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Yarm
Coordinates: 54.5056° N 1.3583° W
Population	8,700 (2001 census)
OS grid reference	NZ416124
Unitary authority	Stockton-on-Tees
Ceremonial county	North Yorkshire
Region	North East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	YARM
Postcode district	TS15
Dial code	01642
Police	Cleveland
Fire	Cleveland
Ambulance	North East
UK Parliament	Stockton South
European Parliament	North East England
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Yarm is a small town in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees and for ceremonial purposes is in North Yorkshire. Yarm marked the end of the tidal section of the River Tees until the Tees Barrage was built in Stockton. The oldest part of the town around the high street is situated in a loop of the river, and the newer parts of the town extends to the point where the River Leven meets the Tees.

Contents 1 History 2 Local government 3 Geography 3.1 Rivers 3.2 High Street 3.3 Churches 3.4 Woodland 3.5 Viaduct and railway stations 3.6 Location 4 Events 4.1 Fair 4.2 Fun Run 4.3 Charities Fair 4.4 Lighting of the Christmas tree 5 Schools 6 People 7 Twinned towns 8 Photo Gallery 9 References

The name of the town is thought to be derived from the old Norse word yarum meaning an enclosure to catch fish. Yarm was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and was originally a chapelry in the Kirklevington parish in the North Riding of Yorkshire; it became a separate parish early.^[1] At one point it was a borough; this status did not persist. It formed part of the Stokesley Rural District under the Local Government Act 1894, and remained so until on April 1, when, under the Local Government Act 1972 it became part of the district Stockton-on-Tees in the new non-metropolitan county of Cleveland.^{[citation needed]} Cleveland was abolished in 1996 under the Banham Review, with Stockton-on-Tees becoming a unitary authority.^{[citation needed]}

The Yarm ward of Stockton (which includes Kirklevington) has three local councillors sitting on Stockton borough council all of which are Conservatives. As of 2006 they are: Jennifer Beaumont, Brian Jones, and Andrew Sherris.^{[citation needed]}

The town has a town council which is responsible for certain aspects of the town's administration, including allotments and the cemetery. They meet once a month in the Town Hall.^[2]

Yarm is divided into five estates, and the peninsular area where the town centre is situated. The estates are Willey Flatts, Layfield Farm, The Kebbell (signed as Spitalfields), Leven Park, and Levendale (or rarely known as Ingleby Grange).

Yarm is bordered by two rivers. The River Tees is located to the north, and the Leven to the east. The Leven is a tributary of the Tees. In the past, Yarm was the highest port on the river Tees, with merchant vessels travelling up the tidal river to Yarm from the North Sea to unload their cargo.^{[citation needed]}

The small Town Hall, situated in the high street was built in 1710 by Thomas Belasyse who was Lord of the Manor. In 2007 Yarm high street was voted the best in Britain by viewers of the BBC's Breakfast Programme.^[3]

The A67 which runs through the High Street was previously classified as the A19 until a new dual carrige way was built in the 1970s which is about 3 miles to the south of the town near the village of Crathorne.^{[citation needed]} When the A19 ran through the High Street the traffic was heavily congested and very busy. The road is still used by heavy goods traffic travelling both ways as a shortcut to Teesside Airport.^[4] The classification of the road as an A road means that it is not possible to place a ban on heavy goods vehicles, however the town council has made efforts to come up with voluntary agreements with many haulage firms.^[5]

Yarm Parish Church is the Anglican parish church, dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. It is situated on West Street, where there has been a church on the site since at least the 9th Century. The Catholic church of St Mary and St Romuald is at the south end of the High Street. Yarm Methodist Church was John Wesley's "favourite chapel"^{[citation needed]}. This unique octagonal church is to be found on Chapel Yard, on the east side of the town by the river.

Yarm has multiple areas of woodland. Most of these woodlands are part of private estates.

The Rookery is a public area of woodland next to the River Tees situated at the bottom of Goose Pasture. The Ash, Sycamore, and Lime woodland is estimated to be about 200 years in age and is owned by Yarm Town Council. In 2002 a walkway was constructed around the wood to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. If you follow the path on the left, there are some dirt ramps for bmxers.

The imposing 2,280ft long railway viaduct was built between 1849 and 1851 for the Leeds Northern Railway company. Its designers were Thomas Grainger and John Bourne. It comprises 7 million bricks, and has 43 arches. The original Yarm railway station, now closed, used to be situated on the Eaglescliffe side of the river at the north end of the viaduct.^{[citation needed]} The current un-manned modern station, opened in 1996, is located to the south of Yarm off Green Lane.

• Road access: The A67 leading to Durham Tees Valley Airport and Darlington in the north west, the A135 leading to the A66 and Stockton in the north, the B1265 leading to the A167 and Northallerton in the west, the A1044 leading to the A174 and Middlesbrough in the east, the A67 leading to the A19 and Thirsk in the south.
• Rail access: Yarm Station
• Nearest airport: Durham Tees Valley Airport

Many events are held in the town each year such as a fair and a 5km fun run.

A fair is held in the High Street in the third week in October. It starts on the Tuesday evening and lasts until Saturday night. It was once a commercial fair that traded in cheese and livestock, but is now primarily a fun fair. Travellers still attend the fair, and ride horses up and down the street on the Saturday. The travellers have to wait outside the town until 6:00PM on the Tuesday, at which point they are allowed to cross the bridge over the River Tees into the town.^{[citation needed]}

Yarm has an annual Fun run. The 5km run starts at Conyers' School, and ends on Snaiths Field. It used to end outside Yarm Parish Church, but this changed some time around 1998.^{[citation needed]}

Yarm and District Lions Club run a Charities Fair on the High Street every year. This mostly takes a market like approach.

A ceremony takes place each advent to light up the town's Christmas tree. Carols are sung to a band, and the high street is temporarily closed for the event. It is free to attend the event.

There are three primary schools in the town, Levendale, Yarm Primary, and Layfield School.

Conyers' School is a mixed comprehensive school and also has a sixth-form. Conyers is a specialist school for Maths and Computing.^{[citation needed]}

The town is home to the private Yarm School, the senior school being situated at the Friarage and the Preparatory School, Pre-Prep and Nursery at the old Yarm Grammar School. The school was formed after the closure of the original grammar school. The school has plans to re-locate within the next decade to a site near to their playing fields on Green Lane, south of the town. This is subject to planning permission being granted for the sale of the listed Friarage site for development.^{[citation needed]}

People associated with the town include John Wesley, founder of Methodism, Tom Brown, hero in the Battle of Dettingen.

Yarm is twinned with two other European towns:

• Schwalbach am Taunus, Germany
• Vernouillet, France

There is also an agreement with Olkusz, in Poland.^[6]

On 2 July 2005, two trees were planted to the north of the town hall to mark the 20th anniversary of the twinning between Yarm and the two towns. The trees were marked with plaques.^{[citation needed]}

Viaduct seen across the River Tees in 2003

View of Yarm including viaduct

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Towns and Villages in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees  view • talk • edit

Towns: Billingham | Eaglescliffe | Stockton | Thornaby | Yarm Villages: Aislaby | Carlton | Cowpen Bewley | Egglescliffe | Elton | Grindon | Hartburn | High Leven | Hilton | Longnewton | Maltby | Norton | Redmarshall | Stillington | Thorpe Thewles | Urlay Nook | Whinney Hill | Whitton | Wolviston