Cleveland, Yorkshire facts for kids
Cleveland /ˈkliːvlənd/ is a beautiful area in England, known for its hills and valleys. It stretches from the River Tees to the Vale of Pickering. The name "Cleveland" actually means "cliff-land," which makes sense when you see its landscape!
A big part of Cleveland is covered by the North York Moors National Park, which was created in 1952. For a while, from 1974 to 1996, there was even a county called Cleveland. Today, people sometimes get confused about whether "Cleveland" refers to the old county or the wider historical area.
Contents
Cleveland's History
Cleveland has a long history, going back hundreds of years. It's been connected to the area from Middlesbrough to Pickering and from Thirsk to Whitby. This is basically the eastern part of Yorkshire's old North Riding.
Iron and Industry
The Cleveland Hills were super important because they had lots of ironstone. This rock was vital for the blast furnaces along the River Tees. Cleveland's rich iron ore led to a huge industrial boom in the 1800s.
Because of this, Middlesbrough grew from a tiny village into a major industrial town in just a few decades! Teesport is still one of the United Kingdom's main ports today, partly thanks to that early iron industry. You can still see many large industrial factories between Middlesbrough and Redcar.
How the Name "Cleveland" is Used
The name "Cleveland" started to be used more specifically for the area around the River Tees in 1885. This was when a special parliamentary area was created.
Later, in 1974, the county of Cleveland was formed. It covered a similar area, but also included places north of the River Tees. The official "CLEVELAND" postal county (which is part of the TS postcode area) also refers to a larger region, including parts of the North York Moors.
You might have heard of places called Cleveland in the US and Canada. However, most of these places aren't named directly after this English region. For example, many towns, two counties, and even a national forest in the US are named after President Grover Cleveland. The big city of Cleveland, Ohio, was named after its founder, Moses Cleaveland.
Amazing Natural Features
Cleveland has a very interesting and varied landscape. Here are some of its cool geographical spots:
- North York Moors: A beautiful national park with wide-open spaces.
- Howardian Hills: Another lovely area of rolling hills.
- Roseberry Topping: This is a very unique hill! It used to be shaped like a cone. But mining underneath it made it look jagged, almost like the famous Matterhorn mountain.
- Cleveland Basin: A geological area.
- River Tees: A major river flowing through the region.
- River Leven: A smaller river that flows into the Tees.
- Eston Nab: A prominent hill with great views.
Local Areas in Cleveland
The Cleveland area includes several important local districts:
- North Yorkshire
- Middlesbrough
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Stockton-on-Tees (the part south of the River Tees)
