THE campaign to save the world’s oldest railway station has gone global – even the Washington Post carried the story about the efforts of the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway to rescue Heighington station from dereliction.
In the fortnight since it first appeared in Memories 668, more than £5,000 has been raised from 160-plus supporters towards the £100,000 that the Friends feel they need to save the building that was in operation beside the Stockton & Darlington Railway by 1827.
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But is it really the world’s first station?
“I googled it and it stated that Liverpool Road Station in Manchester was the first in 1808,” says Len Dunn.
The Liverpool Road Station was built by George Stephenson for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR) and it opened on September 15, 1830. The house next to door to it was built in 1808 and was used by the railway for the station superintendent or goods agent to live in.
Liverpool Road can claim many firsts – the first inter-city station, the first elevated station (the tracks run on first floor level), perhaps even the world’s oldest surviving railway terminus – but Heighington pre-dates it by three or so years as the first station.
In September, Historic England gave the station a Grade II* rating, and headlined the announcement: “Word’s first railway station awarded upgraded listing status.”
Sarah Charlesworth from Historic England said: “It’s amazing to think that this simple building in County Durham helped to inspire a way of travelling that’s used by billions of people across the world. From the humblest single platform station to the vast terminals of St Pancreas and the Gard du Nord, they all owe a debt to Heighington and Aycliffe Railway Station.”
Liverpool Road Station closed to passengers in 1844 when the line was extended, and it closed completely in 1975. However, because of its significance, it was revitalised in 1980 for the 150th anniversary celebrations of the L&MR and was reborn as the Greater Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.
By contrast in south Durham, when Heighington became an unmanned halt in the 1970s, the historic building fell empty until it was converted into a pub, the Locomotion No 1, in 1984. The pub shut in 2017 and has become increasingly derelict ever since.
The Friends estimate that £500,000 is needed to buy it and stabilise it ahead of the 200th anniversary. It is hoped the bulk will come through grants, but every pound of public support will add weight to the campaign. To donate, or just simply add your name in support, go to sdr1825.org.uk
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NOT only is Heighington the world’s oldest station but a cobbled area outside it could be the world’s first platform and the world’s oldest platform.
But it only survived by a whisker. John Askwith has sent in a copy of the British Rail staff magazine of 1953 which tells the story: “A local ganger thought the old cobbled platform should be levelled and brought up to modern requirements. The thought was about to be translated into deed when the District Engineer heard of it. He grabbed his hat and hatchet and, hurrying to Heighington, threatened all who would obliterate the original old platform.”
IN Memories 668, we suggested this (above) might be a 1950s picture of Heighington station, but Mike Barnard in Guisborough begged to disagree.
He said: “The locomotive looks like a Tennant E5 (North Eastern Railway Class “1463”) 2-4-0. This class has quite a distinctive chimney and an unusual square cab window. You can see beside the buffer that the number starts with ‘14’, so adds to the likelihood that is an E5.
“The last E5 was withdrawn in 1929, so the picture can’t be the 1950s. These locomotives were used on main line expresses when introduced in 1885, and then used on minor routes towards the end of their lives, so the picture is probably in the 1920s.
“Out of the 20 built – ten at Darlington and ten at Gateshead – one of the class has been preserved, and is currently on loan to the Darlington railway museum.”
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