New active travel scheme helps save Stockton and Darlington Railway’s historic ‘inclines’

SECTIONS of the world’s first railway to carry passengers and goods have been saved for future generations, thanks to an active travel project begun only four years ago.
Four stretches of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR), which this year celebrates two centuries since hosting the world’s first passenger journey, were on the Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.

Ironically though, some of the oldest and most important fossil fuel transportation landmarks of all time, have now been protected by a project to create a more sustainable future.

The famous line’s ‘inclines’ have been saved as a result of a Durham County Council-led £7m project, begun in 2021, to create a walking and cycling path along part of the 26-mile route of the former railway.
The sections removed from the At Risk list are railway ‘inclines.’

Inclines were an essential part of the first five miles of the S&DR, because of two ranges of hills at Etherley and Brusselton, which were too high for early locomotives to travel over.

George Stephenson designed a system of placing a stationary engine at the top of each of those hills, which would pull waggons attached to ropes up the incline, and lower them down the other side again.

Lee McFarlane, inspector of ancient monuments at Historic England, said: “The S&DR is an integral part of Durham’s heritage and identity.

By saving these parts of the railway, Durham County Council is helping to secure the legacy and accessibility of this internationally important site for future generations.”  
Niall Hammond, chair of the trustees of the Friends of the S&DR, added: “The Friends of the S&DR are pleased to see the fantastic conservation and access works to the remains of the S&DR carried out by Durham County Council, Historic England and partners in recent years.

“The heritage of the S&DR is of international importance, and we look forward to continued partnership working with the council and others to make the most of this amazing heritage for the benefit of the communities of County Durham and our visitors.”

The inclines have been preserved as part of the council-led project to create a 12-mile walking, cycling and wheeling route, using money from its Levelling Up grant from government which was successfully applied for in 2021.
Working in partnership with Historic England, the Friends of the S&DR and communities along the line, the project has involved minimal intervention approaches.

The partners have carefully preserved all identified railway features by either protecting them beneath
new surfaces or keeping them exposed where historically appropriate. 
The walking and cycling route starts at Phoenix Row near Bishop Auckland and ends at the county border, just south of Newton Aycliffe.
As part of the project, the council is carrying out major footpath improvements along the route – 95 per cent of which have already been completed.
The authority has also installed wayfinding signs and interpretation boards at historic locations along the route.

The boards share key stories, events and innovations relevant to each spot and feature QR codes linking to additional digital content, to be launched shortly.
A cycle hub with capacity to safely store 30 bikes has also been built within the grounds of Locomotion Museum at Shildon.

It was at The Masons Arms in Shildon that the first journey on the S&DR began in 1825, with a new public space featuring commemorative plaques recently being unveiled there by the council as part of the active travel route.
The route is due for completion next spring, when a new bridge over the River Gaunless – part-funded by Historic England – will be opened.

The bridge is located at the same location as the original S&DR bridge, which was designed by George Stephenson and installed 200 years ago.
Coun Tim McGuinness, the council’s current portfolio holder for rural, farming and transport, endorsed the project begun under the previous council administration.

He said: “The Stockton and Darlington line holds a significant place in the history of travel as well as the history of County Durham, as the route of the world’s very first passenger rail journey; and the huge scale of the 200th-year celebrations that have taken place throughout 2025 stands as testament to its importance.
“The inclines were a revolutionary and integral part of the railway’s story, and we wanted to preserve them for future generations as part of work to create walking and cycling links, as a legacy along the route of the former line.”