Norton, County Durham
Encyclopedia
Norton is a suburb of Stockton-on-Tees
in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees
and the ceremonial county
of County Durham
, England
. It still retains a village area, with a high street and village green with mostly Georgian houses; the original village dates back to at least the Anglo-Saxon period.
In 1856, John Warner and Sons made the first bell for Big Ben
, but it cracked on arrival at Westminster, so another company made the bell, closer to London.
St. Mary the Virgin, The Ancient Parish church that stands on the village green, is the only cruciform Anglo-Saxon church in Northern England. Its crossing tower with eight triangular head windows has a battlement
ed top of later date and there is a well known 14th century effigy
of a knight in chainmail
. Residing under the church floor is an escape tunnel used by the Saxons and priests when in danger. The tunnel leads under the church floor and Norton Green to the Albany housing estate. The church floor was recently renovated and Saxon remains and artifacts were discovered in the tunnel entrance. The grave of John Walker
, the inventor of friction matches, is located in the churchyard.
is an independent school located in the village.
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees
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....
and the ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
of 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...
, 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 still retains a village area, with a high street and village green with mostly Georgian houses; the original village dates back to at least the Anglo-Saxon period.
In 1856, John Warner and Sons made the first bell for Big Ben
Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world...
, but it cracked on arrival at Westminster, so another company made the bell, closer to London.
St. Mary the Virgin, The Ancient Parish church that stands on the village green, is the only cruciform Anglo-Saxon church in Northern England. Its crossing tower with eight triangular head windows has a battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
ed top of later date and there is a well known 14th century effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of a knight in chainmail
Chainmail
Mail is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh.-History:Mail was a highly successful type of armour and was used by nearly every metalworking culture....
. Residing under the church floor is an escape tunnel used by the Saxons and priests when in danger. The tunnel leads under the church floor and Norton Green to the Albany housing estate. The church floor was recently renovated and Saxon remains and artifacts were discovered in the tunnel entrance. The grave of John Walker
John Walker (inventor)
John Walker was an English chemist who invented the friction match.-Life and work:Walker was born in Stockton-on-Tees in 1781. He went to the local grammar school and was afterwards apprenticed to Watson Alcock, the principal surgeon of the town serving him as an assistant-surgeon...
, the inventor of friction matches, is located in the churchyard.
Red House School
Adjacent to St. Mary's Church is Red House Nursery & Infant School, which combines state of the art modern buildings with classrooms in the former Old Vicarage. On the opposite side of the village green resides Red House Preparatory and Main School. Red House SchoolRed House School
Red House School is a co-educational independent school in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, in the northeast of England.Nursery, Reception and Year 1 are located in a purpose-built unit, whilst Years 2 and 3 are in a Georgian Vicarage. The Preparatory School and Senior School are in a manor house...
is an independent school located in the village.
Railway
One of the first railway stations was built in Norton, Stockton on Tees and the first steam locomotive/steam engine named the Rocket invented by the late Robert Stevenson. A replica can be seen at a roundabout junction in Stockton on tees and in York Museum south of Stockton on Tees but the original rail way has since been demolished, and now only a crossing exists in Norton.Pubs and restaurants
Norton is home to 13 pubs: Norton Tavern, Norton Sports and Social Club, The Centenary, The Unicorn (known as The Top House by locals), George and Dragon, Highland Lad, The White Swan, Connections, Red Lion, Norton Working Men's Club, Perrys, and the Grange Tapas Bar. The village also now has a number of restaurants: Jolsha (Indian), Happy Valley (Chinese), Cafe Lilli (continental), Paraphernalia (Victorian tea rooms), Kings Coffee and Cafe Maison (contemporary coffee houses).Sport
Norton is also home to the Norton and Stockton Ancients football club which currently plays in the 'skilltrainingltd Northern League Division 1'Notable events
Dragon's Den favorite Duncan Bannatyne was married on 11 November 2006 at St Mary’s Church in Norton. Celebrities at the ceremony included Anna Ryder Richardson, Cherie Lunghi, Gary McCausland, Dragons’ Den presenter Evan Davis and fellow Dragons Theo Paphitis, Richard Farleigh, Simon Woodroffe and Deborah MeadenNotable people from Norton
- Franc RoddamFranc RoddamFrancis George "Franc" Roddam is an English film director, businessman, screenwriter, television producer and publisher. He is married to photographer, Leila Ansari, and has six children from previous marriages. He currently lives in London.-Career:Roddam's films include "Quadrophenia", "K2",...
- film director - Gary PallisterGary PallisterGary Andrew Pallister is an English former footballer, most noted for his nine-year spell at Manchester United from 1989 until 1998...
- professional footballer with Middlesbrough, Manchester United and England - Stevie LynnStevie LynnStevie Lynn is a Northeast-based English professional wrestler who competes with many independent promotions within the United Kingdom and Europe. Outside of wrestling Lynn processes mortgages as a living.-Wrestling career:...
- professional wrestler - David Townsend - Test cricketer