Dating back to the Saxon times, Middlesbrough was born on a slightly elevated land close to the River Tees to supply labour to newly created coal port on the banks of the river Tees – Port Darlington. As Middlesbrough developed in the 1800s, it attracted several new businesses such as shippers, butchers, merchants, joiners, blacksmiths, builders, painters and innkeepers.

The discovery of iron ore in the Cleveland Hills south of Middlesbrough in 1850, brought new commercial activities to Middlesbrough such as small iron foundries and rolling mills and also caused the building of Teesside’s first blast furnace in 1851.

Later, more blast furnaces were built in the vicinity of Middlesbrough, particularly to meet the demand for iron for the rapid expansion of the railways building throughout Britain. Middlesbrough became one of the major steel manufacturing hubs, competing with Sheffield.

It also became renounced for the construction of bridges with many bridge making firms established in the town.