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Shildon is a town and
At the dawn of the 19th century Shildon was a few houses on a crossroad. The Industrial Revolution and the coming of the railways saw the town grow. In 1801 the population was recorded at being 100 people. Their occupations were noted as being in agriculture, coal mining and the growing textiles industry.
In 1818 notice was given in the ''The London Gazette, London Gazette'' ''
Near the Soho Shed, 110 metres to the east, are the grade II* listed coal drops. Constructed circa 1846/47 or circa 1856 depending on source. The system was used for the refuelling of locomotive tenders. Coal wagons would be hauled to the top of the coal drops where their bottom would open and the coal would fall down a chute into the engine waiting below. (Hackworth House, the engine shed and the coal drops were all raised from Grade II to Grade II* on 11 May 2021.)
In this area also stand the Black Boy Stables and out buildings. The grade II listed stables were built in the early 19th century at the point where the branch lines met from the Black Boy Colliery and Surtees Railway. Restored in the 1970s the stables were damaged by fire in 1985. However, a 2016 report disputes their being stables. It states that while they are "clearly not stables", it believes one was possibly a plate layer's cabin. The use of the other "adjacent structures is still in some doubt". Other buildings include the goods shed and parcels office. It handled local freight distribution in Shildon from 1857. The parcels office looked after the movement of goods in and out of the shed.
The Shildon railway works, Soho Works built the first locomotive to run in Nova Scotia, Canada. The engine, named Samson (locomotive), Samson, was shipped from Shildon in August 1838 to move coal from the coal mines at Stellarton.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway expanded their Shildon railway works, works on the western side of the Mason's Arms Crossing. This expansion alongside the nearby Soho works led to a surge in population as people came to the town for work. The pace of growth quickened further with the opening of Shildon Colliery to the south of the Soho Works in 1873.
In a letter to his sister, Timothy Hackworth Jr. describes the scene in the vicinity of the works -
In 1855 the Soho Works were bought by the Stockton and Darlington Railway and made an extension of their works. Now merged with the North Eastern Railway in 1863 and locomotive production was shifted to their North Road Works in Darlington. The Shildon Works continued but focus was shifted to the construction of Railroad car, railway wagons.
To mark fifty years of the railway, the Northern Echo published an article which included this description of the town -
A Strike action, strike in 1911 saw violent scenes in the town and British Army, British troops deployed to maintain order. A driver of a mineral train was stoned and dragged from his engine. He was pursued by an angry mob and had to be rescued by soldiers. Mineral wagons had their bottom doors undone and the contents allowed to fall out. Wagons in the sidings had their brakes undone and freewheeled for miles, railway signal cables were damaged and the cavalry had to be called. At one stage soldiers had to mount a Bayonet charge to clear a bridge. The New Shildon Strike Committee condemned the government for deploying the army and called for their withdrawal.
Moving further into the 20th Century the Shildon Works became the largest wagon works in the world by 1976, employing 2,600 people. The works built 1,000 wagons a year and repaired more besides. The 27 miles of Siding (rail), sidings made Shildon home to what was believed to be the largest sidings in the world. This was until the construction of the Chicago Classification yard, marshalling yards in 1927.
There were concerns for the future of the railway works in the 1930s. The London and North Eastern Railway Company had decided to concentrate their operations to Darlington. Local MP Aaron Curry (politician), Aaron Curry addressed the matter in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons on 14 December 1934.
The Soho works laid derelict since the 1940s and were scheduled for demolition in the 1970s when many of the buildings fell into disrepair. However, the buildings were saved when they were restored and opened to the public as part of the Timothy Hackworth Museum. The museum was opened on Thursday 17 July 1975 by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
On the edge of Shildon is the hamlet of Brusselton. Two hills barred the way from the south Durham coalfield to the start of the railway at Shildon. George Stephenson overcame this by setting up stationary steam engines on the hilltops to haul the coal wagons over. One engine was at Phoenix Row, Etherley, this brought the wagons from Witton Park and lowered them down the slope to West Auckland, Durham, West Auckland. From there horses took the wagons to the Brusselton incline. At the top of this in an engine house were two 30 horsepower engines (later upgraded to a new 80 horsepower engine) acting in tandem. A large drum hanging above the road holding a rope pulled the wagons over the incline and to the locomotive waiting in Shildon.
A boiler house, chimney and railwaymen's houses sat on the north side of the road but have since been demolished. The engineman's house on the south side of the road still survives. A passenger service began over the incline in 1833 and a record set in 1839 with 2,120 tonnes of coal taken in 67 trips in a day.
The enginemen at the top of the incline were told when wagons (a mile and a half distant) were ready to make the ascent by means of a disc on the end of a tall pole. When the disc was set spinning the wagons were ready. To observe the spinning disc a telescope was set up. This is believed to be the first recorded railway signalling system in the world. In the event of fog, long wires with bells or rappers attached were used.
There were concerns about runaway wagons in the event of the rope snapping. The wagons' brakes could only be activated on board. For this reason young boys were employed to stand at the side of the track and run alongside in the event of a runaway wagon, jump aboard and apply the brake. At the bottom of the incline men were positioned with tree trunks and huge blocks of wood to cause a deliberate derailment in the event of an emergency by throwing them on the line.
To the west of Brusselton there were three bridges, the most westerly taking the railway under the Dere Street Roman road. The bridge is now gone but a 1925 article from the Northern Echo offers a description of what early rail passengers would have experienced.
On 23 April 1839 construction of the Shildon Tunnel (the south portal is Grade II listed) was started. It was opened in 1842 and was completed at a cost of £100,000. The completion of the tunnel in 1842 saw Brusselton bypassed, with the winding engines serving local collieries. In 1859 the engine was sold and the site became derelict.
Volunteers from the Brusselton Incline Group are working to uncover the industrial archaeology still on site. As of November 2014 the volunteers had uncover 306 stone sleepers. The rails were laid on stone blocks weighing 75lbs when the line was laid in 18 These were replaced with heavier stones in the 1830s which made the railway more stable.
The
Timothy Hackworth Primary School
Ahead of the new Millennium the town received £24 million in funding to make improvements to the town. These improvements included £380,000 for a new town square which is home to a 6-foot statue of Timothy Hackworth.
Shildon Railway Cricket Club joined the NYSD premiere league in the 2015 season, and won the 3rd division at the first attempt.
Shildon railway station, Shildon Station is an unstaffed railway station managed by Northern (train operating company), Northern. The Signalling control, signal box was built in 1887 (with alterations made in 1928 and 1984) and was possibly designed by Thomas Prosser (architect), Thomas Prosser is grade II listed. The station is served by the Bishop Line which runs between Bishop Auckland and Darlington. The service on the line is designated as Community rail by the Department for Transport in January 2011. The line continues between Darlington and Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Saltburn as the Tees Valley line.
Locomotion
– Railway Museum
Shildon Town Council
– Town Council
Shildon and District Town Crier
– Newspaper
Shildon AFC
– Football Team
Jubilee Fields Community Association
{{authority control Shildon, Towns in County Durham Railway towns in England Civil parishes in County Durham
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in County Durham
County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly â€About North East E ...
, in England. The population taken at the 2011 Census was 9,976. The town has the Locomotion Museum
Locomotion, previously known as Locomotion the National Railway Museum at Shildon, is a railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, England. The museum was renamed in 2017 when it became part of the Science Museum Group.
Overview
The museum was ...
, due to it having the first , built in 1825, and locomotive works on the Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Darl ...
.
History
The name Shildon comes from theOld English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
word ''sceld'', This translates as 'shelf shaped hill' or 'shield/refuge'. Another possibility is the Old English word ''syclfe'' meaning 'shelf' and the suffix ''duri'' meaning 'hill'. This refers to the town's location on a limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations.
The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...
.Shildon County Durham Conservation Area
Prepared for Sedgefield Borough Council
Conservation Area Character Appraisal
December 2008
''Report No: 0055/1-08''
Report by Archaeo-Environment Ltd
The earliest inhabitants of the area were most likely present from the Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μÎσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
period some 6,000 years ago. Although no evidence of settlement has been found in Shildon itself a small flint tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric (particularly Stone Ag ...
discovered in the nearby Brusselton area may be from this period.
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
expansion reached County Durham in the first century AD. Possible evidence of Roman infrastructure has been uncovered in the area such as Hagg's Lane which passes through Brusselton Wood. Hagg's Lane formed part of the Roman road
Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...
known as Dere Street
Dere Street or Deere Street is a modern designation of a Roman road which ran north from Eboracum (York), crossing the Stanegate at Corbridge (Hadrian's Wall was crossed at the Portgate, just to the north) and continuing beyond into what is n ...
.
The first recorded reference to Shildon came during the Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
period in 821 AD when lands were granted to the church.Salvation Army
The founder of the The Salvation Army, Salvation Army, William Booth, visited the town as part of a 'motor-car campaign'. The advertised schedule had him visiting the town on the morning of 1 September 1911.Second World War
In March 1940, Leading Stoker C. Anderson of Shildon was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom), Distinguished Service Medal for 'displaying good leadership' while serving in the submarine . The Minister of Economic Warfare, Hugh Dalton, visited Shildon in 1942. He spoke in the town regarding the need to work harder and consume less.Railway heritage
19th century
At the dawn of the 19th century Shildon was a few houses on a crossroad. The Industrial Revolution and the coming of the railways saw the town grow. In 1801 the population was recorded at being 100 people. Their occupations were noted as being in agriculture, coal mining and the growing textiles industry.
In 1818 notice was given in the ''The London Gazette, London Gazette'' ''Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Darl ...
, tickets were sold at the bar. Between 1833 and 1841 the company hired a room in the pub for use as a booking office.
The railway ran from its northern terminus at Shildon along 27 miles of track to its terminus at Stockton-on-Tees, Stockton. In 1838 the speed of travel was noted by ''The Derby Mercury'' which reported that a Domestic worker, servant asked permission to travel to Shildon from Stockton on Christmas Day. She made her request "a little before four in the afternoon" and was able to return home "by seven o'clock the same evening".
Recruited to the railway by George Stephenson in 1824, Timothy Hackworth went on to become superintendent in 1825. He was charged with building locomotives for the company.
Engine works
Timothy Hackworth moved into Hackworth House (formerly Soho House, now Grade II* listed) with his family in 1831. There he supervised the construction of what became the Soho Engine Works close to the property. In 1833 Hackworth renegotiated his contract with the Stockton and Darlington Railway to take over the works himself. This became the Soho Locomotive Building Company. Hackworth was in a partnership with Nicholas Downing in Shildon however the partnership was formally dissolved on 25 March 1837. The oldest part still surviving is the Soho Shed. The Listed building, grade II* listed building was built in 1826 as a warehouse for an iron merchant. The North Eastern Railway (United Kingdom), North Eastern Railway were the occupant from 1863 before becoming a paint shop for trains in the 1870s. In the 20th century it was used as a boxing gym and rehearsal space for the Shildon Works Silver Band. The shed still has two engine pits and the remnants of a 19th-century heating system. The engine shed along with Hackworth House was refurbished in 1975.
Near the Soho Shed, 110 metres to the east, are the grade II* listed coal drops. Constructed circa 1846/47 or circa 1856 depending on source. The system was used for the refuelling of locomotive tenders. Coal wagons would be hauled to the top of the coal drops where their bottom would open and the coal would fall down a chute into the engine waiting below. (Hackworth House, the engine shed and the coal drops were all raised from Grade II to Grade II* on 11 May 2021.)
In this area also stand the Black Boy Stables and out buildings. The grade II listed stables were built in the early 19th century at the point where the branch lines met from the Black Boy Colliery and Surtees Railway. Restored in the 1970s the stables were damaged by fire in 1985. However, a 2016 report disputes their being stables. It states that while they are "clearly not stables", it believes one was possibly a plate layer's cabin. The use of the other "adjacent structures is still in some doubt". Other buildings include the goods shed and parcels office. It handled local freight distribution in Shildon from 1857. The parcels office looked after the movement of goods in and out of the shed.
The Shildon railway works, Soho Works built the first locomotive to run in Nova Scotia, Canada. The engine, named Samson (locomotive), Samson, was shipped from Shildon in August 1838 to move coal from the coal mines at Stellarton.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway expanded their Shildon railway works, works on the western side of the Mason's Arms Crossing. This expansion alongside the nearby Soho works led to a surge in population as people came to the town for work. The pace of growth quickened further with the opening of Shildon Colliery to the south of the Soho Works in 1873.
In a letter to his sister, Timothy Hackworth Jr. describes the scene in the vicinity of the works -
In 1855 the Soho Works were bought by the Stockton and Darlington Railway and made an extension of their works. Now merged with the North Eastern Railway in 1863 and locomotive production was shifted to their North Road Works in Darlington. The Shildon Works continued but focus was shifted to the construction of Railroad car, railway wagons.
To mark fifty years of the railway, the Northern Echo published an article which included this description of the town -
20th century
A Strike action, strike in 1911 saw violent scenes in the town and British Army, British troops deployed to maintain order. A driver of a mineral train was stoned and dragged from his engine. He was pursued by an angry mob and had to be rescued by soldiers. Mineral wagons had their bottom doors undone and the contents allowed to fall out. Wagons in the sidings had their brakes undone and freewheeled for miles, railway signal cables were damaged and the cavalry had to be called. At one stage soldiers had to mount a Bayonet charge to clear a bridge. The New Shildon Strike Committee condemned the government for deploying the army and called for their withdrawal.
Moving further into the 20th Century the Shildon Works became the largest wagon works in the world by 1976, employing 2,600 people. The works built 1,000 wagons a year and repaired more besides. The 27 miles of Siding (rail), sidings made Shildon home to what was believed to be the largest sidings in the world. This was until the construction of the Chicago Classification yard, marshalling yards in 1927.
There were concerns for the future of the railway works in the 1930s. The London and North Eastern Railway Company had decided to concentrate their operations to Darlington. Local MP Aaron Curry (politician), Aaron Curry addressed the matter in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons on 14 December 1934.
The Soho works laid derelict since the 1940s and were scheduled for demolition in the 1970s when many of the buildings fell into disrepair. However, the buildings were saved when they were restored and opened to the public as part of the Timothy Hackworth Museum. The museum was opened on Thursday 17 July 1975 by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
Railway works closure
The railway works closed on 29 June 1984, with the loss of 1,750 jobs. David Mitchell (politician), David Mitchell MP, Transport Under-Secretary, opened the Hackworth Industrial Park on the site of the wagon works in 1985. The Shildon and Sedgefield Development Agency was established with a £1.6 million fund given by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) and also had backing from Shildon and Sedgfield Councils. The agency (as of 1985) spent £1 million in marketing the former workshops, giving loan guarantees as well giving business advice. The agency supported 100 companies with 57 being start ups and also paid £30 a week for a year to companies taking on former BREL staff.Coach house
Shildon is also home to the grade II listed Daniel Adamson's Carriage house, Coach House (c.1831). In 1827 Daniel Adamson, landlord of the nearby Grey Horse pub, had a horse-drawn railway coach called Perseverance which ran between Shildon and Darlington. When the Surtees Railway opened in 1831, Adamson built the coach house. The building was to act as both station and shed. It is believed to be the earliest surviving railway coach house in the world. His son, also Daniel Adamson, became an engineer.Brusselton incline
On the edge of Shildon is the hamlet of Brusselton. Two hills barred the way from the south Durham coalfield to the start of the railway at Shildon. George Stephenson overcame this by setting up stationary steam engines on the hilltops to haul the coal wagons over. One engine was at Phoenix Row, Etherley, this brought the wagons from Witton Park and lowered them down the slope to West Auckland, Durham, West Auckland. From there horses took the wagons to the Brusselton incline. At the top of this in an engine house were two 30 horsepower engines (later upgraded to a new 80 horsepower engine) acting in tandem. A large drum hanging above the road holding a rope pulled the wagons over the incline and to the locomotive waiting in Shildon.
A boiler house, chimney and railwaymen's houses sat on the north side of the road but have since been demolished. The engineman's house on the south side of the road still survives. A passenger service began over the incline in 1833 and a record set in 1839 with 2,120 tonnes of coal taken in 67 trips in a day.
The enginemen at the top of the incline were told when wagons (a mile and a half distant) were ready to make the ascent by means of a disc on the end of a tall pole. When the disc was set spinning the wagons were ready. To observe the spinning disc a telescope was set up. This is believed to be the first recorded railway signalling system in the world. In the event of fog, long wires with bells or rappers attached were used.
There were concerns about runaway wagons in the event of the rope snapping. The wagons' brakes could only be activated on board. For this reason young boys were employed to stand at the side of the track and run alongside in the event of a runaway wagon, jump aboard and apply the brake. At the bottom of the incline men were positioned with tree trunks and huge blocks of wood to cause a deliberate derailment in the event of an emergency by throwing them on the line.
To the west of Brusselton there were three bridges, the most westerly taking the railway under the Dere Street Roman road. The bridge is now gone but a 1925 article from the Northern Echo offers a description of what early rail passengers would have experienced.
On 23 April 1839 construction of the Shildon Tunnel (the south portal is Grade II listed) was started. It was opened in 1842 and was completed at a cost of £100,000. The completion of the tunnel in 1842 saw Brusselton bypassed, with the winding engines serving local collieries. In 1859 the engine was sold and the site became derelict.
Volunteers from the Brusselton Incline Group are working to uncover the industrial archaeology still on site. As of November 2014 the volunteers had uncover 306 stone sleepers. The rails were laid on stone blocks weighing 75lbs when the line was laid in 18 These were replaced with heavier stones in the 1830s which made the railway more stable.
National museum
The Locomotion Museum
Locomotion, previously known as Locomotion the National Railway Museum at Shildon, is a railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, England. The museum was renamed in 2017 when it became part of the Science Museum Group.
Overview
The museum was ...
, incorporating the existing Timothy Hackworth Museum and part of the National Railway Museum in York, was opened on Friday 22 October 2004. The museum was opened by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister of the time Tony Blair.
The new museum came about as part of a £70 million government funding arrangement for museums across the country. The project received £2 million from the European Regional Development Fund along with grant aid from a number of groups. The museum hoped to attract 60,000 visitors in the first year but had 70,000 visitors in the first two months. The town's bid for the museum was selected ahead of bids from Cardiff and Glasgow.
In January 2018, the site welcomed its 2,500,000th visitor, who was Sean Richards of Sedgefield, visiting with his family.
Politics
Shildon is part of the Bishop Auckland (UK Parliament constituency), Bishop Auckland parliamentary constituency, which is represented by Dehenna Davison of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party. Davison won the seat at the 2019 United Kingdom general election, 2019 UK general election from Helen Goodman of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, who had held the seat since 2005. This ended 84 years of continuous Labour representation in the town. However, on Durham County Council, Shildon and Dene Valley ward has two Labour councillors and one Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat.Education
*St. Johns C of E (Aided) Primary School *Greenfield Community College (County Durham), Greenfield Community College *Thornhill Primary SchoolTimothy Hackworth Primary School
Community and geography
The Shildon Town Band was founded in 1937 from the remnants of the Shildon Wesleyan Band. The band was conducted by Mr Ernie Bennett, other notable members were Ivan Pearce, The Allinson Brothers George, Fred, Jack and Jim, another long member was the secretary Graeme Scarlett.Parks and green spaces
Hackworth Park is a park in Shildon town centre named after Timothy Hackorth. The park contains a drinking fountain created to commemorate one of the engines he designed and there is a statue of him.Town Square
Ahead of the new Millennium the town received £24 million in funding to make improvements to the town. These improvements included £380,000 for a new town square which is home to a 6-foot statue of Timothy Hackworth.Distance to other places
Sport
Local Association football, football club Shildon A.F.C. compete in the Ebac Northern League Division One. In November 2003, the club reached the FA Cup first round for the first time in 42 years, when in 1962 they lost 5–2 away to Oldham Athletic A.F.C., Oldham Athletic. In the 2003 match Shildon were beaten 7–2 away by Notts County. The club was successful in the 1930s, winning the Northern League on three occasions. In season 2014–15, they needed to win their final game to become Northern League Champions and add the title to the Northern League Cup and the Durham Challenge Cup. A 1–1 draw at Bedlington Terriers F.C., Bedlington meant that they continue to wait for their first title since 1940. Durham Tigers are the local rugby league team. The club runs age level teams in the North East Junior League. Shildon Running & Athletic Club, founded in 1986, is based at the Stadium 2000 on Middridge Lane in ShildoShildon Railway Cricket Club joined the NYSD premiere league in the 2015 season, and won the 3rd division at the first attempt.
Transport
Rail
Shildon railway station, Shildon Station is an unstaffed railway station managed by Northern (train operating company), Northern. The Signalling control, signal box was built in 1887 (with alterations made in 1928 and 1984) and was possibly designed by Thomas Prosser (architect), Thomas Prosser is grade II listed. The station is served by the Bishop Line which runs between Bishop Auckland and Darlington. The service on the line is designated as Community rail by the Department for Transport in January 2011. The line continues between Darlington and Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Saltburn as the Tees Valley line.
Bus
Shildon is served by bus services operated by Arriva North East and Scarlet Band. The services are 5, 5A, X1, 1 and Scarlet Band service 99Notable people
* Timothy Hackworth, Railway engineering, railway engineer * Daniel Adamson, railway engineer * Sid Chaplin, writer, after whom the local library is named * Harry Beevers, Plant physiology, plant physiologist *Thomas Ferens, politicianReferences
External links
Locomotion
– Railway Museum
Shildon Town Council
– Town Council
Shildon and District Town Crier
– Newspaper
Shildon AFC
– Football Team
Jubilee Fields Community Association
{{authority control Shildon, Towns in County Durham Railway towns in England Civil parishes in County Durham