Stockton-on-Tees is a warren of alleys and yards, many of which host (or hosted) pubs, tucked away from the main high street. Sometime in the early 2000s, artist Rob McCutcheon – a former apprentice draughtsman at Sellafield who was then assisting blacksmith Peat Oberon (more on him soon) – was commissioned to make signs for some of these historic points of interest.
As far as we know, there were four iron signs:
- Green Dragon Yard: a dragon perched on a long trumpet in front of flames
- Hambletonian Yard: a racehorse and jockey crossing a finishing post
- Ship Inn Yard: a sailing ship on a bowsprit and anchor
- Blue Post Yard: a broken column
Green Dragon Yard
Green Dragon Yard has long been associated with music and the arts thanks to the Georgian Theatre, Green Room and the Stockton Fringe Festival. It’s also the home of Zak Newton’s George & Dragon Mural (now replaced with an updated version). The Green Dragon pub – long a fixture of the town – finally closed its doors in 2023.
The beautifully detailed sign depicts a dragon – mouth agape and teeth bared – perched on a trumpet and backed by flames.
Hambletonian Yard
Possibly named after a champion racehorse owned by Henry Vane-Tempest in the late 1700s (which was itself named after an area of the Cleveland Hills), Hambletonian Yard shows a horse and jockey crossing a finishing line, all rendered in wrought iron. The yard housed the Hambletonian Inn (110 High Street).
Ship Inn Yard
Ship Inn Yard’s sign displays a fine ship with sails upon the rolling sea. An anchor affixes it to the wall.
Blue Post Yard
Home of the Blue Posts pub, this sign shows a broken column attached to a latticework frame. The yard’s name is supposed to originate from two marble columns bought by Tory politician Rowland Burdon to decorate his house on Main Street. The columns were originally said to belong to Stockton Castle, which was demolished in the 1660s.
I’ve not visited Stockton for a few years, but it appears that some of the signs have been taken down for refurbishing.
We’ve not been able to contact the artist yet, but we did speak to Pete Oberon, the blacksmith mentoring McCutcheon at the time, who said that he lost money on the commission, due partly to giving McCutcheon free reign on the elaborate designs. Personally, I really like them and look forward to seeing them all back.
Thank you to Stockton Libraries and the good folks at Memories of Stockton on Tees and We Love Stockton Us! Facebook groups for their help in sourcing images.
Sources:
North East Statues 
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