page_title: Stockton-on-Tees
section_title: Public parks
hierarchical_section_title: Stockton-on-Tees / Culture and community / Community facilities / Public parks
caption_attribution_description: English: Stockton Central Library on Church Road, Stockton on Tees
context_page_description: Stockton-on-Tees is a large market town in County Durham, England. The town has a population of 85,000, with a population of around 196,000 in the wider area, the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, according to 2017 estimates by ONS UK.
context_section_description: Stockton has a number of public parks and nature reserves. Most notable is Ropner Park, a Victorian-style park, located on the outskirts of the town, near Hartburn village. Opened in 1893 and renovated in 2007, the park has tree-lined avenues approaching an ornate water fountain, surrounded by rockeries and floral displays. Overlooking the lake, the bandstand provides live band music on Sunday afternoons, during the summer months. Seasonal fairs and occasional organised events are staged at the park throughout the year.
  Further upstream is Preston Park, a 100-acre (0.40 km2) public park located next to the River Tees. The park hosts many events each year that attract people from across Teesside and further afield. Preston Hall, once the home of Sir Robert Ropner, is situated within the grounds and is now a museum. The park also houses 'Butterfly World' an artificial tropical environment, housing various species of exotic butterflies and reptiles.
  
  Downstream on the River Tees is Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve, a 50 acres (20 ha) nature reserve by the northern bank of the river between the Tees Barrage and the Tees Viaduct near Portrack housing estate. It is the last remaining wetland on the lower Tees. Ownership of the reserve is split between Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and Northumbrian Water, but the reserve is managed by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust. The west and north part of the reserve is mature marsh while there are a series of man – made ponds in the remainder.
caption: Stockton Central Library on Church Road
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