Name: Hopetown Darlington
Rating: 5.0

Hopetown Darlington

1-90 Years

Paid

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Description

Hopetown Darlington is a brand new visitor attraction celebrating Darlington’s pioneering railway heritage. Located on the historic site of North Road Station, it brings together restored heritage buildings and exciting modern experiences. Spread across a 7.5 acre site, it tells the story of the world’s first steam-powered public railway in an engaging and interactive way.

Visitors can explore North Road Station Museum, The Goods Shed, The Stores and the Darlington Locomotive Works Viewing Gallery. Enjoy the immersive railway-themed ride EXPERIMENT and let children play at WAGON WOODS adventure park. There are historic highlights including the 1861 Shed, Carriage Works, Skerne Bridge, Lime Cells and the large outdoor space at Foundry Green.

Free site admission includes entry to North Road Station Museum, Darlington Locomotive Works viewing gallery and The Stores, as well as the shop, café and outdoor areas, while Experiment costs £5 per passenger. Wagon Woods costs £5 per child during school holidays, weekends and Night At The Museums, and £3.50 per child during term time weekdays (children under 1 and adults 18+ go free).

Hopetown Darlington offers a mix of history, hands-on exhibits, live engineering and outdoor fun for all ages. With a café, gift shop and space for events and venue hire, it is perfect for family days out, learning experiences and special occasions. It is a must-visit destination to discover how Darlington helped change the world through railway innovation.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: Yes

Features

The Goods Shed: Originally constructed in 1833, this building was originally used for handling freight in the early days of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) and is the earliest known surviving railway Goods Shed in the country. Now restored, The Goods Shed is home to the Clocktower Café, Hopetown Goods & Gifts and a digital media experience. Plus, look out for the working model railway!
North Road Station Museum: Explore the story of Darlington’s pioneering progression of rail transport in the early 19th century. Experience the amazing stories of the people connected to this special place. Learn how ideas from the North-East helped launch a network of passenger railway routes across the country. Using hands-on exhibits and experiences, interactives and digital storytelling techniques that bring the railways to life, this new exhibition explores the influential lineage between railway innovation and advancement in society.
Experiment: The railway-themed time travel immersive experience ride! Join Georgie and Stephen on a vivid journey through passenger rail travel, travelling across continents and through time - from 1825 to the present day and into the future! From Locomotion No.1's first steam hauled passenger railway journey right here in Darlington to the Japanese bullet train and the Eurostar - see the impact Darlington's pioneering past has had on societies and cultures across time and around the world.
Wagon Woods: Wagon Woods is the brilliantly fun railway-themed adventure play park for all ages! It's experimentation and innovation that put Darlington on the map - and it all starts with play. The Stockton & Darlington Railway wasn’t the achievement of one person alone – it was the result of working together to make discoveries and solve problems. Not just grown-ups, but children too! The rope has snapped and the coal wagons are hurtling down the hill. There’s nothing to stop them – until local children derail them with logs and save the day!
The Carriage Works: The historic Carriage Works is a Grade II listed building originally constructed in 1853. Now restored, the Carriage Works houses the Exhibition Hall, sponsored by Darlington Building Society, which plays host to special events and visiting exhibitions. Also within the Carriage Works is The Stores, sponsored by Bussey & Armstrong. In The Stores you can explore our archive and discover artefacts and objects that aren't on permanent display.
Darlington Locomotive Works: See live engineering in action! Cross the bridge from Foundry Green and over the live railway line to visit the high-level viewing gallery in Darlington Locomotive Works, home to The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. From here you can watch staff and volunteers of the Trust build the UK's newest steam locomotive, the P2 class No.2007 Prince of Wales, in the workshop below.
1861 Shed: A historic railway building brought back to life. The 1861 Shed (sometimes known as North Road Locomotive Works) used to be a wagon repair shop and housed railway carriages throughout the 19th century. After sitting empty for over 30 years, it has been brought back into use as the new shared home for the Darlington Railway Preservation Society (DRPS) and the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG).
Skerne Bridge: The oldest railway bridge in the world still in continuous operation. The Grade I listed Skerne Bridge holds the distinction of being the oldest railway bridge in the world still in continuous use. It is a lasting symbol of the birth of the railways, connecting towns and cities for the first time and ushering in the Industrial Revolution.'
Foundry Green: New grass is growing, so we kindly ask you to stick to the pathways when visiting Foundry Green. Did you know? Foundry Green is named after Hopetown Foundry - which was established on this spot by Alfred & William Kitching in 1832. From early 2025, Foundry Green can accommodate up to 5000 visitors for outdoor events and festivals and when not in use for an event you can enjoy a picnic, play games, exercise, do yoga or take a walk around this 2.5 acre open space.
Lime Cells: A rare survivor from the early days of the railways. The Grade II listed Lime Cells were constructed in the 1840s and functioned as a store for limestone, delivered by rail, for use in the urban development of Darlington. The Lime Cells have been out use since the end of the 19th Century.

Facilities

Parking: Parking is located in Skerne Bridge Car Park on John Street. Sat Nav users please use DL1 1LG.
Food & Drinks: Located in the Goods Shed, the Clocktower Café is the perfect place for freshly prepared and locally-sourced meals and treats.
Toilets: Toilet with baby changing facilities available.

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Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Free site admission entry to North Road Station Museum, the Goods Shed, The Stores, Clocktower Café, Darlington Locomotive Works Viewing Gallery and our beautiful outdoor spaces.

Experiment

£5 per passenger (applies to all ages)

Wagon Woods (Children under 1 and adults aged 18+ are free of charge.)

Prices apply to children and young people aged 1-17:
School holidays, weekends and Night At The Museums: £5 per child
Term time weekdays: £3.50 per child

Pricing URL: https://www.hopetowndarlington.co.uk/plan-your-visit/#HowToBook

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: Yes

Birthday Party Details

VENUE HIRE

Set in characterful surroundings, we're the perfect location to hire a space for any occasion - whether that's work, celebration or play.

Take a look below at our available spaces.

Exhibition Hall: From awards ceremonies and general meetings to TV studios and exhibitions, the Exhibition Hall, sponsored by Darlington Building Society, can accommodate medium to large scale events and hires in a variety of layouts.
Goods Shed: Our café space can be hired for exclusive evening use for group meet-ups, intimate gigs and other small scale events. The space can be used during the day for non-exclusive use - coffee mornings are very popular in the Goods Shed.
Goods Yard: An uncovered outdoor space suitable for small to medium scale events. From outdoor activities in the summer months to beer festivals in a pop up marquee, the Goods Yard is a scenic space nestled between two surviving early-railway buildings.
The Stores: Host your event in the heart of our 30,000 item collection. This intimate space is a popular choice for non-private meetings and various workshops. Please note that The Stores is an open venue for the general public so all bookings are non-exclusive.
Stephenson Room: A medium sized exclusive space inside North Road Station Museum that is the perfect setting for a work meeting, presentation, training, or workshop. The large mural on the wall showcases Darlington's pioneering railway heritage.
Pease Room: A small, intimate but exclusive space inside North Road Station Museum that is the perfect setting for a work meeting or training. This space can double up as a holding room, lunch room or entertainment room as part of a larger hire.
Foundry Green: Foundry Green is our large outdoor green space suitable for large scale events. Whether it's out in the open air or in a pop up marquee, it's the perfect space for live music, entertainment, exercise, dog training, & some sports.

To discuss hiring any of of our spaces please complete the online form on the parties page, the corporate hires page or the wedding page and a member of the team will be in touch. Alternatively, please email us on [email protected].

School Holidays

Monday - Sunday: 10am - 5pm

Term Time

Tuesday - Sunday: 10am - 5pm

Address: Hopetown Darlington

Post Code: DL3 6SW

Council: Darlington

County: Durham

Hopetown Darlington is just a stone’s throw away from major national road connections.

From the North

A1(M): Exit at junction 59 towards Darlington and follow the A167.
A68: Take the A68 to Darlington Town Centre then follow the road signs for Hopetown Darlington.

From the East

A66: Follow the signs for the SOUTH. Exit the second roundabout onto the B6279 to Darlington Town Centre then follow the road signs for the Hopetown Darlington.
A67: Take the A67 and Yarm Road to Darlington Town Centre then follow the road signs for Hopetown Darlington.

From the South

A1(M): Exit at junction 57 and join the A66(M) towards Darlington, then follow the A167.

From the West

A66: Join the A1(M) NORTH at Scotch Corner. Exit at junction 57 and join the A66(M) towards Darlington, then follow the A167.
B6279/A67/A68: Follow the road signs for Hopetown Darlington once you reach Darlington Town Centre.

Parking is located in Skerne Bridge Car Park on John Street. Sat Nav users please use DL1 1LG.

Parking spaces (including limited accessible parking spaces): 202 bays
Electric charging points: 10 bays (Not currently active - nearest charging bays are in Morrisons North Road Car Park)
Additional accessible parking is located on McNay Street, DL3 6SW

By Walking And Cycling

We are a 20 minute walk from Darlington town centre. We are conveniently located on the Harrowgate Hill Cycle Route which connect to all other local cycle routes, so getting to us by bike is really easy.
Bicycle parking is available free of charge. Bikes are left at the owner’s risk. Please bring your own bike lock.

By Bus

Arriva North East routes 5, 7, 8, 16, X66

By Train

We share a site with North Road (Darlington) railway station. The station is served hourly, in each direction, by Northern Trains on the Saltburn to Bishop Auckland railway line.
From here you can connect to the main Darlington Railway Station (Bank Top) which benefits from mainline connections to the rest of Britain.
We are approximately 30 minutes from Newcastle and York, two hours from Edinburgh and two and a half hours from London.