Stewart Park, Middlesbrough

Stewart's Park is a 120-acre park in the suburb of Marton, located in the south of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. It is bounded by the A172 (Stokesley Road), the B1380 (Ladgate Lane) and the secluded residential road The Grove.HistoryThe site of the cottage where Captain James Cook was born can be found in the park. Although the building has long since disappeared, a pink granite urn marks the approximate site. Nearby is the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum. The 'lost village' of East Marton was also in the park area and an archaeological geophysical survey in September 1998 showed evidence of the village. In 2003 Stewart Park was the subject of Channel 4's archaeological television programme Time Team, presented by Tony Robinson.The park was initially landscaped by Henry Bolckow, one of Middlesbrough's ironmasters and the borough's first mayor. Bolckow built Marton Hall in the park in 1858.The park was eventually bought by Councillor Thomas Dormand Stewart in 1924 for the people of Middlesbrough. He intended it to be "a public possession, open and accessible to all the people for all time". Stewart Park was officially opened to the public on 23 May 1928.In January 1959, J A Kenyon, the Borough engineer stated in a report, "The Hall....was of no wide historic or architectural value" and that renovations would cost in the region of £25,000. The council reluctantly made the decision to demolish the building.