Cleveland
Cleveland is a land of hills and dales from the River Tees to Vale of Pickering and out to the cliff-bound coast which gives this land its name, all in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The name ‘Ceveland’ means “cliff-land”.
The North York Moors national park, established in 1952, covers much of Cleveland.
Cleveland has long been a name attached to this part of Yorkshire, in particular along the cliff-bound coast. In the Saga of Harald Sigardsson it is recorded that King Harold of Norway landed in "the place called Cleveland" (and proceeded to burn Scarborough for resisting him). The name was also taken by a mediæval and modern archdeaconry stretching along the coast from the lands beside the River Tees down to Scarborough.
The extent of Cleveland cannot be exactly determined. It has been said tat it corresponds to the North Riding’s wapentakes of Langbaugh, Whitby Strand and Pickering Lythe at a maximal extent, or the coastal lands alone.
Location
- Location map: 54°30’0"N, 1°8’2"W
Metal
The Cleveland Hills were key suppliers of the ironstone which was essential to running blast furnaces alongside the River Tees. Cleveland’s rich ore has created a significant industrial heritage arising from its central role in the 19th century iron boom that led to Middlesbrough growing from a hamlet into a major industrial town in only a matter of decades. Teesport is one of the United Kingdom's main ports, initially due to the iron boom, with other heavy industrial plants between Middlesbrough and Redcar.