Quarter of a million for historic Darlington railway building

The shed is beside Darlington’s North Road Station and it has recently emerged from its shroud of trees that has hidden it from view. Now it is transformed in the welcoming building for the new visitor attraction which will be open in time for 2025 railway bicentenary.

An artist's impression of how the goods shed will look at the entrance to the Railway Heritage Quarter on North Road

Historic England has announced it is giving the building a £252,000 grant for repairs so that it can be removed from its “at risk” register.

The north side of the shed, above, and the south side, below. Pictures: Jonny Lancaster, Darlington Borough Council

“It is one of the most important surviving railway buildings in the country,” said Giles Proctor from Historic England.

“One of the things that makes the Stockton & Darlington Railway so interesting and significant is that right from the first Act of Parliament that allowed its construction, the railway was intended to carry more than just coal or minerals. Previous railways were exclusively for shipping coal or iron ore to the nearest docks or processing plant, but the S&DR was always intended to support a mixed economy with coal being a significant part of it but also other products, including agricultural produce, and passengers which railways had not done before.

“The goods station is important evidence of that original intention. It was there for the trans-shipment of goods other than coal. It was there so the goods could be unloaded and then taken by horse and cart to the customers.”

Above and below: inside the goods shed now it has been emptied, ready for conversion. Pictures: Jonny Lancaster, Darlington Borough Council

The first goods station on the line was built in 1827 to the east of North Road. It was on two levels: items were taken off the trains at the top level and then dropped down to the lower level where horses and carts took them off to customers. It is believed that the railway soon realised this drop would damage the goods, and so in 1833, its chief engineer, Thomas Storey, designed a single level station to the west of North Road.

However, as no one had yet designed a railway goods shed, he borrowed an idea for an oblong-shaped shed from the well-established canal network.

“Trains entered his shed by the long side, rather than the short side, so there was relatively little covered space for them,” said Mr Proctor. “This was how canal warehouses operated, where canal barges were shorter than trains. Slightly later, they realised this was not the best way for railways to operate and so in later designs they entered through the short side so there was more cover.”

READ MORE: DARLINGTON'S OLDEST BAND CELEBRATES ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY

There is one older goods handling railway building in the country at Liverpool Road in Manchester. It is a warehouse built by George Stephenson in 1830, but it has a very different purpose to Darlington’s – it is just to store goods delivered by the trains, whereas Darlington’s is all about moving them conveniently on to the customer.

It must have been a successful building because it was extended in 1839-40 when the clocktower was added to its roof. However, only half of the tower is fully supported because there had to be room for engines to pass beneath the unsupported half. Consequently, over the decades, the tower has begun to lean at a wonky angle, and in recent years, it has slumped precariously, coming to rest on top of an old loco that was being stored beneath it.

Once, though, the clock was very impressive. It had four glass faces so it could be illuminated eye-catchingly from inside, and designer, John Harris, finished the tower with a touch of Grecian class – it has three vertical carved channels on each corner known as triglyphs.

“Everything on the original S&DR was very plain because of the Quaker influence,” said Mr Proctor, “but they were wanting to be a bit more showy later on. Here, they were probably wanting to show how civilised and learned they were by having a Grecian clocktower on top.”

In 1857, the shed ceased to be the main point of goods handling. It was converted into a fire station and then, in 1951, into a maintenance depot for railway road vehicles. It was, until recently, tenanted by Darlington Railway Preservation Society, whose fireless steam locomotive from the Patons & Baldwins’ Lingfield Point factory was propping up the clocktower.

“I think it is something we need to be really proud of and the remarkable thing is that is has managed to survive,” said Mr Proctor. “I can’t help thinking that from a fairly early date there must have been recognition of the significance of the S&DR and its structures which discouraged people from clearing them away and replacing them.”

Now, with the help of his organisation’s grant, it is going to play a major part in the £35m visitor attraction which is currently taking shape.

The 1827 goods station viewed from the railway line

WHEN the 1833 goods shed was built, the 1827 goods station was converted "into a place convenient for passengers waiting to catch the railway coach". The upper storey became a ticket office and a waiting room, with a short wooden verandah being nailed over the narrow platform to keep passengers dry.

The lower floor was converted into a cottage and a shop, and was let to Mary Simpson for £5-a-year on the understanding that "she kept the coach station clean and afforded every necessary accommodation to coach passengers".

Mary Simpson might, then, claim to be the world's first stationmaster.

The 1827 goods station viewed from North Road so both storeys were visible

However, her business only lasted until 1842 when North Road station supplanted it. The 1827 building was converted into railway cottages which were pulled down at the start of the 20th Century.

Their foundations, though, remain beside the line but covered in undergrowth. They are surely ripe for archaeological investigation.

READ MORE: HOW MY DAD PLAYED CRICKET WITH YORKSHIRE LEGENDS IN DARLINGTON