Friends Of The Stockton & Darlington Railway

Free Guided Walk: The Fighting Cocks Line
2025-05-24 11:15 - 14:30, 2025-07-20 11:15 - 14:30 (Europe/London) | entrance to Middleton St George Play Park and Field ///validated.unwind.expert, Station Road, Middleton St George, DL2 1JD, United Kingdom
The Fighting Cocks Line
Middleton St George to Darlington
5.5 miles (8.5 km), 3 hours 15 mins Maximum group size 20. Mostly along off-road paths. Dogs on leads (this is a shared use route on the National Cycling Network). Moderate (level gradient but stamina required). Stout footwear recommended.
This walk follows the trackbed of an original section of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, looking at the development of railway infrastructure and the industries which grew up along the line.
The walk begins in Middleton St George village and ends at the Hopetown Railway Visitor Attraction, next to North Road station in Darlington.
This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form:

Free Guided Walk: Why the Railway came to Darlington (daytime walk)
2025-05-27 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-11 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-28 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-05 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-12 10:30 - 12:30 | Darlington Market Place Circular Benches by entrance to St Cuthbert’s Churchyard what3words ///deputy.pies.doing, Church Lane, Darlington, DL1 5QD
Why the Railway came to Darlington (daytime walk)
Darlington Town Centre to Hopetown Railway Visitor Attraction.
1.5 miles (2.5 km), 1 hour 30 minutes. Mostly on pavements. Maximum group size 12. No dogs (except guide dogs). Easy to Moderate.
We will visit some of the key sites and learn about some of the people behind the birth of the world’s first passenger railway, the Stockton & Darlington Railway, which is 200 years old in September 2025.
The walk explores the origins and early years of the Railway including some significant buildings. We will also see how central Darlington has changed since 1825.
At the end of the walk you can choose to learn more about the development of the railway at the Hopetown visitor attraction (free ticketed entry). If you would like us to book this for you, please indicate using the notes field on the registration form when registering attendees.
Don’t miss this opportunity to get some exercise while discovering the rich history of the area!
This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form:

Free Guided Walk: West Auckland Walk
2025-05-28 10:30 | Car Park in front of Well Cafe, 46 East Green, West Auckland, DL14 9HJ, United Kingdom
This circular tour of West Auckland will take in the historic remains of the S&DR in the village.

Free Guided Walk: Shildon Circular Walk
2025-06-04 10:30 | Locomotion, Shildon, Dale Road, Shildon, DL4 2RE, United Kingdom
Locomotion, Shildon

Free Guided Walk: Pease and Backhouse - the families who brought the S&DR to life
2025-06-07 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-25 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-08-09 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-08-16 10:30 - 12:00 | Darlington Market Place Circular Benches by entrance to St Cuthbert’s Churchyard what3words ///deputy.pies.doing, Church Lane, Darlington, DL1 5QD
Pease and Backhouse – an introduction to the families who brought the Stockton and Darlington Railway to life.
Darlington Town Centre and the Quaker burial ground.
1.5 miles (2 km), 1 hour 30 mins. Maximum group size 12. No dogs (except guide dogs). Very Easy.
In Darlington’s Quaker burial ground, many members of the Pease and Backhouse families are buried. These were the characters responsible for the development of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. We will explore their stories of the origins and early years of the Railway. We will meet some of these characters, and some of their interesting and colourful family members.
All of the walk takes place within Darlington town centre. There is a particular focus on the Quaker Burial ground where there are benches to sit on.
This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form:

Free Guided Walk: Brusselton Incline Walk
2025-06-18 10:30 | Adelaide Street Shildon, Adelaide Street, Shildon, DL4 1NT, United Kingdom
This walk starts in what was originally the first railway town of New Shildon, which sprang up to support the emerging locomotive works and Inclines. It will take in the remaining structures and features of the former Shildon Works buildings, the incline and the remaining S&DR structures at Brusselton. This walk is dog friendly and will call into tea rooms on route. Some mild gradients and unpaved footpaths.

Free Guided Walk: Allen's West Station to Eaglescliffe Station, via Preston Park.
2025-06-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Allen’s West Station, Eaglescliffe, TS16 0FE
A linear walk from Allen’s West Station to Eaglescliffe Station, via Preston Park.
Meet at Allen’s West Station for 10:30am.
Distance about 3 miles.
Terrain is a mixture of paved and gravel paths with a short path across a grassed area.

Free Talk: The Three Greeners of Etherley and a Model Steam Engine
2025-06-18 19:00 - 2025-07-19 19:00 | Shildon Railway Institute, Shildon, DL4 2JJ, United Kingdom
This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form:

Free Guided Walk: Why the Railway came to Darlington (evening walk)
2025-06-19 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-07-10 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-08-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Darlington Market Place Circular Benches by entrance to St Cuthbert’s Churchyard what3words ///deputy.pies.doing, Church Lane, Darlington, DL1 5QD
Why the Railway came to Darlington (evening walk)
Darlington Town Centre to the Railway Tavern
1.5 miles (2.5 km), 1 hour 30 minutes. Mostly on pavements. Maximum group size 12. No dogs (except guide dogs). Evening walk only, in the late spring / summer. Easy to Moderate.
We will visit some of the key sites and learn about some of the people behind the birth of the world’s first passenger railway, the Stockton & Darlington Railway, which is 200 years old in September 2025.
The walk explores the origins and early years of the Railway including some significant buildings. We will also see how central Darlington has changed since 1825.
The walk ends with a chance for a drink in the Railway Tavern – the oldest continually operating railway inn in the world.
Don’t miss this opportunity to get some exercise (and a drink!) while discovering the rich history of the area!
This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form:

Free Guided Walk: Teesdale Railway Walk
2025-06-21 10:30 | Teesdale Leisure Centre Carpark, Teesdale Leisure Centre, Stathmore Road, Barnard Castle, DL12 8DS, United Kingdom
This approximately 4 mile circular walk takes you on a tour of the industrial past of this important rural market town. It will explore how it became a transpennine railway hub after a long battle with the Duke of Cleveland for it to have a railway connection at all. Learn about how the railway affected the town’s industry, helped save lives and to become a holiday destination.
This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form:

Free Guided Walk: Eaglescliffe Station to St. John’s Crossing via Site of 1830 S&DR Suspension Bridge & Preston Park.
2025-06-25 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-08-13 10:30 - 12:30 | Eaglescliffe Station
A linear walk from Eaglescliffe Station to St. John’s Crossing via Site of 1830 S&DR Suspension Bridge & Preston Park.
Meet at Eaglescliffe Station for 10:30am.
Distance about 4miles.
Terrain is a mixture of paved and gravel paths with a short walk next to the River Tees under the A66 and 2 railway bridges.

Free Guided Walk: Phoenix Row Walk
2025-07-02 10:30 | Outside the Former Methodist Chapel, Phoenix Row, Phoenix Row, Witton Park, DL14 0DF, United Kingdom
This walk will meet at Phoenix Row near the farthest western point of the line. Walking up the Etherley incline, you will get a flavour of the rural nature of the Early S&DR and the scale of the earthworks required to provide a straight route to Shildon.
The walk is 2.4 miles and involves some gradients and walking along footpaths.

Free Guided Walk: Stockton Circular
2025-07-16 10:30 - 12:30 | Stockton Town Hall, High Street, Stockton-On-Tees, TS20 1DR
Meet at Stockton Town Hall at 10.30 am visiting various locations connected with the S&DR in 1825, the extension of the S&DR across the River Tees in 1830 and the arrival of the Leeds Northern Railway (LNR) in 1852.

Free Guided Walk: Gaunless Bridge Walk
2025-07-16 10:30 - 13:30 | Car Park in front of Well Cafe, 46 East Green, West Auckland, DL14 9HJ, United Kingdom
Meeting outside the Well Cafe in West Auckland, this walk will cover the original site of the Gaunless Bridge before following the S&DR over the inclines to Shildon to see the preserved bridge, with a stop at Broom Mill Cafe.6.4 miles, some moderate gradients and stiles.

Free Talk: Teesdale Tracks and Derailing Dukes
2025-07-16 19:00 | Shildon Railway Institute, Shildon, DL4 2JJ, United Kingdom

Guided Walk: Allen's West Station to Eaglescliffe Station, via Preston Park.
2025-07-30 10:30 - 12:00 | Allen’s West Station, Eaglescliffe, TS16 0FE

Free Guided Walk: Shildon Circular Walk
2025-07-30 10:30 - 13:30 | Locomotion, Shildon, Dale Road, Shildon, DL4 2RE, United Kingdom
This circular walk starts at Locomotion Museum and will take you through the rich railway history of Shildon. This includes sights such as Timothy Hackworth’s Home, Daniel Adamson’s Coach House, Brusselton Incline and Hackworth’s Grave. 6.4 miles moderate gradients and stiles.

Free Guided Walk: Why the Railway came to Darlington (daytime walk)
2025-08-02 10:30 - 12:00 | Darlington Market Place Circular Benches by entrance to St Cuthbert’s Churchyard what3words ///deputy.pies.doing, Church Lane, Darlington, DL1 5QD
Why the Railway came to Darlington (daytime walk)
Darlington Town Centre to Hopetown Railway Visitor Attraction.
1.5 miles (2.5 km), 1 hour 30 minutes. Mostly on pavements. Maximum group size 12. No dogs (except guide dogs). Easy to Moderate.
We will visit some of the key sites and learn about some of the people behind the birth of the world’s first passenger railway, the Stockton & Darlington Railway, which is 200 years old in September 2025.
The walk explores the origins and early years of the Railway including some significant buildings. We will also see how central Darlington has changed since 1825.
At the end of the walk you can choose to learn more about the development of the railway at the Hopetown visitor attraction (free entry).
Don’t miss this opportunity to get some exercise while discovering the rich history of the area!
This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form:

Free Guided Walk: Teesdale Railway Walk
2025-08-16 10:30 | Teesdale Leisure Centre Carpark, Teesdale Leisure Centre, Stathmore Road, Barnard Castle, DL12 8DS, United Kingdom
This approximately 4 mile circular walk takes you on a tour of the industrial past of this important rural market town. . It will explore how it became a transpennine railway hub after a long battle with the Duke of Cleveland for it to have a railway connection at all. Learn about how the railway affected the town’s industry, helped save lives and to become a holiday destination.
This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form:
