and many others.
Sport and leisure
Within Eaglescliffe, sited on Yarm Road, is Eaglescliffe Golf Club - a course which occupies the land on the eastern side of Eaglescliffe bordered to the south by the Sunningdale Estate, to the north by Preston Park, and to the east by the River Tees. Many street names in the Sunningdale Estate, as well as the name of the local 'Links Primary School', reflect the location of this golf club.Education
Eaglescliffe has one secondary school called Egglescliffe School. This is in the east of the town. There are also four primary schools: Junction Farm, Durham Lane, The Links, and Preston. Egglescliffe village has a primary school called Egglescliffe C of E Primary School. As well as these there is also Teesside High SchoolTeesside High School
Teesside High School is an independent school in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton-on-Tees. It takes students aged from three to eighteen and is a diamond school, meaning the primary school and sixth form are coeducation while girls and boys are taught separately at the secondary level.- History :The...
, an independent preparatory and high school, originally an all girls school, it is now introducing boys within the framework of a diamond model of education. It closed for a week in June 2009 because of swine flu.
Egglescliffe School
Egglescliffe School is a large mixed-sexCoeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
and sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
. Beginning as a small rural secondary school of 200 pupils in 1962, Egglescliffe became a comprehensive school in the 1970s, gradually growing to its current size of over 1400 pupils, including Sixth Formers. There have been four headteachers who have run the school since it opened: Frank Davison, Alan Basset, David Oliver and the current headteacher Angela Darnell. Egglescliffe has been awarded with the Specialist Schooling title combined with Science and Art Commendations.
Egglescliffe School has held Specialist Arts status since 1999 and was nationally well known for music and orchestral work under the direction of Keith Hewson (retired Head of Music). The school was featured in an episode of the South Bank Show (19 December 2004, ITV) subtitled a Musical Nation which explored Britain's musical provision for young people. Under the Specialist Arts status, a specialist theatre was built to host the many Drama & Theatre productions throughout the school year. It also homes Egglescliffe Youth Theatre, one of Britain's longest running youth theatres, which holds weekly sessions and yearly summer productions. From 1999, Anthony Gears (died 25 June 2010) was Director of Performing Arts at the school, and was joined by a team of six in teaching Drama & Theatre.
Economy
Tetley Tea have had their only tea bag factory in the western world here since 1969 on Sowerby Way. It is the largest tea bag factory in the world, on the Durham Lane Industrial Park, having a floor area of 220000 square feet (20,438.7 m²) and makes 18 billion tea bags a year. WarburtonsWarburtons
Warburtons is a British baking firm based founded by Thomas Warburton in 1876 in Bolton, then in Lancashire, now in Greater Manchester, England. For much of its history Warburtons only had bakeries in Lancashire and it remains a family-owned company....
have a bakery outside of the village to the north-east on the Preston Farm Industrial Estate. The Elementis Chromium
Elementis
Elementis plc is one of the UK's largest speciality chemicals business. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
site in nearby Urlay Nook
Urlay Nook
Urlay Nook is a village within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated a short distance to the west of Eaglescliffe. The village is dominated by the site of the former Elementis chromium chemicals plant and the Admiralty Ecology Site,...
closed in June 2009.
Railway
The unmanned halt Eaglescliffe railway stationEaglescliffe railway station
Eaglescliffe railway station serves the town of Eaglescliffe in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees. It is located on the Tees Valley Line at the junction with the Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line and is operated by Northern Rail...
has a four times a day direct service to/from London Kings Cross station. There are also local services to Darlington, Saltburn and Sunderland.
Notable residents
- Matthew BatesMatthew BatesMatthew David Bates is an English professional football player and captain of Middlesbrough. He plays in central defence, however is equally adept at playing right-back or defensive midfield.-Career:...
, defender for Middlesbrough FC, raised and schooled in the area. - Baroness Grey-ThompsonTanni Grey-ThompsonCarys Davina "Tanni" Grey-Thompson, Baroness Grey-Thompson, DBE is a Welsh athlete and TV presenter.Grey-Thompson was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. She is considered to be one of the most successful disabled athletes in the UK...
DBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, paralympic athlete lives in Eaglescliffe - Gary HavelockGary HavelockRobert Gary Havelock is a speedway rider who currently captains the Redcar Bears in the British Premier League...
, speedway riderMotorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
place of birth - Frank MiddlemassFrank MiddlemassFrancis George Middlemass was an English actor, who even in his early career played older roles. He is best remembered for his television roles as Rocky Hardcastle in As Time Goes By, Algy Herries in To Serve Them All My Days and Dr. Alex Ferrenby in Heartbeat...
, actor - Sir Samuel Alexander SadlerSamuel Alexander SadlerSir Samuel Alexander Sadler Knight M.P. J.P. V.D. was an eminent industrialist, public servant and the first Conservative Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough, United Kingdom, the town with which his name is associated....
(1842–1911), industrialist, Mayor and M.P. for Middlesbrough resided in Eaglescliffe - James WhartonJames Wharton (UK politician)James Stephen Wharton is a British Conservative Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Stockton South since the 2010 general election, having defeated the sitting Labour MP Dari Taylor.-Early life:...
, MP for Stockton South