Though it may
seem utterly unbelievable today, the town of Yarm, in the very depths of North-East England (and
eighteen winding miles from the sea), was once the premier port of the River
Tees. The industries of Middlesbrough , Stockton and Billingham – all downstream – now far outstrip Yarm in terms of
river traffic, yet for centuries this was far from the case.
Until the
building of the bridge at Stockton in 1771, the aging structure at Yarm was the nearest crossing point
on the Tees to the sea. Furthermore, Yarm represents pretty much the tidal (and
navigational) limit of the river, so the town understandably became an
important spot for trade and commerce. However, it probably owes its ancient
foundation to its easily defendable position in an inverted ‘U’ in the river’s
course.
A royal charter
granted in 1207 gave the Yarm its weekly market and two annual fairs; and the
Black Friars settled in the town in the 13th century, remaining
until the 1580s. The old stone bridge –
still standing – was built in 1400, and the settlement grew and prospered
until, essentially, merchant ships became too big to make it up river – with
first Stockton , then Middlesbrough taking over the role as the River Tees’ main port. Yarm, however,
remained prominent as a coaching stop – as is evidenced, at least historically,
by its high number of inns and pubs.
Yarm looks
anything but a port these days, yet is still as charming as ever.
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