Stokesley was granted a charter to hold fairs in 1223 by Henry III. The Pack Horse Bridge crossing over the River Leven dates from the 17th century. Its large range of building types, including fine Georgian architecture has contributed to its character. Prominent historical features include the Mill Wheel, thought to represent the site of a mill recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Domesday also recorded "a church and priest" in Stokesley. There are three churches in Stokesley. One of these, the Church of St Peter and St Paul, is the oldest building in town, and it is just off the Market Plain. It has a medieval tower and chancel, a Georgian nave built around 1777, colourful 20th-century stained glass and woodwork carved by the Mouseman of Kilburn. The historic High Street is lined with independent small shops and restaurants. Other facilities include a leisure centre with a swimming pool, a recently-refurbished, medium-sized Co-operative Food supermarket, showground, camping site, health centre, industrial estate, library, police and fire stations. The town has four pubs. Stokesley is also the home of Quorn, produced by Marlow Foods. There are many grade II listed buildings, including four Grade II* listed buildings of special architectural or historic interest. They are the former Barclays Bank, Handyside Cottage, the Manor House and the Old Rectory. The inaugural meeting of Stokesley Agricultural Society was held at the Golden Lion Hotel, now The Leven Hotel, in 1859. The hotel was also used as the law court for the area being placed between Middlesbrough and Northallerton. Stokesley Agricultural Show, first held in 1859, is held every year on the third Saturday in September. It is one of the largest one day shows in the north of England. A weekly market is held on Friday in the main square called the Plain. A farmers' market takes place on the first Saturday of each month. A four-day fair takes place in September in the town centre. The fair spans the full length of the high street and rides such as Speed Buzz, the Extreme, Vertigo, King Frog, Cyclone and various Crows rides attend. The fair begins on Wednesday evening and runs until the Saturday, opening all day on the Saturday at the same time as the annual agricultural show which takes place on the showground.
Governance
An electoral ward in the same name stretching north to Newby had a population at the 2011 Census of 5,537.
Transport
Stokesley is served by the Arriva North East service 28a from Middlesbrough every hour and the 81 from Marske Estate every hour. Abbott's of Leeming run services 80/89, which run every two hours. The services operate six days a week towards Northallerton and Romanby via Osmotherley. Stokesley was served by rail and had a railway station and extensive sidings on the Northallerton to Stockton branch. The station closed to passengers in June 1954, pre-dating the large scale closures of the Beeching cuts. Goods facilities remained until August 1965 when the line closed completely. The station featured in British Transport Films' "A Farmer Moves South" in 1951. The nearest railway station is now at Great Ayton.
Education
Historic schools include Preston Grammar School in College Square: now a pizza takeaway. In 1918 it was closed for failing to reach the standards of an inspection; primarily caused by lack of funds. In general, children who passed exams at 11 years old, then went to Yarm Grammar School, with some Catholic pupils going to Middlesbrough under the old system. Stokesley Primary School was created in 1908 and extended in 1973. It has about 550 pupils. Stokesley School, was opened in 1959 for pupils between 11 and 18 was originally a secondary modern and became a comprehensive school in the 1970s. Later a sixth form college was incorporated. It has, at present, about 1,700 pupils. Alumni of Stokesley School include Labour politician Alan Milburn, 1988 Olympics runner Louise Stuart and Sky Sports News journalist and presenter David Jones.
Notable people
John Coates, cricketer
Jonathan Ruffer, financial expert, author, philanthropist
Videos
A Scrapbook of Stokesley, The Stokesley Society 1998
A Walk Round Old Stokesley with , The Stokesley Society 1995
