Stockton & Darlington Railway

The Stockton & Darlington Railway was conceived by Edward Pease, a prominent Darlington Quaker, and engineer George Stephenson. It was the world's first public railway to use steam locomotives and connected the collieries at Witton Park with Darlington and Stockton. The line officially opened on 27 September 1825 and celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2025.

A historic environment audit for the 1825 Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) was produced by heritage consultancy Archaeo-Environment Ltd in 2016 and updated in 2019 (see documents on the left or below, depending on your device). It arose from a project jointly commissioned by the three local authorities of Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, which have within their boundaries the remains of the S&DR. The report:

• identifies why the S&DR is important in the history of railways and sets out its significance and unique selling point
• provides an action plan and makes recommendations for the conservation, interpretation and management of this world-class heritage so that it can take centre stage in a programme of heritage-led economic and social regeneration by 2025 and the bicentenary of the opening of the line

A historic environment audit on the Croft Line branch of the S&DR, which opened on 27 October 1829, was also produced by Archaeo-Environment Ltd in 2019. It:

• looks at the history of the Croft branch line and provides an audit of what survives of the original 1829 line and its condition
• assesses the significance of the line and any remaining structures associated with it
• assesses the potential for future enhanced access, conservation and interpretation of the branch line in advance of the Stockton & Darlington Railway’s 200th anniversary in 2025

In addition, Archaeo-Environment Ltd produced statements of significance for the following S&DR-related structures, which are available on their Online Library - Darlington, see link on the right or below (depending on your device): 

• Fighting Cocks Inn, Middleton St George
• Goods Shed, Darlington
• Lime Depot, Darlington
• North Road Station, Darlington

Finally, in 2022, Archaeo-Environment Ltd created a management plan for the Darlington Railway Heritage Centre (now Hopetown Darlington).

The Council's Conservation Areas section provides further information regarding the Stockton & Darlington Railway: Northgate and the Stockton & Darlington Railway Middleton St George Conservation Areas (under 'Conservation areas documents' drop-down link). These include a number of structures and other elements associated with the S&DR, including its 'birthplace' (i.e. the home of Edward Pease where he met with George Stephenson). 

Further information

Archaeo-Environment Ltd Online Library - Darlington [external link]

Hopetown Darlington [external link]

The 1825 Stockton & Darlington Railway: Historic Environment Audit [external link]

The S&DR Croft Branchline [external link]

The Friends of the S&DR is a registered charity and Community Interest Organisation. 

The group was set up in 2013 to safeguard and promote the heritage of the railway, amidst concerns that what remained of the line was under threat from neglect and redevelopment. The Friends work with partners to identify, preserve, promote and develop the 1825 S&DR line as an educational, cultural and historic site of international significance and to develop its recreational, economic and tourism potential.

Their Online Library, see link on the right or below (depending on your device), includes digital copies of their magazine 'The Globe', historic environment audits (see above) and walk booklets.

Further information

The Friends of Stockton & Darlington Railway Online Library [external link]