Administrative Boundary of Redcar and Cleveland

About Redcar and Cleveland

Redcar and Cleveland is a unitary authority in the Tees Valley of northeastern England, covering approximately 245 square kilometres of coastline, industrial land, and moorland. With a population of approximately 136,700 (2021 Census), the borough combines a rich industrial heritage with some of the most dramatic coastal and moorland scenery in the northeast. History and Heritage The borough's history is deeply tied to ironstone mining in the Cleveland Hills during the 19th century, which provided the raw material for the furnaces of Middlesbrough and helped establish Teesside as the iron capital of the world. Guisborough Priory, founded in 1119 by Robert de Brus — ancestor of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland — is the borough's defining medieval landmark, its magnificent ruined east window representing one of the finest examples of Early English Gothic architecture in northern England. The village of Great Ayton, on the southwestern edge of the borough, is celebrated as the childhood home of Captain James Cook. Cook's family moved there when he was eight years old, and he attended the local school before eventually going to sea. A monument on Easby Moor above the village marks the connection, and a Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum occupies the original building where Cook received his early education. Redcar and Cleveland gained painful international prominence in 2015 when the SSI UK steelworks at Redcar — once the largest blast furnace complex in Europe — closed permanently, resulting in the loss of approximately 2,200 direct jobs and thousands more in the supply chain. The closure was one of the largest single-site industrial events in modern British history and had a profound and lasting social impact on the local community. Geography and Landscape The borough stretches from the mouth of the River Tees in the north to the North York Moors National Park, which borders the southern edge. The coastline runs approximately 20 kilometres from Saltburn-by-the-Sea in the south to South Gare in the north, encompassing sandy beaches, dramatic sea cliffs, and coastal dunes. Saltburn-by-the-Sea is a well-preserved Victorian planned resort containing the UK's oldest surviving water-balanced cliff tramway, opened in 1884, which carries visitors between the clifftop and the beach below. The fishing villages of Staithes and Skinningrove to the south attract artists, walkers, and heritage visitors year-round. Roseberry Topping, a conical hill rising to 320 metres on the boundary of the borough and the North York Moors, is one of the most distinctive natural landmarks in the northeast and is visible from across Teesside. Its instantly recognisable profile has led to comparisons with the Matterhorn. Economy Following the closure of the steelworks, economic recovery has been driven by renewable energy and the Teesworks freeport. The Dogger Bank Wind Farm — one of the largest offshore wind projects in the world — uses Teesside as a key operational base. Redcar Racecourse is one of the North's leading flat racing venues, contributing significantly to the local leisure economy. Tourism centred on the coastal towns and North York Moors generates considerable seasonal employment. Population and Demographics The 2021 Census recorded 136,700 residents across Redcar and Cleveland. The borough has an ageing population and relatively low ethnic diversity, with approximately 96% of residents identifying as White British. Life expectancy and health outcomes have historically been below the national average, partly attributed to the legacy of industrial working conditions and the economic consequences of industrial closure. GIS and Boundary Data The administrative boundary of Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority is available for free download in GeoJSON and KML formats, sourced from the ONS Open Geography Portal (Crown copyright 2024). Compatible with QGIS, ArcGIS, Mapbox, and Google Earth, the data is suitable for coastal planning, environmental research, tourism mapping, infrastructure assessment, and demographic analysis across the Redcar and Cleveland local authority area.

📍 Administrative boundary of Redcar and Cleveland county