Stokesley

Stokesley
Yorkshire North Riding
Stokesley High Street
Location
Grid reference:	NZ524087
Location:	54°28’16"N, 1°11’26"W
Data
Population:	5,530
Post town:	Middlesbrough
Postcode:	TS9
Dialling code:	01642
Local Government
Council:	Hambleton
Parliamentary constituency:	Richmond

Stokesley is a small market town in the North Riding of Yorkshire. It stands on the River Leven, about ten miles south of Middlesbrough town centre. In contrast to the latter town though, Stokesley is amongst the farming country of Yorkshire, with Guisborough and Northallerton near to hand.

Hereabouts, visitors may see Great Ayton, Captain Cook's monument, Roseberry Topping and the North York Moors.

History

Stokesley was first granted a charter to hold fairs in 1223 by Henry III. The Pack Horse Bridge, crossing the River Leven from the riverside walk, dates from the 17th century. Renowned for its large range of building types, the latter construction within Stokesley of sundry fine Georgian architecture is thought to have contributed much to its later character. Other prominent historical features around the town include the Mill Wheel, thought to represent the site of a mill recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The famous survey also contained the first written record of "a church and priest" in Stokesley. Its equivalent today, The Church of St Peter and St Paul, is located just off the market Plain and has woodwork carved by Robert (Mousey) Thompson "the Mouseman of Kilburn".

Visitors to Stokesley today will find an intact historic High Street, lined with many independent small shops and restaurants. Other facilities include a Leisure Centre with a swimming pool, a medium-sized supermarket, show-ground, camping site, Health Centre, industrial estate (Terry Dicken), Library, Police Station and Fire Station. The town also has five pubs. Stokesley is also the home of Quorn, produced by Marlow Foods.

The inaugural meeting of the Stokesley Agricultural Society was held at the Golden Lion Hotel, now Chapters Hotel, in 1859. This boutique hotel was also used as the local law courts for the area being ideally placed between Middlesbrough and Northallerton.

Stokesley Agricultural Show, first held in 1859, is held every year on the third Saturday in September. It is, perhaps, the largest one day show in England.

There is a weekly market held on a Friday in the main square called the Plain. A farmer's market takes place on the first Saturday of each month.

A four-day fair takes place every September in the town centre. The fair spans the full length of the high street and rides with such names as the KMG Equinox-Tango, the Extreme and Vertigo. The fair always begins on a Wednesday evening and runs until the Saturday, opening all day on the Saturday due to the annual agricultural show which takes place on the showground.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Stokesley)

• Stokesley Parish Church
• Stokesley Website
• Genuki: The Ancient Parish of Stokesley
• Stokesley Info - Website for Stokesley and surrounding area new to 2011

References

Books

• Stokesley and District Local History Study Group, Historical Glimpses of the Town of Stoxley, Stokesley and District Local History Study Group 1981
• The Stokesley Society, Old Stokesley, The Stokesley Society 1983
• Stokesley and District Local History Study Group, Stokesley in the 1860s: Aspects of Everyday Life, Stokesley and District Local History Study Group 1994.
• The Stokesley Scene Collection, New Book, Life in a Yorkshire Market Town with a Foreword by the Rt. Hon. William Hague MP "The Stokesley Scene Collection: 30th Anniversary Limited Edition", 2008