This year marks the 30th anniversary of the iconic Tees Barrage, so it’s the perfect time to look behind the scenes of this remarkable piece of modern engineering.
Tees Barrage on the River Tees
Our very own "angel of the north" is a truly inspiring feat of engineering, nestled in the heart of the popular Tees Barrage Park and sitting alongside Tees Active white water course and two nature reserves. Autumn is the perfect time to pay a visit, walk around and see it up close.
Flowing through the heart of Teesside, the River Tees has been a flourishing trade route ever since medieval times. At the height of the Industrial Revolution, ships laden with coal and steel were pouring out of ports at Stockton and Middlesbrough, bound for London, France, and beyond.
By the early 20th century, the river was at the centre of a burgeoning chemical industry, and sadly, over the next 50 years, industrial waste and sewage turned the waterway into a toxic soup, with so-called “dead” zones where wildlife had been all but eradicated.
Major conservation efforts began in the 1980s, and by the time Tees Barrage opened in 1995, the river had begun to recover.
Tees Barrage has become a popular walking spot with dog walkers
At the time of its construction, Tees Barrage was the largest engineering project in the country, taking four years to complete, costing around £55 million and using a staggering 650 tonnes of steel.
Built to control the flow of the river, maintain water levels, and prevent localised flooding, the 70-metre wide barrage incorporates four massive 50-tonne floodgates with the main road bridge being 160m long. Part of a wider regeneration project to improve the River Tees, the barrage has helped boost water quality, and bolster local wildlife.
Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, as you’d imagine, a structure of this magnitude requires a lot of care, with regular maintenance and repairs. In fact, just last year, we had to replace one of the four 21-tonne hydraulic rams that power the floodgates and this year, 13 huge stop-planks are being replaced. These significant works were supported by the huge generosity of players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
We host regular visits for pupils from schools across the Teesside area
Tees Barrage Park has become one of the North East’s most popular outdoor visitor attractions, boasting world-class watersports facilities, two nature reserves and plenty of walking and cycling trails. The Trusts Tees Barrage takes centre stage where visitors can marvel at this great feat of engineering.
As you’d expect, the site is a great place for wildlife spotting, seals are a regular visitors and also more recently, otters.
Over the years, Tees Barrage has become somewhat of a community hub, hosting regular visits for school children and social groups, teaching them about the river, the vital role the barrage plays in controlling and maintaining it, and imparting valuable lessons on water safety.
30 years on, we’re proud that our barrage has helped to transform the waterside of Stockton and Middlesborough, and most importantly keep the River Tees itself open and alive.
