1876
Felix House & Dr. Steavenson – A Short History
Felix House, now a private home, served as the local GP surgery for many years. Built in 1876 for Dr. David Porteous, it was named after The Felix, the ship he served on during an Arctic expedition in search of Sir John Franklin. The house was designed by Swedish engineer Axel Hugo von Bergen.
1904
In 1904, it was bought by Dr. Charles Steavenson, a pioneering doctor who had survived tuberculosis. Around 1908, he opened a TB sanatorium at Felix House, using the Swiss Nordrach method, which emphasized fresh air and outdoor activity. The grounds held 20 chalets for 50 patients, and a herd of white goats provided TB-free milk. Patients helped with goat care and Dr. Steavenson’s haulage business.
An inventor and gadget enthusiast, he closed the sanatorium in the late 1920s but remained the village doctor until his death in 1955. His son Robin continued the practice, which remained at Felix House until 2017, when it moved to temporary premises on Yarm Road. A new medical centre opened there in September 2024.
1955
In 1995 there was an expansion of community pharmacy across the UK and the GPs then decided that the community needs a pharmacy at the heart of the village alongside the GP surgery. The current building of the pharmacy used to be hairdressers for a number of years which was then refitted to be a pharmacy.
The history of the pharmacy is as below (Operated by consortium of three GPs over 22 years)
17 Nov 1995 – 19 Nov 2001: Pharmacy was owned by Carter/Allenby/Gregson Limited
19 Nov 2001 – 28 Jun 2010: Middleton Pharmacy Limited - Renaming to reflect core business
28 Jun 2010 – 2024: Middleton Healthcare Limited
Nov 2024 – Present: Owned by the current owners who are both community pharmacists with experience in operating in the sector for over 12 years.
The picture below shows the centre of the village to how it was in 1864 to how it changed now:
Currently Pharmacy
