Stockton Castle

In the civil parish of Stockton On Tees . In the historic county of Durham; County Palatinate of (Modern Authority of Stockton on Tees, 1974 county of Cleveland).

Shopping centre and car park on site of irregular four sided enclosure with great ditches were remains of castle slighted 1652. Castle of the Bishop of Durham. PastScape record as ‘Site of C12 fortified manor house and moat, later castle, destroyed in 1652’
The Parliamentary Commissioners, reporting upon its state in 1647, wrote " that the bishop's castle situate at the south end of the town by the river Tease (sic") is ruinous and in great decay. . . . The castle hath had a great moat about it, but the same is now for want of cleaning filled up in part, and within that moat hath heretofore been orchards and gardens, but all destroyed. . . . There hath likewise been a park, but the same hath been disparked." The lands of the estate were sold, and the castle was completely dismantled. (Niemeyer)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NZ44631865

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 26890
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles and Tower Houses of County Durham (Malvern) p57
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p116, 175
    Jackson, M.J., 1996, Castles of Durham and Cleveland (Carlise) p56-8
    Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p51-4
    Manby, T. (ed), 1988, Archaeology in Eastern Yorkshire p176-88
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p138
    Hugill, Robert, 1979, The Castles and Towers of the County of Durham (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p93
    Sowler, R., 1972, History of the Town and Borough of Stockton-on-Tees
    Woodhouse, R., 1967, History of Stockton Castle
    Page, Wm (ed), 1928, VCH Durham Vol3 p204, 353-54
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Niemeyer, N., 1911, 'Introductory Chapter' in Rait, R.S. (ed), English Episcopal Palaces (Province of York) (London; Constable & Co) p10 http://www.archive.org/details/englishepiscopal00raitiala
    Gould, Chalkley, 1905, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Durham Vol1 p359
    Boyle, J.R., 1892, Comprehensive Guide to the County of Durham: its Castles, Churches, and Manor-Houses (London) p625
    Quail, 1888, in Wildridge, Northumbria (London) p60-9
    Surtees, R., 1816-40 [1972 Reprint], History and Antiquities of Durham (London) Vol3 p170-2
    Brewster, 1829, Parish History of Stockton (Stockton) p16-60 [rather diffuse history]
    Brayley, E. and Britton, J., 1803, Beauties of England and Wales; Durham Vol5 p103-4
    Hutchinson, Wm, 1785-94, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham Vol3 p146-7, 151-2
• Journal Articles
  • Manby, T.G., (ed), 1988, Archaeology in eastern Yorkshire: essays in honour of T C M Brewster pp176-188
    Raine, J. (the younger), 1876, 'Survey of the manor house of Stockton, commonly called Stockton castle, taken after the death of Bishop Pilkington' Archaeologia Aeliana Vol7 p120-5
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p156
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Payne, Naomi, 2003, The medieval residences of the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Salisbury (PhD Thesis University of Bristol) Appendix B: List of Medieval Bishop's Palaces in England and Wales [available via http://ethos.bl.uk ]