Guisborough

For the village in Northamptonshire, see Guilsborough.

Guisborough
Population	17,190
OS grid reference	NZ610159
• London	255.1 mi
Unitary authority	Redcar and Cleveland
Ceremonial county	North Yorkshire
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GUISBOROUGH
Postcode district	TS14
Dialling code	01287
Police	Cleveland
Fire	Cleveland
Ambulance	North East
UK Parliament	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

Guisborough (; IPA /ˈgizbrə/) is a market town within the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.

The civil parish of Guisborough has a population of 18,108 and includes the outlying villages of Upleatham, Dunsdale, and Newton under Roseberry as well as Guisborough itself.

History

For most of its history Guisborough was part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, from 1974-96 part of the County of Cleveland and at present it is one of the major towns of the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland. It is listed in the Domesday Book and the ruined Gisborough Priory dates back to the 12th century. The priory's name is spelt without the first U, as that was the old spelling of the town's name. Some other old sites and names use the same spelling.

Some theories date the town back to the Roman occupation of Britain, where it may have been a military fortification. There are a few Roman artifacts from the area that support this, such as an elaborate ceremonial helmet, but the theory remains largely uncertain, and definitely unproven.

Other historic sites include Saint Nicholas' Anglican Church, built mainly from stone taken from the priory and home of the de Brus cenotaph, and Gisborough Hall, the ancestral home of Lord Gisborough, which now serves as a hotel and a popular venue for wedding receptions.

The town shared in the prosperity of the industrial revolution through its proximity to the ironstone mines of the North Yorkshire Moors. One of Teesside's leading ironfounders, Sir Joseph Pease, chose Guisborough as the site of his country seat, the Alfred Waterhouse-designed Gothic revival Hutton Hall, situated at Hutton Lowcross. This house had its own station on the erstwhile Middlesbrough-Guisborough branch of the North Eastern Railway (closed in 1964).

More modern residential development occurred during the 1960s and 1970's as the chemical industry (at Wilton) and steel industry (at Redcar) expanded.

Guisborough market, held every Thursday and Saturday, has long been a focal point of the surrounding area. Originally selling cows and other livestock, the market has gradually developed into a hubbub of fruit and vegetable, clothes and flower stalls. The market takes place from early morning to late afternoon on the recently restored cobbles which line Westgate, the principal shopping street.

Guisborough Museum, located behind Sunnyfield House in Westgate, regularly exhibits photos of long-gone Guisborough and its inhabitants.

Education

The town is well served with primary schools, including Belmont, Galley Hill, Highcliffe, Chaloner Primary School, and St. Paulinus (Roman Catholic). Laurence Jackson school, situated at the eastern end of the town, is the only secondary school. It was recently given specialist school status, specialising in sports.

Prior Pursglove College is a sixth form college in Guisborough teaching GCSE, A level and AS level students. The college is next door to St Nicholas' Parish Church and the ruins of Guisborough Priory. It is situated on the former site of Guisborough Grammar School, which it replaced as a result of restructuring. The Grammar School was originally founded by Robert Pursglove, Prior of Guisborough Priory, as a charitable school for poor boys. Prior Pursglove merged with South Park Sixth Form College in 1997, eventually consolidating the provision on to the Guisborough campus. The college is in the process of being extended because of the amalgamation with Askham Bryan College of Agriculture, providing state of the art facilities.

Askham Bryan College of Agriculture has a site in Guisborough, adjacent to Prior Pursglove.

Aerial photo of Guisborough

Access

Two main roads cross at Guisborough, the A171 and the A173. The A171 leads west to Middlesbrough and east to Whitby whilst the A173 goes south-west to Stokesley and north-east as far as Skelton where it joins the A174 coast road. Before the bypass was built, traffic on both of these had to pass through Westgate, the town's main street. Just outside the bypass to the north-east, a B-road heads north from the A173 to Redcar. Another minor route out of the town, Wilton Lane, is a very windy almost single-track which leads north to the small village of Wilton, whence one can either join the A174 or continue onto the ICI Wilton chemical works. As well as these, there are two lanes that lead out of town into the hills; Hutton Lane which ends at Hutton Village, a tiny settlement built mostly for local mining, agricultural and estate workers, and Belmangate an ancient funeral route. Until 1964, Guisborough was also served by trains from Middlesbrough; prior to 1958 it was even possible to travel all the way to Whitby and Scarborough along the highly scenic North Yorkshire coast railway.

For those travelling on foot, the south of the town is bounded by the North York Moors National Park. Guisborough Woods, which are Forestry Commission land, clothe the edge of the moors. In the woods, the ground rises sharply and at one point forms a cliff, known as Highcliffe. The woods are crossed by several rights-of-way, including the Cleveland Way, though other paths and commission tracks are considered fair game for walkers. Beyond the woods, the ground levels out to form Gisborough Moor.

Economy

The two main employers in the town used to be "The Shirt Factory" - towards the end of its working life this clothing factory was acquired by Montague Burton of Leeds - and the Blackett Hutton steel works.

There are no longer any large employers in the town, Guisborough has become a commuter town for nearby Middlesbrough, with many people working in the chemical plants that are located around Teesside.

On 15 January 2004, Guisborough was granted Fairtrade Town status.

Sports and recreation

Guisborough has a King George's Field in memoriam to King George V, and the town's football team Guisborough Town FC plays on the King George V Ground, adjacent to the playing fields. The Rugby Union Football club play in Durham/Northumberland II Division of the Northern Section of the leagues.

People from Guisborough

See also: Category:People from Guisborough

• Bob Champion, the jockey who rode to triumph in the 1981 Grand National, despite having recently been diagnosed with cancer
• Footballer Sean Gregan
• Former BBC news editor Rod Liddle
• Former newsreader and The Clothes Show presenter Selina Scott. In her teenage years she was head girl at Laurence Jackson School
• Mark Benton, actor
• Mark Lowdon, sports journalist, writer for the FIFA website, and Brazilian football expert
• Lord and Lady Gisborough
• Robert de Brus (died 1142) was an early 12th century Norman baron and knight, responsible for founding the Bruce dynasty of Britain.
• Cricketer John Bulmer
• Richard Milward, author of critically acclaimed book Apples
• British Athlete William Applegarth
• Thomas Dent, Sr Justice, Sheriff, and member of the Lower House of the General Assembly
• Ralph Gaudie an English footballer
• Thomas Ward (1652-1708) was an English author who converted to Catholicism
• Mark Robinson (born July 24, 1981) is an English footballer, currently playing for York City
• Alan Ramage cricketer
• Joseph Whitehead was a Canadian railway pioneer and political figure

External links

• Laurence Jackson School
• Prior Pursglove College
• Guisborough.com