Railways, Maritime & Industrial Heritage

Durham and the North East are synonymous with the heritage of the railways and county's rich industrial and sea faring past. The lives and working conditions of the lead, coal miners and mariners can be explored in our world famous museums.

Route One
Bishop Auckland - Shildon - Crook - Wolsingham* - Stanhope - Killhope OR: Beamish
(This itinerary combines railway heritage with an opportunity to ride a train through the lovely Weardale countryside)
(* Board here for the Weardale Railway to Stanhope)

Coach Timings

• Locomotion NRM, Shildon - Wolsingham: 40 mins 
• Stanhope - Killhope Lead Mining Museum: 35 mins 
• OR: Stanhope - Beamish: 35 mins 

Route Two
Hartlepool - Shildon - Durham

Coach Timings

• Hartlepool's Maritime Experience - Locomotion NRM Shildon: 40 mins
• Shildon - Durham: 40 mins

Attractions - Suggested Length of Visit

• Locomotion NRM: min 2 hours  
• Weardale Railway trip: 35 mins 
• Durham Dales Centre, Stanhope: 45 mins - 1 hour 
• Killhope Lead Mining Museum: 2 hours 
• OR: *Beamish: min 4 hours in summer & min 2 hours in winter
• Hartlepool's Maritime Experience: min 2 hours

Did You Know...

• To explore the history of innovative steam engineering and the story of Timothy Hackworth  visit Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon and enjoy over 70 engines and railway vehicles held in the new collections building. 
  
• You can take a journey through the Durham Dales by rail - Weardale Railway operates between Wolsingham and Stanhope. The Durham Dales Centre with arts, crafts and a cafe makes a perfect stop after the ride.  
  
• It's possible to relive a day in the life of lead miners at Killhope Lead Mining Museum. From the moment you 'kit up' with hard hat, cap, lamp and wellingtons your visit becomes an unforgettable adventure.
  
• Step into the past at Beamish Museum to discover life in North East England in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian times. Ride on a replica Georgian steam train at Pockerley Waggonway, explore the Edwardian railway station, complete with goods yard and signal box, go undergroud at a real draft mine and see the magnificent steam winding engine in action. 
  
• Near Beamish Museum is Causey Arch, the oldest existing railway bridge in the world. A real hidden gem of historic industrial architecture. 
  
• Travel back in our mari-time machine to experience how it was aboard a real British naval frigate, two centuries ago. Explore the historic quayside featuring 'Pressganged', 'Fighting Ships', realistic period shops and houses and much more.