Preston Park, Stockton-on-Tees
Encyclopedia
Preston Park is a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) public park located next to the River Tees
, in Preston-on-Tees
, England
. It is highly popular and it hosts many events each year that attract people from across Teesside
and further afield. Entrance and parking on site is usually free, though some events may charge.
The land was originally a private residence with large grounds but has since become the property of Stockton Borough Council
after being purchased from Sir Robert Ropner.
ing with their children. The field is used for training by a number of football teams, and a local frisbee team. The field does however suffer from drainage problems meaning that it often becomes waterlogged, however work on a drainage system for the field are currently under way, and expected to be completed by Summer 2010.
to thrive. There is a charge for entry.
"The Big Dipper" is a 15ft-deep cut in the ground which is used as a kind of half-pipe
. From the top of the slope, riders can aim at a variety of take-off points on the other side, each of which provides differing amounts of "air time
".
There are a variety of smaller jumps nearby, as well as some rougher cycling routes.
ran through the grounds beside the main road in the 1800s. There was no station.
In the 1970s and 80s there was a small zoo within the park, partly covering the area now used by the playground and stretching down to the hall. It famously had a penguin
enclosure. There were also llama
s and chipmunk
s, among others.
, but was strongly opposed by many residents in the local area due to the loss of valuable public park land. The Conservative candidate for the Stockton-South seat James Wharton
also opposed the proposal before narrowly winning the seat in the 2010 election. Leaflets from Dari Taylor's party have since expressed regret for not opposing the development of Preston Park.
The proposal for the development (coded option D2) has now been removed as a viable option. The reasons given are that the funding for the new foot bridge would not have been granted from central government, and that "During the feasibility work undertaken, the location of the proposed bridge also raised significant engineering issues. In addition to this, any additional traffic from a community school facility could not be accommodated without significant upgrading of the road network.", and that the Preston Park allotments would have had to be moved.
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
, in Preston-on-Tees
Preston-on-Tees
Preston-on-Tees is a civil parish situated on the northern edge of Eaglescliffe, in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is home to Preston Park and Preston Hall.-Governance:...
, 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 highly popular and it hosts many events each year that attract people from across Teesside
Teesside
Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...
and further afield. Entrance and parking on site is usually free, though some events may charge.
The land was originally a private residence with large grounds but has since become the property of Stockton Borough Council
Stockton-on-Tees (borough)
Stockton-on-Tees is a unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of north east England, with a population in 2001 of 178,408, rising to 185,880 in 2005 estimates....
after being purchased from Sir Robert Ropner.
Hall
Preston Hall is an old mansion house dating from 1825 which is now a museum.Showground
The flat, grassed area in front of the main house is now the main staging ground for large events held in the park. It is easily able to hold the largest of circus tents and other temporary structures. When not being used for an event, this area will often contain people playing sports or picnicPicnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
ing with their children. The field is used for training by a number of football teams, and a local frisbee team. The field does however suffer from drainage problems meaning that it often becomes waterlogged, however work on a drainage system for the field are currently under way, and expected to be completed by Summer 2010.
Butterfly World
This building houses an environment specially controlled to allow a variety of exotic butterfliesButterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
to thrive. There is a charge for entry.
Children's playground
Adjacent to the café is a play area containing a variety of traditional swings and more adventurous climbing equipment. This is enclosed by a fence to help prevent children wandering off.Crazy Golf
In front of the café lies a simple crazy golf course. Originally quite open, the bushes and trees have grown, leaving most of the course hidden from view.Miniature railway
Across the showground from the car park is a miniature railway with two trains. This only operates during the summer months.Quarry Wood
This is a popular place for younger mountain bikers, with the main attraction being "The Dippers". These are a series of dirt jumps and gravel corners created by the natural terrain. They are mostly fenced off in an attempt to protect the public from out-of-control bikes."The Big Dipper" is a 15ft-deep cut in the ground which is used as a kind of half-pipe
Half-pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, and inline skating. The structure is wood, concrete, metal, earth, or snow. It resembles a cross section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramps , topped by copings and...
. From the top of the slope, riders can aim at a variety of take-off points on the other side, each of which provides differing amounts of "air time
Air Time
Air Time is an album by the improvisational collective Air featuring Henry Threadgill, Steve McCall, and Fred Hopkins performing three of Threadgill's compositions and one each by Hopkins and McCall.-Reception:...
".
There are a variety of smaller jumps nearby, as well as some rougher cycling routes.
Previous attractions
The world's first passenger railwayStockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
ran through the grounds beside the main road in the 1800s. There was no station.
In the 1970s and 80s there was a small zoo within the park, partly covering the area now used by the playground and stretching down to the hall. It famously had a penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
enclosure. There were also llama
Llama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
s and chipmunk
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small striped squirrels native to North America and Asia. They are usually classed either as a single genus with three subgenera, or as three genera.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
s, among others.
Relocation of Egglescliffe School
In 2009 it was proposed by Ingleby Barwick councillors that Egglescliffe School be relocated within the park with a foot bridge linking the school to the estate. The proposal was backed by the then MP for Stockton South Dari TaylorDari Taylor
Dari Jean Taylor is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Stockton South between the 1997 and 2010 general elections.-Biography:...
, but was strongly opposed by many residents in the local area due to the loss of valuable public park land. The Conservative candidate for the Stockton-South seat James Wharton
James Wharton (UK politician)
James Stephen Wharton is a British Conservative Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Stockton South since the 2010 general election, having defeated the sitting Labour MP Dari Taylor.-Early life:...
also opposed the proposal before narrowly winning the seat in the 2010 election. Leaflets from Dari Taylor's party have since expressed regret for not opposing the development of Preston Park.
The proposal for the development (coded option D2) has now been removed as a viable option. The reasons given are that the funding for the new foot bridge would not have been granted from central government, and that "During the feasibility work undertaken, the location of the proposed bridge also raised significant engineering issues. In addition to this, any additional traffic from a community school facility could not be accommodated without significant upgrading of the road network.", and that the Preston Park allotments would have had to be moved.