Stockton-on-Tees

Stockton-on-Tees is an industrial town and port on the River Tees in north-eastern England, in 1991 the town had a population of 170,200.

The town covers areas in the traditional counties of Yorkshire and Durham. For local democracy it was made part of the Cleveland in 1974, and then became a unitary authority in 1996. Stockton has ship-repairing, steel and chemical industries.

The town is most famous for it's associations with the Stockton and Darlington Railway on which ran the world's first steam hauled passenger train in 1825. The town also has the world's oldest railway station building, and also contains much Georgian architecture.

It was also the home of John Walker, who invented the friction match in 1826.

The borough and county of Stockton-on-Tees contains, in addition to the town itself, Thornaby-on-Tees, Yarm, Billingdon. It also contains Teesside Airport.