A pub that was once at the centre of the birth of the railway has been given a £140,000 makeover.

The Grey Horse, in Shildon, County Durham, was once the home of Daniel Adamson, the founder of the first horse- drawn passenger rail service in the world.

Adamson lived in the Byerley Road pub while running the passenger coach The Perseverence on the Stockton and Darlington Railway during the 1800s.

It was also the place where his son, Daniel Adamson Junior, was born. He went on to become an apprentice to Shildon rail pioneer Timothy Hackworth and had created a complete locomotive by the time he was 19.

Over the years, the Grade II-listed building has been a popular pub for people living in the town.

It is celebrating its colourful history with a series of black and white photographs depicting Shildon and its relationship with the railways and, most importantly, its place in the historical sequence.

The main bar, which was previously dark and cramped, has been made more spacious by Portland Interior Design.

New landlord and landlady John and Joan Bowman say they are looking forward to welcoming people to the new-look pub.

Mr Bowman said: "We are delighted with the way the makeover has turned out. We have had a brilliant reaction from the customers who can't believe what we have done with the place."