North of England Newspapers was established in 1903 when E.D. Walker sold The Northern Echo to the newly-formed North of England Newspaper Company Limited which was backed by the Joseph Rowntree Social Service Trust. Under the guidance of Arnold S. Rowntree, the chairman and Charles W Starmer, the manager, The Northern Echo became the foremost newspaper in the region, a position which it retains today. 1914 was also a significant year in the history of the company and saw the acquisition of the Darlington & Stockton Times and some of the Durham Advertiser Series of newspapers. On this foundation, North of England Newspapers has built an enviable reputation for producing some of Britain¹s most respected and famous regional newspapers.

Today, North of England Newspapers produces a family of eight newspaper titles that includes The Northern Echo, the Darlington & Stockton Times and the Advertiser Series. Taken together these titles reach 437,000 readers in the North East of England and North Yorkshire every week.