The original Five Lamps were gas lights built at the junction of George Street and Mandale Road in 1874, comissioned by local Justices of the Peace, Joseph Richardson, William Whitewell, Charles Arthur Head and William Anderson.

A less than inspiring 1970’s electric version.

In 1983 Head Wrightson apprentices erected this replica of the original which stood on Westbury Street due to the building of the A66 (although it doesn’t include the drinking fountain originally below the lamps)


It was unveiled by Mayor Pragnell on 1st September 1983

It carries the Stockton-on-Tees coat of arms with the motto “Forward As One”

Also the Thornaby coat of arms with the motto “Always Advancing”

It was renovated and moved to its current position in 2010.

The origin of the five lamps is linked to the legend that Robert de Thormodbi (Thornaby) created a shrine to the Virgin Mary in St Peter’s Church lit by five lamps.

The old police station at Thornaby is now a business centre.

The central part of the building still carries the police station sign.

The North Riding Constabulary crest is dated 1903

The police station was developed around 1985

Thornaby On Tees Library was donated to the town in 1892 (the year Thornaby On Tees was formed) by T Wrightson, one of the firm ‘Head Wrightson’ who were based in Thornaby.

Those details are recorded across the gables



The building was enlarged in 1904 by famous industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie

The large carved plaque above the door records the names of the two contributors.

The building now sadly lies stranded inside the ‘Mandale Triangle’ which is very much like the one in Bermuda.

These buildings are one of the last remaining fragments of the old center of Thornaby that was mostly removed when the A66 was built.

The carved plaque over the doorway is for the ‘Corporation Institute’ the 1890 Bulmers Directory says “A Mechanics’ Institute was erected in 1865, in which are the offices of the Local Board and School Board” so this may be one and the same.

Closer examination of the doorway shows it once had a sign for ‘Auxiliary Fire Station’ the name of which suggests it dates from World War 2

However this old photo shows just the words “Fire Station” and it looks like a fire station existed on George Street soon after the formation of Thornaby on Tees in 1892

Following this link to see a picture of the station in what can be no earlier than 1973, interestingly there still an air-raid siren on top of the building.