Hopetown Darlington

In All Creatures Great and Small, Alf Wight (OBE) (James Herriot) created alter-ego names for people and places an example of this is ‘Arlington’ where he simply dropped the D in Darlington in a story about a fellow vet based in the town.

Darlington is probably best known for a railway journey in 1825 that changed the world forever. Locomotion No. 1 became the first steam locomotive to haul a passenger-carrying train on a public railway – the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Now, Hopetown Darlington, a 7.5 acre visitor attraction is retelling the Stockton and Darlington Railway story. Every building has a unique story to tell and as you enter through the 1833 Goods Shed here’s an artisan café, coal themed shop and a new railway-themed digital media experience.

North Road Station Museum, housed within an 1842 Victorian railway station is the place to discover Darlington’s story of rail engineering, ideas and invention. The 1853 Carriage Works, the Exhibition Hall, featuring special exhibitions, and The Stores have on permanent display railway heritage memorabilia that comprise over 30,000 items.

View live engineering in action in Darlington Locomotion Works which is home to the A1 Steam Locomotion Trust.  The Wagon Woods, a railway-themed adventure play park builds on the story of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. On Foundry Green you’ll be able to enjoy festivals and events.

There’s a brand-new bridge over the railway line, which was installed in the middle of the night, now allowing visitors to reach Darlington Locomotive Works with a high-level viewing gallery to see volunteers and members of the A1 Steam Locomotion Trust building the Prince of Wales, the UK’s newest PS Class No. 2007 steam locomotive.

Other experiences include Hopetown Darling’s own recipe ice cream developed with local partner Northern Bloc; Locomotion Works that explains the variety of loco’s and train types; the standardisation of Greenwich Meantime which came into being via the railway revolution and local artists Anne Birk and Mike Green with their exquisite pottery work.

Group travel welcome.

Whether stopping off for a quick cup of tea, spending the whole day at Hopetown Darlington at a leisurely pace or as part of an itinerary, or taking part in a tour or workshop – Hopetown Darlington’s team can help you plan a bespoke and memorable visit that will give your group plenty to talk about.

Include a tour of the Grade II* listed North Road Station Museum for your group to see our historic locomotives and heritage railway collection on display, and marvel at the technology used to tell the story of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

Welcome to Hopetown Darlington, the north of England’s newest visitor attraction.