Friends Of The Stockton & Darlington Railway

Shildon History Day
2025-05-17 13:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London)
Join us on Saturday 17th May between 1pm and 4pm at Shildon’s historic Railway Institute for our How the Railways came to Shildon History Day. Featuring model railway displays and a range of stalls selling food, books and memorabilia. There will be history talks taking place throughout the afternoon from a number of speakers.
Tickets are £5 and available by emailing Margaret Fenwick at matfen@live.co.uk or John Raw at jraw2883@aol.com or on the door.

Free Guided Walk: Why the Railway came to Darlington (daytime walk)
2025-05-17 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-05-05 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-03-27 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-03-22 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 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: Haggerleases Branch Line Walk
2025-05-14 10:30 | Outside the Manor House Hotel, West Auckland, Front Street The Green, West Auckland, DL14 9HW, United Kingdom
An 8.2 mile long walk from The Manor House Hotel in West Auckland along the historic Haggerleases Branch as far as Ramshaw and return. This easy going walk will finish at the historic manor house hotel where refreshments are available to purchase at the conclusion of the walk.

Free Guided Walk: Black Boy Incline Walk
2025-05-07 10:30 | By Waggon at the bottom of Cheapside, Shildon, 1 Cheapside, Shildon, DL4 2HW
This 4.2 mile circular walk around Shildon will take you around the Black Boy inclines of the S&DR. Dog Friendly

Free Guided Walk: Teesdale Railway Walk
2025-05-03 10:30 | Teesdale Leisure Centre Carpark, Teesdale Leisure Centre, Stathmore Road, Barnard Castle, DL12 8DS, United Kingdom
This approximately 2.5 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:

May 2025 Members Meeting
2025-05-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
The May 2025 members meeting will take place at Darlington Cricket Club at 7pm on Thursday 1st May 2025.
Papers will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

Free Guided Walk: St John's Crossing to Eaglescliffe Guided Walk
2025-04-30 10:30 - 13:30 | Stockton Town Hall, High Street, Stockton-On-Tees, TS20 1DR
A linear walk from St. John’s Crossing to Eaglescliffe Station via Site of 1830 S&DR Suspension Bridge & Preston Park.
Meet at Stockton Town Hall for 10:30am.
Distance about 3.5 miles.
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: North Road Railway Station to Fighting Cocks Walk
2025-04-30 10:00 | North Road Station Entrance, Station Road, Darlington, DL3 6ST, United Kingdom
This 6 mile easy going walk will start outside North Road Station and finish at Fighting Cocks with a return by Train from Dinsdale Station to North Road Station. Dog Friendly

Free Guided Walk: Yarm Branchline Circular Walk
2025-04-23 10:30 - 13:30 | Allen’s West Station, Eaglescliffe, TS16 0FE
A circular walk along the original S&DR Yarm Branch Line from Allen’s West Station into Yarm, returning via Yarm Road & footbridge across the original Leeds Northern Line.
Meet at Allen’s West Station for 10:30am.
Distance about 4 miles.
Terrain is a mixture of paved and gravel paths.

Free Guided Walk: The Fighting Cocks Line
2025-04-21 11:15 - 14:30 | 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: Pease and Backhouse - the families who brought the S&DR to life
2025-04-18 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
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 Talk: The S&DR: Recovering the Timothy Hackworth Deficit
2025-04-16 19:00 | Shildon Railway Institute, Shildon, DL4 2JJ, United Kingdom
Hackworth’s engineering prowess and ingenuity brought the power needed to accomplish and underpin the ever-expanding enterprise that was the S&DR.
His contribution, talent and ingenuity played a vital part in the early days from 1827 to 1840; something that has been left standing neglected on the sidings. Time for a reckoning up; a recovery of the deficit that has left in the affairs of the S&DR.
Mike Norman’s background in IT was at the forefront of the technology of the Information Revolution, and he now draws on that experience in defining the pioneering key developments of the steam locomotive. He is the author of ‘It Wasn’t Rocket Science’ – a biography of the life and times of Timothy Hackworth which, set during preparations for the 1893 Columbian Exposition held in Chicago, is told through the eyes of a grandson.
Pre-booking is not required for this event.

Free Guided Walk: St Helen Auckland Railway Walk
2025-04-16 10:25 | St. Helen Auckland parish church, Manor Road, St. Helen Auckland, DL14 9ER, 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 (daytime walk)
2025-04-12 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 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:
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: Walk from Eaglescliffe Station to St. John's Crossing
2025-04-09 10:30 - 13:30 | Eaglescliffe Station
A linear walk from Eaglescliffe Station to St. John’s Crossing & coal staithes, Stockton via Preston Park & Yarm Road curve.
Meet at Eaglescliffe Station for 10:30am.
Distance about 4 miles.
Terrain is a mixture of paved and gravel paths.

April 2025 Members Meeting
2025-04-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our April 2025 members meeting will take place on Thursday 3rd April at Darlington Cricket Club starting at 7pm.
Papers will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

Free Guided Walk: Gaunless Bridges Walk
2025-04-02 10:25 | Car Park in front of Well Cafe, 46 East Green, West Auckland, DL14 9HJ, United Kingdom

Free Guided Walk: Shildon Circular Walk
2025-03-26 10:30 | Locomotion, Shildon, Dale Road, Shildon, DL4 2RE, United Kingdom
Shildon Circular Walk taking in many of the historical sites of Shildon’s railway past, including Brusselton and it’s Georgian history.
Approximately 5.8miles Dog friendly
Some field walking, 5 stiles (good order), steady gradient
Calling at the former Wagonworks Canteen
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 Talk: The Quaker Dominance on the S&DR & the Mines & Villages of County Durham
2025-03-19 19:00 | Shildon Railway Institute, Shildon, DL4 2JJ, United Kingdom
It’s part of the significance of the S&DR to understand how it built a region. Our line, the S&DR, would never have existed as we know it without Tyneside engineering OR the business skill of Quakers. Their investment was existential to the 1825 line and to the 1830 Middlesbrough Estate, but then continued full speed under Sir Joseph Pease (1799-1872), whose companies are usually quoted as attaining 10,000 workers.
However, his story* is usually about Darlington, its grand houses and politics rather than the integrated business combine of railway extensions, new villages and mines in the Durham coalfield. The talk identifies his ten coal mines by 1869 with successive extensions of the S&DR rail companies, notably the 1858 route using more inclines to reach the Deerness valley at Esh Winning, one of the Quaker built villages where historians do find a better benevolent layout with schools etc.
*As in editions of the Northern Echo Memories and our Workshop at the Darlington Meeting House: https://sdr1825.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Quaker-Line-Alan-Townsend-Ed.pdf
This talk is given by Professor Alan Townsend, Vice Chair Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, Emeritus Professor of Geography, Durham University.
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: Walk from Eaglescliffe Station to St. John's Crossing Stockton
2025-03-19 10:30 | Eaglescliffe Station
A linear Walk from Eaglescliffe Station to St John’s Crossing, Stockton via Preston Park
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:

Women of the Stockton & Darlington Railway
2025-03-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Stockton Central Library
The Stockton & Darlington Railway opened in 1825 and the world was never the same again. It is easy to get the impression that the people behind this pioneering phase of our history were all men. Where were the women? What were they doing? Can we find their names and write them back into history? Caroline Hardie attempts to shine a light on a few of the women who were part of the Railway that got the World on Track.
Free, Booking essential
This event is organised by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. Book at your nearest library or visit the link below.
www.stockton.gov.uk/book-library-event

First Miles of the S&DR
2025-03-12 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. No stiles, dog friendly, approximately 4.2miles, sturdy footwear required.
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:

March 2025 Members Meeting
2025-03-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our March 2025 members meeting will take place at Darlington Cricket Club at 7pm on Thursday 6th March 2025.
Papers will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

Allens West Station to Eaglescliffe Station Railway Walk
2025-03-05 10:30 | 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 3.5 miles
Terrain is a mixture of paved and gravel paths with a short path across a grassed area.

February 2025 Member Meeting
2025-02-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our February Meeting will take place on Thursday 6th February 2025 at Darlington Cricket Club starting at 7pm.
Papers will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

January 2025 Members Meeting
2025-01-09 19:00 - 21:00 | The Railway Tavern, Darlington, High Northgate, Darlington, DL1 1UN, United Kingdom
Our first meeting of 2025 will take place at the Railway Tavern, Darlington on Thursday 9th January at 7pm.
Papers will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

December 2024 Member's Meeting and Christmas Social
2024-12-05 19:00 - 21:30 | The Railway Tavern, Darlington, High Northgate, Darlington, DL1 1UN, United Kingdom
Our December 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Railway Tavern. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
The Papers for the meeting are available for download from the below links:
The Chair will be summarising the last year and a copy of his report will be posted after the meeting.
2024-12-05 Meeting Agenda
2024-10-03 Minutes
Planning Report 24.12.05
West End Reports 5th December
InclineWittonPark_Image&Text3
2024 AGM Minutes Final
Festival Launch Publicity Launch Stats Slide from AGM
Membership Report 30.11.2024
