Stewart Park
The Captain Cook Birthplace Museum can be found within Stewart Park, an award-winning Green Flag park in Marton.
Covering 120 acres, the stunning surrounds include mature woodland and an arboretum.
Two lakes provide a habitat for waterfowl including geese and ducks, and pets’ corner is host to many domesticated animals including fallow deer, llamas and goats!
What to do
Part of the Victorian estate complex is open to the public and includes a cafe, and visitor centre. Various nature, heritage, orienteering and tree trails are provided in the park.
Families can enjoy the children’s play area which include a climbing frame named after HMS Endeavour, Captain James Cook's ship.
Near to the play area you can find a pets' corner that houses several types of domesticated animals:including, llamas, goats, rabbits and guinea pigs.
The park also offers recreational activity around the park from table tennis and fitness fans can try the trim trail all around the park.
Each week Stewart Park also hosts a popular parkrun which offers a great opportunity to run the grounds of the park with likeminded people. Find out more and register on the parkrun website.
You can also take on a swashbuckling trail around Stewart Park, guaranteed fun for all the family pick up your Stewart Park Island Discovery Trail map from the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum gift shop and start exploring the park with your crew. find hidden posts across the park and collect the rubbings to complete your map while discovering fun facts along the way.
Stewart Park | Middlesbrough Council
History
The park was the estate of Henry Bolckow one of Middlesbrough's ironmasters and Middlesbrough's first mayor. Bolckow landscaped the estate and in 1858 built Marton Hall in the estate.
One of Teesside’s most famous sons, Captain James Cook, was born in a cottage close to where the museum now stands. Although all traces of the cottage have now disappeared, the spot is marked by a granite vase.
To indicate the site of the cottage where Captain James Cook was born he had erected a pink granite vase still present today.
The estate was eventually bought by Councillor Thomas Dormand Stewart, in 1924, for the people of Middlesbrough. Stewart intended it to be "a public possession, open and accessible to all the people, at all times" Stewart Park was officially opened to the public on 23 May 1928.