What was once the cheapest pub in England, Hogans, in Darlington, has now been completely demolished.
Hogans, previously know at the Park Hotel, is seen as a local landmark in that area of town and was originally built as a Temperance Hotel.
The station overhaul will be completed in 2025 in time for the Stockton and Darlington Railway bicentennial celebrations and has been funded by £105 million Government investment.
Pictures taken yesterday (Wednesday, July 19) reveal what the site currently looks like.
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Cllr Jonathan Dulston, former leader of Darlington Borough Council and TVCA cabinet member for Transport, previously told The Northern Echo: “The Hogans building has been a Darlington landmark for many years, providing many a send-off for travellers and a well-known night out for locals.
“But as the plans to transform the railway station and its surroundings move forward, we’re now ready to call time on the venue.
“Removing the building, which is in a poor state of repair, will open up the approach to the railway station and create space for better onward public transport links and a safer road layout.
“This is the first of many changes that people will see in the area, and I can’t wait to see the transformation of our iconic station into a transport hub fit for the 21st Century.”
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Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen added: “Many people in Darlington and beyond will have a memory of Hogan’s in some way, shape, or form. It’s been a landmark near the station for generations – but time has taken its toll, and now we need to look to the future.
“We’re bringing it down for a very good reason. Its departure will allow us to create a modern western gateway to the station, with a better road layout and much improved access.
“Demolition work is really ramping up on both the Eastern and Western sides of the station. This is a vital project to the future of both the town and our region and when it’s ready, it will give Darlington the station it has deserved for many years.”
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