Heighington station in County Durham has received a grant of £90,000, which is a major boost in getting the station restored.
However, because of the surprise general election at the start of July, time is now running short to get the station ready for the Stockton & Darlington Bicentenary celebrations next summer.
The attention of the stations restoration, and the fact it is the oldest station to survive from the original Stockton and Darlington Railway, has seen The Railway Heritage Trust donate £90,000 to the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in order to purchase Heighington station out right and restore it to its former glory.
The “exceptional” donation has contributed massively to the overall £500,000 target.
“We really welcome this significant help from the trust which is a clear signal to the national if not international significance of Heighington as the world’s first railway station.”
Niall Hammond, chair of Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway
Built in 1826, The Grade II Heighington Station on the outskirts of Newton Aycliffe doubled as a pub.
This is believed to be the first step in railway history, where passengers could enjoy a drink or a meal before starting or finishing their journey at a time when the idea of passenger waiting rooms was new.
“Our normal funding can only be used to invest in Network Rail and National Highways assets, but we have been lucky enough to receive a legacy which we are able to invest and have made this exceptional decision because of the high historical importance of Heighington to the story of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
“We have therefore made a firm commitment to this project and fully support plans by the Friends
Trust director Tim Hedley-Jones
to purchase the site, restore the building and make it a welcoming space for visitors and the local
community to better appreciate the part it played in the development of railways across the world.”
The current station building is derelict and an embarrassing eyesore to anyone that passes the building.
If the Stockton & Darlington Trust hadn’t started the fundraising, the station would have been lost forever. Not only that, the oldest station left of the pioneer S&DR would be in a terrible state for Rail 200 celebrations next year.
The Save Our Station campaign, initiated in February, has impressively garnered £15,000 through public contributions.
The Railway Heritage Trust’s £90,000 and a £10,000 donation from the Headley Trust, which together supports the project’s development expenses, complements this amount, including the engagement of Purcell Architects.
Support has been received from local councils, such as Durham County Council, and even from local masons’ lodges, given that John Carter, the builder of the station in 1826, was a mason himself.
The Friends had hoped to secure funding allocated by the previous Conservative government for “levelling up.”
However, the uncertainty cast by Rishi Sunak’s snap summer election and his subsequent defeat has put this prospect in jeopardy.
The Railway Heritage Trust’s grant comes at an important time for our campaign as our application
to the Community Ownership Fund, which was a major part of our plan, now sits in limbo following
the General Election. We have no idea if the fund is continuing or not.“Time is now running short to bring Heighington back into use again in time for the bicentenary in
2025 – we need another £250,000 to Save Our Station and complete the purchase, and £150,000 to
restore it and bring it back to life and reopen to the public.”“Every little helps and we are so grateful for donations big and small, and to all those volunteers who have already helped begin taking care of the site.”
Niall Hammond, chair of Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway
A further community tidy up of the site is planned for this coming Saturday, July 27th.
Additional information about Heighington stations restoration and for information on how to contribute visit: https://www.sdr1825.org.uk/save-heighington-station/
Responses
Would be good to resurrect and preserve the oldest station on the Stockton and Darlington railway however Shildon is on the “MAP” as it has the ” Museum” which is surely recognised by many people and organisations!!
I support the efforts to bring Heighington station back to a condition it deserves as the world’s oldest railway station and anything else connected with the Stockton to Darlington railway. However I believe one very important part has forever been unfairly neglected and should be given the same if not greater importance. Nothing is ever mentioned about the place where the engine and carriages of the first passenger service were built and from where the first passenger service train started to go to the inauguration of that service, the town of Shildon.
This birthplace of the entire world’s railways should be given the highest standing above all others, yet is sadly ignored. We should all be ashamed for this lack of history. Shouldn’t it be given it’s true cultural significance?