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Places to stay in Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough's town centre today is quite different from the original
town planned by Joseph Pease and Partners in 1829. The early town, now
called 'St Hilda's' after the parish church that stood here until 1969,
was centred on a market square, where the first town hall was built in
1846. Immediately to the south of this early town, lay the railway line
and station of 1877. As Middlesbrough grew, its boundaries quickly expanded
south of the railway, leaving the old town somewhat isolated between the
railway and river. Gradually the centre of commerce, trade and local government
shifted south of the railway and in 1899, the old town hall, was succeeded
by the grand structure, in Corporation Road. The town hall and its municipal
buildings vaguely resemble the Houses of Parliament and are still an impressive
headquarters for local government in Middlesbrough. At the turn of the
century, Linthorpe Road, also south of the railway, had become the main
shopping street. This road followed the course of an old country route
from Linthorpe to Middlesbrough called Linthorpe Lane. Today Linthorpe
Road, along with Albert Road, Grange Road and Corporation Road, form the
modern centre of Middlesbrough, with the University, the Central Library,
the Law Courts, radio stations, shopping centres, car parks and busy shopping
streets all located within easy reach.
'Over the border', to the north of the railway, some features of the earlier
town can still be seen. Middlesbrough's oldest pub, the Ship Inn, in Stockton
Street is still there as is the old Town Hall, which has seen better days.
More impressive are the Georgian style houses, (now offices) in Queens
Terrace, which belonged to the first Middlesbrough owners and nearby,
the one time house of the ironmasters Bolckow and Vaughan. From here a
short walk leads to the magnificent Transporter Bridge, ensuring that
the old part of town still gets some of the attention.
Middlesbrough is the capital of Teesside and the Tees Valley and is famed
for its industry, football club and its bridge, including the Transporter
Bridge, the undisputed symbol of Teesside.
