Stockton Waterfront Urban Park
Stockton Waterfront urban park is a transformational public space in Stockton-on-Tees, bringing residents, visitors, businesses and communities together to meet, celebrate and make memories.
How to get here
We encourage our visitors to choose low carbon, healthy transport options, and recommend walking or using public transport where possible. You can visit the Travel Tees Valley website to help you find the best options for your journey.
Bike Station
The Hub on Stockton High Street provides free, short stay secure cycle parking with space for 55 bikes. What3words: fruits.thing.grit
Buses
Stockton Town Centre is well served by buses from across the Tees Valley. Visit the Bus Travel Tees Valley website to see bus timetables.
Train
Stockton Train Station is a five minute walk from the town centre (0.5 miles). Thornaby Train Station is just across the river, a 15 minute walk to the town centre (0.8miles) and there are frequent buses from outside the station as well as a taxi rank.
Driving
There is ample car parking within easy walking distance to Stockton Town Centre. Please see our Find a Car Park page for a list of the available car parks along with any road and parking restrictions in place. We encourage visitors to car share where possible.
Features of the urban park
This fantastic new facility changes with the seasons and brings activity all year round through a vibrant programme of events and activities. There's exciting spaces for a host of small and large scale events, unique play areas for all ages, heritage references and areas for pop up food and drink concessions.
A new land bridge creates an uninterrupted walk for visitors, directly linking Stockton High Street to the riverside. There is also accessible toilets, a Changing Places facility and surfaced paths.
Site map
Play areas
Discover three play areas across Stockton Waterfront urban park. From adventure, slides and climbing boulders to timber towers, the play features are great for children and families alike. Thanks to the support of Stockton Parent Carer Forum, the play areas will create fun, inclusive experiences for all visitors.
The main play area will be locked on an evening to ensure the park remains a safe and welcoming place.
The main play area is split into three interactive areas covering adventure, sand and water play. This includes two timber towers and a water feature, a toddler totter trail and a swing area. The lower level of the towers can also be accessed by those in wheelchairs and one of the slides is also suitable for both carers and children to use together.
The embankment play area focuses on adventure and includes two large stainless steel slides down the embankment, with a tightrope walk and chained adventure path. On the area near to the riverside, play includes car tyre and twin swings that have been chosen to reflect the cranes that lined the commercial wharf in Stockton.
There's also large climbing boulders with different levels of challenge, features for skateboards and bikes and hammock seats. A surface mounted roundabout is also included which is also suitable for wheelchair users.
Finkle Square
Finkle Square is the main arrival point from the High Street. It provides a place for additional specialist markets or events, aside from Stockton's traditional outdoor market. The square's location is close to Finkle Street, reflecting its character and includes seating and heritage features.
Finkle Garden offers an intimate setting, with a quiet garden space and benches to relax with views of the river.
The Oval Lawn
The Oval Lawn offers a large flexible space where a range of different events can be hosted, building on Stockton's reputation of hosting large-scale events like Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF).
The space is also an attractive and welcoming place to sit and relax on a day-to-day basis.
Amphitheatre
The Amphitheatre provides a large, terraced area, using the six metre level change to create curved seating around a central stage area close to the riverside.
An accessible ramp route links between the terraces from the Oval Lawn to the riverside.
We will provide support if you would like to hold your own event across any of the spaces in the urban park.
Whether it's a community picnic, a charity fundraiser, or an exercise class, Stockton Waterfront urban park is the perfect venue.
Shelters
There are five large shelters in Stockton Waterfront urban park. Visitors can use these to relax or as a social space, to shelter from the elements, allowing families to visit and stay longer.
The shelters also provide lighting and electricity to allow pop-up food and beverage opportunities.
We're welcoming applications from independent traders, makers, artists, food traders, food producers and drink vendors who would like to trade in the urban park.
Be part of our traders or exhibitors in the park
Heritage features
The history of Stockton Town Centre takes centre stage and is woven into the park through powerful illustrations, sculptures and text.
Be inspired by the history of the communities who have lived and worked in Stockton and who have shaped the site over the years. Find out more about the heritage features in the park.
How did we get here? The story of Stockton Waterfront
Stockton Waterfront marks a five year transformation of Stockton Town Centre, following the demolition of Castlegate Shopping Centre and the Swallow Hotel in 2022.
Stockton Waterfront is part of a wider regeneration of Central Stockton and North Thornaby, transforming the town as a mixed‑use commercial environment, mixing leisure, workspace and retail.
Find out more about the future plans for the Borough.
Ensuring your safety
We want the Waterfront Park to be a safe and welcoming place for residents, businesses and visitors.
The park sits within Stockton Town Centre's Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) area, providing the Council's Community Safety Team and Cleveland Police greater powers to tackle anti-social behaviour.
With three High Street CCTV cameras and a range of new additional motion detecting cameras for the park, the Council's Control Room Operatives monitor the area 24/7 keeping the public safe. The Community Safety Team will also carry out regular foot patrols of the park daily.
You can report anti-social behaviour on 01642 528439 or email civic.enforcement@stockton.gov.uk.
And remember, if you see or hear something that doesn't feel right, you can also report it on the ACT website or call 0800 789321.
