S & DR HAZ and Darltington’s RHQ
Client: Tees Valley Combined Authority & Historic England
Project: Stockton & Darlington Railway Heritage Action Zone and Darlington’s Railway Heritage Quarter Narrative Development and Masterplanning
Collaborators: Haraclark, Julia Holberry Associates, Bauman Lyons, WSP,
“ Achieving a deep understanding of our history and heritage, connecting communities and stakeholders, attracting visitors, and helping develop the investment needed for positive economic impact requires a range of skills which are exemplified in the TGAC team. TGAC consult and listen widely, drawing stakeholders and communities together to create inspired and powerful narratives. TGAC helped build momentum, joint working and partnership funding to realise the potential of the Stockton and Darlington Railway to contribute to the Tees Valley and Durham economies. Most importantly, TGAC created a compelling narrative, inspired by historical knowledge and community understanding. This narrative has drawn together a diverse set of ambitions and stakeholders to create a lasting legacy for the north of England. ”
S&DR Development Board
With our consultant team, TGAC undertook a full feasibility study, masterplan and content interpretation scheme for the 26 miles Heritage Action Zone along the historic Stockton & Darlington Railway line, and the Railway Heritage Quarter in Darlington.
Commissioned by Tees Valley Combined Authority, TGAC’s work combined research, site investigations and archive activation, collections research, community and stakeholder consultation and stakeholder. The challenge was to integrate tourism, heritage, education, community, and economic development needs, with historical authenticity and conservation.
This Heritage Action Zone includes three existing museums (Locomotion, Head of Steam and Preston Park) as well as many historically significant buildings, bridges and early railway infrastructure items. The S&DR will be 200 years old in 2025.
In line with the HAZ objectives, it was crucial that local business and education organisations were a key part of the heritage offer. The key activator for this was the theme of ‘Innovation’, exploring how the S&DR is a meeting point of skills, invention, engineering, and creativity.
Using the core narrative of an ‘Ecosystem of Innovation’, the story of the historic railway sits alongside a dynamic, living showcase of the best of modern engineering and creative invention in the region today.
Community Heritage mobilises STEM learning and hands-on interactive engagement to provide skills development and work opportunities recovery and reimagination of historic buildings and landscape.
Project partners, include;
Darlington Borough Council
Durham County Council
Stockton Borough Council
Tees Valley Combined Authority
Friends of Stockton and Darlington Railway
Science Museum Group (Locomotion)
A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
Network Rail
Northern Rail
Virgin Trains
Hitachi
Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership
Historic England’s Heritage Action Zones signal a move away from traditional heritage projects and funding / evaluation models - focusing on the potential of local heritage assets (tangile and intangible) to be developed as catalysts to support regional social and economic development, attracting investment into the area, and delivering real value in the everyday lives of the communities that host them.
