Teesdale Tracks & Derailing Dukes

DigVentures runs crowdfunded, collaborative archaeology projects in the UK and beyond, with the aim of increasing opportunities for people interested in the past to take part in archaeological research. You can follow all of our excavations live online at digventures.com.

DigVentures

The second in a series of talks about the history, heritage and culture of the small market town of Barnard Castle and its medieval church

Did you know that Barnard Castle used to have a train station? While the station itself has long been demolished, railway-related buildings around Montalbo and Harmire Road serve to remind residents of a time when travelling by train was truly the height of convenience for the town. In 1861, exactly 40 years after the world’s first passenger train had run from Stockton to Darlington, Barnard Castle opened their very own landmark station. This addition of the railway triggered a major boost to the town’s development and expansion. It facilitated not only the movements of soldiers to the new Barracks of the Durham Militia in Barnard Castle, but also turned the town into a popular destination for day tourists who visited the Bowes Museum and the forest.Soon, tall, ornamented Victorian town houses were built along Galgate and green spaces with trees and flower beds were planted to impress tourists and travellers arriving to town from the station. In addition, several station buildings, houses for railway workers and a range of guesthouses along the previously very residential Newgate were built during this period.Join us for this online talk on Zoom and learn how Teesdale&#x27;s most powerful landowner went to dastardly lengths to prevent railway lines from penetrating his dale, yet when they came, they were the most extraordinary lines anywhere in the world. Chris Lloyd is chief feature writer at The Northern Echo and the Darlington &amp; Stockton Times where he writes about local history and local politics. He is a former North-East Journalist and has just published his tenth local history book, Secret Darlington. Frequently, he can be heard on local radio and occasionally seen on national programmes. His greatest claim to fame is that he is one of only four people who have been allowed on Michael Portillo’s Great British Railway Journeys twice! So who better to tell you all about the origin of the Dales railway lines?About Windows To The World:This talk is the first in a series of talks for the NLHF funded &#x27;Windows to the World&#x27; project. Originally planned to be held at St Mary’s Parish church every first Wednesday of the month, the current circumstances surrounding Covid-19 mean that some of the talks will take place online. St Mary&#x27;s Parish has an eventful history, going back over 900 years. Alongside the church&#x27;s ongoing restoration, we are delving into the archives and uncovering the hidden gems from its past.The talks will cover the eventful history and cultural peculiarities of St Mary’s Parish, Barnard Castle, and their wider surroundings. 900 years is a long time and you are bound to learn things you didn’t know before!Other dates in the series:Wed 03 February 2021 / Peter Wise on the Colourful History of St Mary&#x27;s Parish Church: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/95561865111Wed 07 April 2021 / Michael Lyons on the folklore of Teesdale and Weardale: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/137585137851Wed 05 May 2021 / Christine Hartas and Elizabeth Conran on the life and work of Douglas Pittuck: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141112957655Wed 02 June 2021 / Beverley Pilcher on Barnard Castle during the Cholera Epidemic of 1849: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/137593534967

Teesdale Tracks & Derailing Dukes

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Teesdale Tracks & Derailing Dukes

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