Shildon's railway heritage is more than a collection of vehicles: Locomotion connects historic exhibits with the history of the town, while the Brusselton Inclines preserve structural remains of an early railway line. There is also Hackworth's biography, a monument and a grave along the way. When planning your visit, you can distinguish between the museum, historic sites and outdoor activities, and shape your stay around whichever focus interests you most.
Hackworth and railway history
Timothy Hackworth moved to Shildon in 1825 to work as resident engineer for the Stockton & Darlington Railway, which was then on the verge of opening. Locomotion's collection interpretation conveys Shildon's role in the development of British railways. Hackworth House is now part of the museum; contemporary exhibitions explore Hackworth's role in the development of railways and Shildon. In the town, you can encounter both an individual biography and the broader history of the railway.
Locomotion's Main Hall houses more than 50 historic railway vehicles. Guided tours explore the stories behind the exhibits. The vehicles offer a tangible way into the collection, while the exhibitions focus on Hackworth's work and Shildon's role in railway history. Shildon railway station was rebuilt as part of the museum's construction and is located within the museum.
Traces of the railway line and local monuments
At the Stockton & Darlington Railway: Brusselton Inclines, railway history survives in the form of structural remains. More than 100 metres of exposed sleeper stones remain in situ, that is, in their original location. The remains also include above-ground, earthwork and buried remains of the summit and the eastern and western inclines. They formed part of George Stephenson's main line of 1825. The eastern incline led to what is now Hackworth Industrial Park, an industrial estate that grew out of Shildon's railway works in the late 19th century.
Other sites have their own points of interest: the Hackworth Monument in Hackworth Park was erected in 1925; the current statue is a modern replacement for the original. Timothy Hackworth's grave lies beside the path in the churchyard of St John's Churchyard. The Drinking Fountain, 30 Metres South-east of Entrance to Recreation Ground, is a Grade II listed structure. Together, these sites show different aspects of the local heritage—from the monument and burial place to the listed structure.
Walking routes and outdoor activities
Shildon has numerous car-free routes for walking and cycling. This lets you combine your stay with outdoor exercise rather than focusing exclusively on the museum and buildings. Hackworth parkrun was founded in 2015 and now has a large group of regular participants. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the current dates in advance.
Hackworth Park also has Parkletics, a free fitness and health initiative. It combines natural outdoor fitness equipment with an app. Check local arrangements before taking part. This way, you can choose between the railway collection, historic traces and activities in the park during your stay, without combining these different offerings into a single tour.
Discover more destinations: Crook, Woodland, Staindrop, Hamsterley, Ebchester, Hutton Magna, Croxdale, Witton-Le-Wear.
For the wider travel overview: Durham.
