Save Heighington Station
Donate now to help us save the world's oldest railway station
Join our campaign to restore Heighington Railway Station, recognised by Historic England as the oldest station building in the world. This unique historical survivor helped shape the way that the world moved, worked and played.
Together We Did It!!!
Thanks to many, many people making donations large and small, and a final very large and welcome donation from Hitachi Rail Europe (a very near neighbour at Newton Aycliffe). Heighington Station, the World’s Oldest, is now owned by the Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway! The purchase was completed on the 5th of September 2025, just in time for the bicentenary of the S&DR.
Those headlines saying ‘saved’ were hugely satisfying, of course, but saved? Not quite yet. This is of course only the beginning of our journey to restore the sadly vandalised building to how it was in the pioneering days of the railway in the late 1820s. We now need support, help and funds to make our plan for a fully accessible, useable, enjoyable place come true. Somewhere visitors exploring our region’s unique industrial heritage, the local community, social groups, local businesses, voluntary organisations and history enthusiasts can gather for delicious food and drink and maybe even a cheeky pint of locally produced ale. Surrounded by the furnishings and fittings of the period, crackling fires, and staff and volunteers in period dress, all taking you back in time to the earliest days of rail travel, bringing history back to life.
Lots to do, and lots to keep fundraising towards and we’re heartened by already receiving an offer of grant aid from the Railway Heritage Trust, and exploring support from Durham County Council, Architectural Heritage Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The foundation of all this is support form you, rail enthusiasts, communities and individuals across the world.
Our Vision for the Station
We want to make this internationally important building live and breathe again and provide a high quality living history experience of the earliest days of rail travel along the birthplace line of the modern railway. The station is strategically located half way between the Locomotion and Hopetown museums on the former S&DR main line and on the route of the S&DR Active Travel footpath and cycleway, providing a handy stop off point for travellers and visitors exploring the S&DR.
Using period correct techniques and materials we will restore the building to represent its origins as a Georgian railway tavern, offering high quality, locally sourced food and drink, accommodation, a themed children’s play area and a unique events space and meeting area for the local community, and our neighbours on the industrial estate. Working with local education providers we aim to provide opportunities for training in hospitality and heritage to develop young people’s skills. As we are operating on a not for profit basis, any surplus made from the running of the site will be reinvested back into maintaining the historic environment of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, and supporting tourism and regeneration along the line.
So what’s to be done next?
During the campaign, the Friends have been planning ahead; surveys have been done, drawings produced, costs estimated and even the first business plan produced, in order that not only will the building be self-sustaining financially in the future, but that it will also produce some small surplus which can go towards helping other buildings and structures along the line.
Meetings have been held with Historic England, and the Durham County Conservation Officer to ensure that they support and approve our proposals. They do! They share our enthusiasm for this unique survivor, although there will of course be paperwork. We need roofing repairs to replace stolen lead flashing and a chimney stack rebuilding using period appropriate techniques and materials, as soon as possible before the temperature drops (lime mortar doesn’t like the cold!) and the winter weather sets in to prevent further damage to the structure from wind, rain and frost.
This will take time and we will try as hard as possible to do it right, and do it for the long term; lime or hot lime mortar, traditional sash windows again with that cylinder glass that gives that lovely wavy effect, and so on.
What can you do to help?
As with so many things in this age, money is key to making this project work. We are looking at estimated costs of over £1m to complete the project.
Sometimes it is a matter of matching possible funders with the work we need to do; some will help with the building, but not the coal cells, and so on. The thing to remember is that even a successful grant requires ‘match funding’, so these funders will give some money, but only if we can give some too.
We are also looking for people who can support us practically by volunteering their time and skills. We would be particularly interested if you have skills in traditional building and joinery skills, fundraising or any other skills that could help. This process will also include research – seeing and understanding the history of the building, and how it was used, hidden behind later work and plaster; it is archaeology, just not buried archaeology!
We will also need help with sourcing appropriate fittings to replace those lost to redevelopment work. Items such as locally produced fireplaces and ranges, for example those by Kitchings of Darlington, a company with long connections with Darlington, or period appropriate furniture items which will help restore the character of the building. If you spot any items that you think may be of interest, please let us know.
So there are many ways to be involved through donations or practical help. Please get in touch or make a donation and help us bring the world’s oldest station back into use for its bicentenary in 2027!
