Middleton, Hartlepool
Encyclopedia
Middleton is a place in County Durham
, in England
. It is situated on the North Sea
coast between the centre of Hartlepool
/West Hartlepool and The Headland (or Hartelpool/Old Hartlepool/East Hartlepool).
, in the Dyke House Marsh
es, between the two areas. Ton is Anglo-Saxon
and in this case means Hill, so it means "Middle Hill".
In the medieval era it has long been believed to have served as part of both the sea and military defense for the harbour. However as Hartlepool went into decline, and the town's fate was compared with that of Ancient Tyre, Middleton gradually lost its significance; by the late 18th century half of neighbouring Victoria and Commissioners Harbour was recorded as being half-filled in and used as a cornfield.
However in the early 19th century, Hartlepool's fate changed as the town began to industrialise, and the Greys, the Swansons, and the Jacksons began investing in the new dock
s that would emerge to the South, as the Dyke House Marshes where drained. Gradually Middleton re-emerged becoming more or less an island, in the centre of the new dockyards. Due to its prominent position, it seemed for some to be the ideal place to establish shipyard
s. At its height in the late 19th century, the island had three shipyards and two engineering works based on the Island of Middleton. Middleton was itself a community in its own right, consisting of three streets of terrace houses and a number of pubs. It was also home to a "Rocket
House" which was used for signalling ships.
In the 1940s, this area of Hartlepool was home to many decommissioned or mothballed Royal Navy
ships, as well as ships of Axis Powers
, waiting to be refitted or dismantled. These included one of Adolf Hitler
's yachts.
From the end of the Second World War the dockyards in Hartlepool gradually fell into decline, partly due to the moving of several key industries, the declines in export of coal
. For Middleton it was particularly hard hit by a decline, in the commission of ships built in British
shipyards, as well as the fact much of the Dockyards at Hartlepool were gradually considered unsuitable for the modern container ship
s (until the improvements made to Central Dock, which now serves as the main port of the town). This and a combination of the highly polluted, dirty and derelict environment of Middleton, gradually led to the site's depopulation, to a point where by the late 1980s the only inhabited part was a surviving pub. Most of the buildings with the exception of several derelict buildings, mainly belonging to the Engineering Works, warehouses and the modern buildings of Greys Shipyards, had been demolished.
From early 1990s onward, the entire Docklands area of Hartlepool received funding from the Regional Development body, to regenerate and redevelop the entire area. Since then the entire site except for the pub has been leveled to the ground. Much of the surrounding dockland has been filled in, but due to its position by Central Dock and Commissioners Harbour, and the use of Union Dock to the South as a Yachting Harbour, have in essence kept it an island.
Currently a large portion of Greys Shipywards remain, though they are rarely commissioned to do anything else except build parts for oil rig
s and dismantle ships. Dismantling the "ghost ships" itself causing controversy.
Since 2003 a series of new apartment
s, have been completed, which roughly covers the site of the terrace houses. Despite being very modern and having some excellent sea views, these Apartments have proved difficult to sell, mostly due to their isolation on the island, and distance from the town centre
. It also has not helped the fact that they are so close to a site of industry
, what with both the container port and the shipyard on its doorstep. However Hartlepool
District Council has plans to redevelop the neighbouring Industrial sites as part of their redevelopment plans. However this itself, has caused controversy, as understandably neither the Shipyard or the Port desire to move. The decisions of the District Council have also angered many people who work at the two sites. Public opinion remains divided, with some desiring the full re-generation of the area, and others who are upset at the idea of Hartlepool once again losing its port. Some question the sustainability of the planned regeneration of the site, given what some see as the council's existing failures with regeneration in other areas of the town. Some also take a view that redevelopment of the port would lead to a number of local businesses having to consider moving out of Hartlepool. It remains a complicated issue, which is still being resolved.
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast between the centre of Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
/West Hartlepool and The Headland (or Hartelpool/Old Hartlepool/East Hartlepool).
History and Etymology
It takes its name form the very fact it was a hillockHillock
A hillock or knoll is a small hill, usually separated from a larger group of hills such as a range. Hillocks are similar in their distribution and size to small mesas or buttes. The term is largely a British one...
, in the Dyke House Marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, between the two areas. Ton is Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
and in this case means Hill, so it means "Middle Hill".
In the medieval era it has long been believed to have served as part of both the sea and military defense for the harbour. However as Hartlepool went into decline, and the town's fate was compared with that of Ancient Tyre, Middleton gradually lost its significance; by the late 18th century half of neighbouring Victoria and Commissioners Harbour was recorded as being half-filled in and used as a cornfield.
However in the early 19th century, Hartlepool's fate changed as the town began to industrialise, and the Greys, the Swansons, and the Jacksons began investing in the new dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
s that would emerge to the South, as the Dyke House Marshes where drained. Gradually Middleton re-emerged becoming more or less an island, in the centre of the new dockyards. Due to its prominent position, it seemed for some to be the ideal place to establish shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s. At its height in the late 19th century, the island had three shipyards and two engineering works based on the Island of Middleton. Middleton was itself a community in its own right, consisting of three streets of terrace houses and a number of pubs. It was also home to a "Rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
House" which was used for signalling ships.
In the 1940s, this area of Hartlepool was home to many decommissioned or mothballed Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ships, as well as ships of Axis Powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
, waiting to be refitted or dismantled. These included one of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's yachts.
From the end of the Second World War the dockyards in Hartlepool gradually fell into decline, partly due to the moving of several key industries, the declines in export of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. For Middleton it was particularly hard hit by a decline, in the commission of ships built in British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
shipyards, as well as the fact much of the Dockyards at Hartlepool were gradually considered unsuitable for the modern container ship
Container ship
Container ships are cargo ships that carry all of their load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport.-History:...
s (until the improvements made to Central Dock, which now serves as the main port of the town). This and a combination of the highly polluted, dirty and derelict environment of Middleton, gradually led to the site's depopulation, to a point where by the late 1980s the only inhabited part was a surviving pub. Most of the buildings with the exception of several derelict buildings, mainly belonging to the Engineering Works, warehouses and the modern buildings of Greys Shipyards, had been demolished.
From early 1990s onward, the entire Docklands area of Hartlepool received funding from the Regional Development body, to regenerate and redevelop the entire area. Since then the entire site except for the pub has been leveled to the ground. Much of the surrounding dockland has been filled in, but due to its position by Central Dock and Commissioners Harbour, and the use of Union Dock to the South as a Yachting Harbour, have in essence kept it an island.
Currently a large portion of Greys Shipywards remain, though they are rarely commissioned to do anything else except build parts for oil rig
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
s and dismantle ships. Dismantling the "ghost ships" itself causing controversy.
Since 2003 a series of new apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s, have been completed, which roughly covers the site of the terrace houses. Despite being very modern and having some excellent sea views, these Apartments have proved difficult to sell, mostly due to their isolation on the island, and distance from the town centre
Town centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
. It also has not helped the fact that they are so close to a site of industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
, what with both the container port and the shipyard on its doorstep. However Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
District Council has plans to redevelop the neighbouring Industrial sites as part of their redevelopment plans. However this itself, has caused controversy, as understandably neither the Shipyard or the Port desire to move. The decisions of the District Council have also angered many people who work at the two sites. Public opinion remains divided, with some desiring the full re-generation of the area, and others who are upset at the idea of Hartlepool once again losing its port. Some question the sustainability of the planned regeneration of the site, given what some see as the council's existing failures with regeneration in other areas of the town. Some also take a view that redevelopment of the port would lead to a number of local businesses having to consider moving out of Hartlepool. It remains a complicated issue, which is still being resolved.