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Skerne Railway Bridge named among England's top heritage gems

Skerne Railway Bridge named among England's top heritage gems
30 October 2017

ONE of Darlington’s most treasured heritage gems is among ten places across the UK to have been chosen for a campaign chronicling A History of England in 100 Places.

Skerne Bridge – known colloquially as the £5 note bridge – is the oldest passenger railway bridge in the world in continuous use.

In 1825, when the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened, George Stephenson’s Locomotion No.1 passed over the bridge and began the railway age which was to change Britain and the world.

The bridge has been chosen in the Travel and Tourism category of Historic England’s campaign Irreplaceable: A History of England in 100 places

Bettany Hughes, who has judged the Travel & Tourism category, is one of a panel of expert judges, including Mary Beard, George Clarke and David Olusoga, who will choose ten places in ten different categories, from a long list of public nominations.

The campaign aims to find the 100 places which bring England’s extraordinary history to life and best demonstrate our collective identity.

It is the latest accolade for the bridge, which is a scheduled monument due to its national importance and was awarded a Red Wheel plaque by the Transport Trust earlier this year.

Other heritage treasures included in the Travel and Tourism category include The Grand Hotel in Scarborough and England’s third-highest mountain, Helvellyn, in the Lake District.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: “The desire to travel is in our bones, so charting how and where people have travelled around England through these ten places is fascinating. England is full of places which have drawn travellers and tourists for thousands of years and will continue to play a central role in our national life.”

Faith Parish, of campaign sponsor Ecclesiastical, said:From ancient landscapes to havens of fun and amusement, these ten places paint a diverse picture of how travel and tourism have helped shaped England. Bettany Hughes has selected some truly extraordinary places that reflect our nation’s passion for discovery and adventure and continue to inspire and excite people today, just as they did our ancestors.”

For more information about the campaign, visit www.historicengland.org.uk/get-involved/100-places

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