52-656: Croft Bridge is a road bridge over the River Tees , straddling the border between North Yorkshire and County Durham , in the north of England. The road over the bridge is now the A167 , previously a second branch of the Great North Road , meeting the old road in Darlington . The bridge dates back to Medieval times, and is the setting for the awarding of a sword to the incoming Bishop of Durham. The origins of
104-591: A Karenia bloom could cause the mass death of lobsters and crabs without also killing large numbers of fish, sea urchins and many other species." Monbiot reported that when he asked the UK government to publish its evidence the government refused. Peg Powler is a hag in English folklore who is said to inhabit the River Tees. The River Tees was featured in the television series Seven Natural Wonders as one of
156-559: A deep water facility. It is expected that two million tonnes of material will be dredged to allow GE Renewable Energy to load huge wind turbine blades onto ships. The 351-foot (107 m) long blades are destined for the Dogger Bank wind farm . The Heavy Fuel Oil Farm and Tarmac jetties are to be removed. The River Tees has been used for transporting industrial goods since the Industrial Revolution , particularly for
208-479: A number of tributaries including the River Greta , River Lune , River Balder , River Leven and River Skerne . Before the reorganisation of the historic English counties , the river formed the boundary between County Durham and Yorkshire . In its lower reaches it now forms the boundary between the ceremonial counties of County Durham and North Yorkshire , while in the highest part of its course it forms
260-604: A pollution incident could have contributed to the deaths of the animals." The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) labs were also testing crustaceans for disease. There is no evidence of any link to recent strandings of marine mammals and seabirds across the UK and countries along the North Sea coast, according to the EA. By late November the crustacean die-off had spread as far south as Robin Hood's Bay and
312-477: A waterway which is marked on maps first as " The Fleet " and then " Old River Tees ". The current Tees Barrage is close to the site of the Mandale Cut. Since the cuts were made, the river has continued to undergo alterations to its bed and banks to make it deeper and more navigable. The channel has been made considerably narrower by dumping ship's ballast and ironworks slag along the former banks, increasing
364-407: Is 330 feet (100 m) long, and it has seven arches, each arch being pointed and ribbed, though six of these arches are narrow-ribbed, and the smallest arch is on the southern (Yorkshire) side. A blue stone is a used as a marker on the third pier, and is inscribed with the following; "DUN CONTRIBVAT NORTH RID. COM EBOR. ET COM DTUNEL STATV. APVD SESS. VTBQe GEN. PAK. AN. DO. 1673." Serious floods have
416-770: Is adjacent to the east. In early October 2021 thousands of dead crabs and lobsters were washed up on the Tees estuary and beaches along the North-East coast of England. The deaths were first reported in Seaton Carew, Redcar and Seaham. A 95% decline in the lobster and crab catch was noticed by those employed in the local fishing industry. A spokesperson for the UK Environment Agency said, "Samples of water, sediment, mussel and crab have been collected and are being sent to our labs for analysis to consider whether
468-537: Is at Croft-on-Tees that the River Skerne joins the Tees. The river now flows south past Croft-on-Tees before swinging northwards past Hurworth-on-Tees . A series of large meanders takes the course past Neasham , Low Dinsdale and Sockburn to Middleton St George . In the lower reaches of the river valley the water flows over bunter sandstone and pebble beds . Just past Yarm, the River Leven joins
520-484: Is no evidence that it conducted such sampling, the government concluded not only that a bloom had occurred, but that it was caused by a particular, toxic species: Karenia mikimotoi . This is the stuff of science fiction. Karenia thrives in temperatures between 20 and 24 °C [68 and 75 °F]. The average water temperature on this coast in October is 13 °C [55 °F]. There is no plausible mechanism by which
572-520: Is one of the UK government's official statistics . It is tasked to secure the preservation and enhancement of the human-made heritage of England for the benefit of future generations. Its remit involves: It is not responsible for approving alterations to listed buildings . The management of listed buildings is the responsibility of local planning authorities and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities . Historic England also owns
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#1732802392453624-521: Is tasked with protecting the historic environment of England by preserving and listing historic buildings , scheduling ancient monuments , registering historic parks and gardens , advising central and local government, and promoting the public's enjoyment of, and advancing their knowledge of, ancient monuments and historic buildings. The body was created by the National Heritage Act 1983 , and operated from April 1984 to April 2015 under
676-460: Is the 69-foot (21 m) High Force waterfall. About 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km) downstream is the smaller Low Force waterfall. The scenery becomes gentler and more picturesque as the river descends past Middleton-in-Teesdale (Durham). This locality has lead and ironstone resources. Just to the east of Middleton-in-Teesdale, the River Lune joins the Tees. After passing
728-477: The Cow Green Reservoir constructed to store water to be released in dry conditions to satisfy the industrial need for water on Teesside. Emerging from the reservoir at Cauldron Snout the river traverses a series of hard black basalt and dolerite rocks that intrude through the softer limestone, in a succession of falls or rapids. From this point downstream the Tees forms the boundary between
780-464: The falchion that was used to slay the Sockburn Worm . A few lines are said, and the bishop then gives the falchion back wishing the master of Sockburn, a long life, health and prosperity. The ceremony used to be held at Neasham which is nearer Sockburn, but the ford there has become unpassable even in low water. The ceremony was discontinued in 1826 when Durham ceased to be a Palatinate , but
832-451: The northern frontier . It was first built in wood around 90 AD, before being rebuilt in stone, possibly when the first bridge washed away. The use of the bridge may of continued into the sub-Roman period. Crossings of the Tees continued to be important in the journey from north to south, and vice versa, along the east coast, during the medieval period. During the 13th century it was described as "the major obstacle to speedy travel out of
884-782: The National Heritage Collection of nationally important historic sites, currently in public care. It does not run these sites as this function is instead carried out by the English Heritage Trust under licence until 2023. The Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport appoints members of the Commission, which is the governing board of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England and oversees
936-584: The River Tees are manufacturing and servicing the North Sea oil and gas industry as well as the renewable energy industry sector, including offshore wind turbines . The south bank of the mouth of the River Tees has the 62-megawatt Teesside Offshore Wind Farm , built 2011–13. Near the mouth of the River Tees is the large dry dock facility of ABLE UK , named TERRC ( Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre ), used to dismantle or oil rigs and other large vessels. Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station
988-505: The Tees estuary below Middlesbrough. Before the heavy industrialisation of the Tees, the flats at Seal Sands in the estuary were home to common seals . For around 100 years this species was absent from the estuary but have now returned and can be seen on the flats at Seal Sands. The Seal Sands area is now designated as the Teesmouth National Nature Reserve. A proposal was made in 1769 to make cuts in
1040-470: The Tees, before passing the settlements of Eaglescliffe , Ingleby Barwick and Thornaby-on-Tees . Now nearing the sea, the Tees becomes an important commercial waterway, with the ports of Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough on its banks. It passes through the Tees Barrage between these ports, turning tidal downstream from the barrage. Teesport is built on reclaimed land on the south side of
1092-409: The UK government's statutory adviser and a statutory consultee on all aspects of the historic environment and its heritage assets. This includes archaeology on land and underwater, historic buildings sites and areas, designated landscapes and the historic elements of the wider landscape. It monitors and reports on the state of England's heritage and publishes the annual Heritage at Risk survey which
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#17328023924531144-486: The affected the bridge and its environs; in February 1753 severe flooding 15 feet (4.6 m) above the high-water mark caused the toll house to be swept away, taking £50 worth of toll-money with it, and in 1822, the water flooded the bridge to a depth of 15 feet (4.6 m) above its deck. Over the years, as the bridge became ruinous and dilapidated, arguments broke out between local authorities about who should maintain
1196-829: The archive work with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland to digitise, catalogue and put online 96,000 of the oldest Aerofilms images. The archive also houses various national collections, including the results of older projects, such as the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England and Images of England (providing online access to images of listed buildings in England as of 2002). Historic England inherited English Heritage's position as
1248-635: The boundary between the historic counties of Westmorland and Durham . The head of Teesdale (the name of valley especially at this end), has a desolate grandeur, surrounded by moorland and hills, some exceeding 2,500 feet (760 m). This area is part of the North Pennine Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The source of the river at Teeshead just below Cross Fell is at an elevation of about 2,401 feet (732 m). It flows east-north-east through an area of shake holes through Carboniferous Limestone . Below Viewing Hill, it turns south to
1300-444: The bridge are in the 14th century, with documents referring to a bridge at the site in 1356 and 1361, though it is possible that either a ford or a timber bridge pre-dated the stone bridge. A grant of pontage was made in 1356 for repairs to the bridge as it had been damaged by severe flooding. In 1531 it was described as being "...[a] grete bridge at Crofte, beinge of sixe myghte large pillars and of seven arches of stone worke..." Until
1352-512: The bridge. In 1673, it was decreed that the third pier outwards from the Durham side would be the boundary marker between the two sides, with each district being responsible for the part of the bridge within their boundary. This equates to 53 yards (48 m) on the Durham side, and 95 yards (87 m) on the Yorkshire side. In 1795, the width of the bridge was extended by 15 feet (4.6 m) on
1404-576: The building of the first suspension railway bridge . This moved the commercial centre of gravity of Teesside further down stream, where many future bridges would be built. Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England ) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport . It
1456-553: The building of Blackwell Bridge in 1832 (further upstream) all traffic to the south from Darlington had to use Croft Bridge. It remained an important crossing point between Yorkshire and County Durham; in late 1569, Sir Ralph Sadler and the Earl of Sussex , both loyal to Elizabeth I , gathered their forces at the bridge to ride northwards during the Rising of the North campaign. The bridge
1508-466: The diocese of Durham southwards", with the contemporary fords, bridges and ferries proving particularly inconvenient in the winter period. This included the Great North Road , for which the Croft Bridge was built in the 13th or 14th centuries. Yarm Bridge was built around 1400, by bishop Skirlaw . In 1771 a major flood on the Tees, along with others in the North-East, caused major damage to
1560-635: The eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines and flows eastwards for 85 miles (137 km) to reach the North Sea in the North East of England. The modern-day history of the river has been tied with the industries on Teesside in its lower reaches, where it has provided the means of import and export of goods to and from the North East England . The need for water further downstream also meant that reservoirs were built in
1612-441: The extreme upper reaches, such as Cow Green . The name Tees is possibly of Brittonic origin. The element *tēs , meaning "warmth" with connotations of "boiling, excitement" ( Welsh tes ), may underlie the name. *Teihx-s , a root possibly derived from Brittonic *ti (Welsh tail , "dung, manure"), has also been used to explain the name Tees (compare River Tyne ). The river drains 710 square miles (1,800 km ) and has
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1664-488: The industrialisation of the area through the 19th century, many new bridges where needed closer to the ports mouth. When the Stockton and Darlington railway , first opened in 1825, it was realised that the staiths at Stockton where two small to export the desired amount of coal. The decision was made to start exporting closer to the rivers mouth on the other bank, at Port Darlington (later Middlesbrough ). This required
1716-467: The mouth of the River Tees. The emergence of the Steel industry in the late 19th century earned it the nickname "The Steel River" owing to the many steelworks that operated along the banks of the Tees. In the 20th century the river also became important to the developing chemical industry , contributing particularly to the development of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) who used reclaimed land on
1768-470: The mouth of the Tees, allowing for tides and other factors, could take as long as seven days. The Mandale Cut was the shorter of the two, at about 220 yards (200 m), with the Portrack Cut being considerably longer (1,100 yards (1,000 m)), although the northern meander it removed was smaller than the southern meander. Neither meander is visible today, except for the flow of Stainsby Beck into
1820-517: The name of English Heritage . In 2015, following the changes to English Heritage's structure that moved the protection of the National Heritage Collection into the voluntary sector in the English Heritage Trust , the body that remained was rebranded as Historic England. The body also inherited the Historic England Archive from the former English Heritage, and projects linked to the archive such as Britain from Above, which saw
1872-528: The north bank for import/export facilities. The move to loading coal on bigger ships in Middlesbrough was the economic driver for the development not only of the town of Middlesbrough itself but also of the railway between Stockton and Darlington . This is where George Stephenson developed his railway engine "Locomotion" and this railway was the first steam railway to carry passengers, as well as industrial materials. The Stockton and Darlington Railway
1924-545: The rich plain east and south of Darlington in large meandering curves. The course of the valley down to here has been generally east-south-east, but it now turns north-east near the village of Whorlton . Passing Ovington and Winston it runs parallel to the A67 south-east past Gainford and Piercebridge to Darlington , passing under the A1 and A66 . The section from Piercebridge to Hurworth flows over magnesian limestone . It
1976-549: The river which would straighten the course and enable ships to save time and money in navigation. Between Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough, the river previously meandered first south and then north of its current channel. Two "cuts", known as the Mandale Cut and the Portrack Cut , were made to straighten its course in 1810 and 1831 respectively. Before these cuts were made, the journey by sailing barge from Thornaby to
2028-526: The river's bridges, completely destroying some. The Wynch Bridge , Supposedly the oldest suspension bridge in Europe, dating from 1741, was lifted from its moorings. The bridge in Gilmonby was recorded as being destroyed after having only been fully operational for 3 years. On the other hand, The medieval Yarm Bridge was not affected by the flood, despite every other building in the town being damaged. With
2080-493: The road which was the responsibility of the turnpike, though they felt he should have paid. The river downstream of Croft Bridge has a different landscape to that upstream of the bridge; notwithstanding the industrial changes, but in pre-historic times, the valley below the bridge was subject to natural flooding from meltwater and also marine inundation. Now, the bridge carries the A167 road between Northallerton and Darlington. This
2132-437: The scouring due to its natural flow. Maps made prior to 1900 show that between Stockton and Middlesbrough the river flowed in a channel up to 330 yards (300 m) wide in places, with many shoals and sandbars. The modern channel varies between about 110 yards (100 m) and 220 yards (200 m). In October 2021 the UK engineering company, GRAHAM, started work on the 0.75-mile (1.2 km) South Bank Quay project to provide
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2184-527: The shipment of coal from the Durham Coalfields and also for the steel industries that later developed around Middlesbrough . In the early years merchant ships left the River Tees after loading in Yarm and Stockton on Tees ; but as merchant ships became bigger, these smaller docks were superseded by bigger and deeper docks in Middlesbrough, and later even further downstream at Teesport close to
2236-486: The steel and chemical industries made by companies that are members of the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC). The areas where large scale commodity chemical industry continues to be based are Billingham and Seal Sands , both on the north bank of the River Tees, and Wilton on the south bank. The Teesside Steelworks at Redcar operated until closure in 2015. Other industrial companies that use
2288-458: The traditional counties of Durham and Yorkshire almost without a break, although since 1974 much of it is wholly in Durham. The dale widens below Cauldron Snout, and trees appear, contrasting with the broken rocks where the water descends over High Force . After a short turn northwards, the river continues to meander south-easterly. Close to where the B6277 road begins to run parallel to the river
2340-550: The upstream side by noted architect John Carr . For the use of the bridge, tolls were charged between 1745 and 1879, although the turnpike trust were not responsible for the bridge or for 300 feet (91 m) either side of it, which caused a case to be pursued through the courts when a traveller with carts used the bridge but turned off in Croft-on-Tees onto the Richmondshire road. Having done so, he at no point used
2392-486: The village of Romaldkirk to the west, the river is joined by the River Balder at Cotherstone . The ancient town of Barnard Castle , Egglestone Abbey , and Rokeby Park , known through Sir Walter Scott 's poem Rokeby , are all passed. At Rokeby the Tees is joined by the River Greta . From the area near Eggleston, the river is crossing over millstone grit . From here the valley begins to open out, and traverses
2444-463: The wonders of the North, and in the post-apocalyptic drama The Last Train having blown its banks. An early crossing of the Tees was made by the Romans , with the construction of a bridge at Piercebridge , along with a corresponding fortress . The bridge was built on the route of Dere Street , and as a result it likely saw a great deal of military traffic going between the fortress at York and
2496-621: Was affecting catches in Whitby . The Environment Agency has ruled out chemical pollution as the cause of the mass shellfish deaths. Dredging was also rejected as the cause of the environmental disaster . Environment Agency operations manager Sarah Jennings said, "We've used both traditional and innovative screening methods to analyse samples of water, sediment and crab looking for traces of contamination. We’ve screened for over 1,000 potential chemical contaminants but found no anomalies that could lead to an event of this scale." In early February 2022 it
2548-643: Was founded after an initial shareholders' meeting in a room in a public house in Yarm. Today Teesport is owned by PD Ports ; it is located close to the North Sea and 3 miles (5 km) east of Middlesbrough. Teesport is currently the third largest port in the United Kingdom, and among the ten biggest in Western Europe, handling over 56 million tonnes of domestic and international cargo per year. The vast majority of these products are still related to
2600-489: Was originally a branch of the Great North Road from York to Newcastle, which met up with the old A1 road just after it crossed Blackwell Bridge south of Darlington. The bridge has a footpath on either side, and the road carriageway is 24 feet (7.3 m) across. The bridge is the setting for a handover whenever a new Bishop of Durham is elevated. The incoming bishop is greeted by the master of Sockburn manor with
2652-584: Was reported that, "Defra and partner agencies have completed a thorough investigation of the cause of dead crabs and lobsters which were found washed up on the North East coast between October and December 2021. Following significant testing and modelling to rule out possible causes, Defra and partner agencies consider that the deaths of the crabs and lobsters potentially resulted from a naturally occurring harmful algal bloom ." In June 2022 George Monbiot wrote in The Guardian , "Astonishingly, although there
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#17328023924532704-479: Was revived by the investiture of John Habgood in 1973. Unusually, the bridge has two different listings with Historic England , both having Grade I listed status. The bridge at the County Durham side (Hurworth) was registered on 20 March 1967, and the Yorkshire side of the bridge, at Croft, was registered on 19 December 1951. River Tees The River Tees ( / t iː z / ), in England, rises on
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