ABOUT MIDDLESBROUGH
Location
Middlesbrough is situated in the North-East of England on the south bank of the River Tees below Durham and Newcastle and above the North York Moors. It is the largest town in the Tees Valley with a population of over 137,000. Teesport, three miles to the East, is one of the three biggest ports in the UK, while Durham Tees Valley Airport lies eight miles to the West.
History
Middlesbrough, and Teesside in general, is famous for its heavy engineering, chemical, iron and steel industries - the town set the world price for steel for many years in the 19th century. The great steelworks, chemical plants, shipbuilding and offshore fabrication yards that followed the original Middlesbrough ironworks have made a major contribution to Britain's prosperity.
Today, new businesses have opened in the media, design and e-commerce sectors with the area developing into a major retail, commercial and university town. The town boasts a Premiership football team (who reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2006), a major athletics stadium and nine council-run leisure centres.
Attractions
The town is also famous for the Transporter Bridge, built in 1911 and spanning the Tees between Middlesbrough and Port Clarence, which, at 850 feet long and 225 feet high, is the largest of its type in the world. It remains in daily use and is an imposing and impressive feat of engineering.
Other attractions include the public artwork in the town centre, the Bottle of Notes, by celebrated artist Claes Oldenburg, the wonderful green open spaces of Albert, Pallister and Stewart Parks, and the stunning architecture of Acklam Hall and Ormesby Hall. In addition, visits to the Dorman Museum and Art Gallery or the Middlesbrough Theatre are always worthwhile.
Shopping facilities are in abundance, with more shopping floor space than Gateshead's Metro Centre, and include Hillstreet, the Mall, Captain Cook Square and the Linthorpe Road area, which hosts a number of unique designer boutiques. In addition, the Prissick Skate Plaza, designed for skateboarding and BMX and attracting 60,000 young people since opening in 2005, was recently voted the best in the country.
Events
Internationally-renowned events attract thousands of visitors from across the UK. These include: In June, Middlesbrough Music Live, attracting up and coming bands to a host of venues in the town centre; In July, Middlesbrough MELA, the region's most successful multi-cultural celebration which was attended by over 30,000 people in 2006; In the same month, the Cleveland Show, a huge agricultural event held in Stewart Park; and in September there is the annual Middlesbrough Tees Pride 10k Road Race, an excellent way to both keep fit and see more of the town!
Wards
The 23 wards in Middlesbrough are each unique and have their own characteristics.
However, in general terms, the Town Centre is covered by MIDDLEHAVEN, also featuring the Riverside Stadium, and GRESHAM. This leads on to the UNIVERSITY and, further down Linthorpe Road, the fabulous green space of Albert Park. PARK and CLAIRVILLE wards, the latter covering Grove Hill, border on to this.
To the Eastern side of the town, the wards are PALLISTER, which also covers Berwick Hills, PARK END and BECKFIELD. Bordering nearby Eston and Grangetown are THORNTREE and NORTH ORMESBY & BRAMBLES FARM.
To the West you will find AYRESOME, site of the old Middlesbrough Football Club ground, LINTHROPE, ACKLAM, KADER and BROOKFIELD.
To the more rural south are, from West to East, STAINTON & THORNTON, HEMLINGTON, COULBY NEWHAM, MARTON WEST, MARTON and NUNTHORPE.
More Information...
For more information on any of the attractions or events described above, please click on the link to Middlesbrough Council's website on the bottom left hand side of your screen or click here.