Community spirit shines as Weardale Railway marks S&DR200 with award-winning station project
- gracebell7
- Oct 9
- 1 min read
The Weardale Railway has celebrated the bicentenary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR200) in true community style – with a collaborative project that has brought together charities, students, volunteers, and local organisations, winning Gold at this year’s Northumbria in Bloom awards.
Four striking planters in the shape of iconic locomotives now take pride of place at Stanhope Railway Station, each representing a piece of rail history – from Locomotion No. 1 to the modern Hitachi Lumo.
The project was coordinated by Nigel Bryson of Cultivate 4 Life, with support from Story Train’s Sam Slatcher, who secured funding from Durham County Council’s Weardale Area Action Partnership. Students from Bishop Auckland College’s joinery department brought the designs to life, with Teescraft transporting the planters, Weardale Railway engineers installing them, and volunteers planting them up in time for judging.
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