What we do

Our vision is:

“By 2026, the Stockton and Darlington Railway will be recognised as a world class heritage attraction, having built on its reputation as the birthplace of the modern railways to strengthen and promote a strong cultural offer that provides a distinctive experience for visitors and residents. This world class attraction will boost the economic growth potential of the area in this pioneering approach of using our historic environment to act as a catalyst to drive forward heritage led regeneration while conserving its historic interest.”

A Programme and Delivery Plan has been produced for the S&DR, which builds upon the pioneering work of a number of individuals and organisations over many years. It provides details about the projects and activities to be completed through the S&DR Heritage Action Zone project.

To date, a total of 43 projects have been identified, grouped under four work streams:

• Conservation and Management
• Heritage Attraction Development
• Festivals and Events
• Cross-cutting Initiatives

Over time, we anticipate that many of these projects will develop and evolve, with more being identified, and the programme will be reviewed regularly.

Potential projects include:

• Research, including an aerial survey, archaeological excavations, and assessments of buildings and areas
• Designations, to protect the most important assets, and to improve their long term conservation and management
• Surveys of vulnerable buildings and structures, to tackle urgent repairs and bring historic buildings back into use
• Encouraging the involvement of local communities and business, and increasing the sense of ownership of the line
• Developing skills, through exploring partnerships with education providers, opportunities for apprenticeships, and links to universities
• Raising awareness of, and safeguarding against, heritage crime