History & Heritage - Industrial

Learn about Tees Valley's industrial heritage including the Fastest Growing Town in England and the iron and steel industry.

Fastest Growing Town in England

In 1800, the town of Middlesbrough did not exist, it was a farm with a small agricultural community of 25 people. Yet by the end of the nineteenth century it was a booming iron and steel town with a population of almost 90,000.

Railways and the Port

The opening of the world's first passenger railway from Stockton to Darlington in 1825 encouraged the growth of heavy industry. It was also an event that would change the face of the world forever and heralded a new era in trade, industry and travel.

The line also carried coal to the riverside docks, bringing great prosperity to the area. The Railway line was extended to Middlesbrough and a canal was cut across to make it easier for larger vessels to reach, over the next few years the town and port were established in tandem.

Iron and Steel industry growth continued at a breathtaking pace with the discovery of Iron Ore in the Cleveland Hills. This enabled the major players Vaughen and Bolckow to produce iron from start to finish within the town. Iron Ore was to replace Coal as Middlesbrough's lifeblood and principal export. Middlesbrough's population had grown from 40 people in 1829 to a massive 40,000 by 1871. Middlesbrough supplied the steel for the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and London's famous 'Big Ben Bell' was transported from West Hartlepool in 1855 after being cast in the Norton Iron Works.

Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding had long been an industry on the Tees even before the emergence of the Iron and Steel Industry in the 1800's. However, the ships of this time were constructed of wood and it wasn't until the Iron and Steel Industry came to the fore that shipbuilding really took off on the Tees.

By the end of the 1800's, six shipbuilding companies had established themselves on the Tees with the North East producing 42% of the world's merchant shipping. Teesside became one of the world's foremost shipbuilding centres in the early 1900's when the company Smiths Dock set up shop in 1908.

Chemical Industry

The first chemical company in the area started in 1833, other companies did not start to appear until Bolckow and Vaughen discovered salt under their Cleveland iron works in 1863. Salt was then discovered at other locations across the Teesside region and a number of other companies emerged.

The First World War highlighted the need in Britain to produce its own chemicals and in 1926 a number of companies merged to form a new company with the aim of producing chemicals for the British Empire - Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Other chemical companies also started to emerge and British Steel also played a major part in the region's economy and growth.

Today's Industry

There are many buildings and places that still remain as echoes of our heritage. Today the industry which makes its home here, is much greener than before, Middlesbrough enjoys the status of BT Environment City which has declared the air quality amongst the highest in the country and the River Tees is in the country's top 2% in terms of water quality.

An 800 million regeneration programme is already underway to bring further investment to the area over fives sites around the Tees Valley, in particular there has been a growth in the service industry and graphic design that will shape a whole new future.

For more information on the new developments visit teevalleyregeneration.co.uk