The site, now Honey Pot Wood, was originally part of a small estate called Whitton House that was purchased by the Robinson family around 1896. Then in 1917 the Thurston family moved in as tenant farmers until the early 1960's.
During this time a small portion of the land was used as a quarry for sand and gravel, but before the war this became uneconomical to continue and closed down. Around 1965 the estate was sold with the farmland bought by Hoveringham who ran a local quarry in nearby Stillington. They continued to extract from 1966 to 1971 then it closed once again.
The surrounding land was restored but the quarry was left as a large hole in the ground. Stockton Council purchased the land as a tip for the ash remains from the old Portrack Incinerator. The tip was completed in the early 1980's, capped, restored and made into a woodland park that is found today.
Stockton Council have undertaken some improvements that make the wood more accessible and easier to enjoy, including the widening of the footpaths, improvements to the accesses and gates, repainting of the benches and seats and beck and vegetation clearance.
With the Awards for All Lottery funding the following improvement works have been undertaken:
- Signage onto the existing notice board.
- Creation of a new path adjacent to the beck.
- Planting of a hedgerow along the northern boundary using whips supplied by North East Community Forests Tree Nursery who specialise in local native plant species and offer training to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Installation of new picnic tables and benches.
- Digging 'scrapes' alongside the beck to help improve biodiversity.
- A promotional leaflet has been produced (see download)
- Wildflower planting has been carried out working alongside the local primary school and Cleveland Wildflower Ark.
Please let us know what you think of these improvements and if you have an old photograph that we could use by clicking on the link below or by telephoning the Parks and Countryside section on 01642 526871.
Email: countrysideandgreenspace@stockton.gov.uk
For Other Open Spaces nearby to visit go to
www.stockton.gov.uk/citizenservices/environment/parksandopen/countrysidesites/
