Stokesley

Stokesley is a small market town and a civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Leven. Stokesley is located about two miles south of the boundary of the borough of Middlesbrough and ten miles south of Middlesbrough town centre.

Stokesley was first granted a charter to hold fairs in 1223 by Henry III. There is a weekly fair held on a friday in the main square called the 'Plain'. There are a large range of building types in Stokesley with a lot of fine Georgian architecture. Prominent features around the town include the Mill Wheel, thought to represent the site of a mill recorded in the Doomsday book. The Church of St Peter and St Paul, just off the market 'Plain', has woodwork carved by the Mouseman of Kilburn. The first written record of the church is in the Doomsday Survey of William the Conqueror where it records "a church and priest". The Pack Horse Bridge, crossing the River Leven from the riverside walk, dates from the 17th Century.

Visitors to Stokesley will find a historic High Street, lined with many independent small shops and restuarants. Main facilities include a Primary School, Secondary School and Sixth Form College, Leisure Centre including swimming pool, medium-sized supermarket, show-ground, camping site, Health Centre, Library, Police Station & Fire Station. The town has five pubs. Stokesley is the home of Quorn, produced by Marlow Foods. In september there is a four day fair that takes over the centre of town. The agricultural show takes place at the end of september on the show-ground.

Stokesley is located between Middlesbrough, Guisborough and Northallerton, in a farming area.

Local attractions for visitors include nearby Great Ayton, Captain Cook's monument, Roseberry Topping and the North York Moors.

[edit] Further reading

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