The 2025 National Railway Heritage Awards – established in 1979 to recognise best practice in the re-use, restoration and upkeep of historic railway and tramway buildings – were presented on 3 December by the Minister for Rail, Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill. This year’s honours included the restoration of the former Cambrian Railways headquarters…
Category: railway
Stockton & Darlington Railway HELM Webinar
Historic England’s next free industrial heritage webinar takes place on 23 Oct, from 1300 to1400. This is HE’s second webinar to focus on the Stockton and Darlington Railway Heritage Action Zone. They will be exploring the successes and challenges of the different strands of work undertaken, including designation, repair, re-use and community engagement, as well…
Carnforth Heritage Visitor Centre Upgrade
Earlier in 2025 the Carnforth Heritage Visitor Centre re-opened under new management. The centre tells not only the story of the making of the 1945 film ‘Brief Encounter’ but also the history and heritage of Carnforth, its workers, and its families. In October 2024, the Station Trust, which ran the Visitor Centre, handed back the lease…
Historic England’s Latest Research News Magazine Focuses of Railway 200
As part of Historic England’s contribution to the Stockton and Darlington Railway bicentenary (https://www.sdr200.co.uk/) and Railway 200 (https://railway200.co.uk/) their latest online research magazine focusses on railways – Introduction to Issue 29 Railways Special Edition | Historic England. The new edtion contains a number of articles on research undertaken as part of the Stockton & Darlington…
Seven Sites Listed to Celebrate Railway 200 Anniversary
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, on the advice of Historic England, have listed five heritage railway stations, alongside two other railway sites, in recognition of their historic and architectural interest and to mark 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in September 1825. All the sites have been given…
HE Webinar on Stockton & Darlington Railway Heritage Now Available On-line
The recording of Historic England’s industrial heritage webinar looking at the various research projects undertaken as part of Stockton and Darlington Railway Heritage Action Zone is now available online. The Stockton & Darlington Railway opened on September 27, 1825, connecting places, people, communities and ideas and ultimately transforming the world. The Stockton & Darlington Railway…
2025 Spring Drought & Heat Waves Impacting Opening of Industrial Heritage Sites
The spring and early summer heatwaves in the UK, combined with an exceptionally dry spring (leading in some areas of England to drought conditions), have had a noticeable impact on industrial heritage sites, with temporary closures and changes to ways of working. In England, the Canal and River Trust have closed parts of the Leeds…
National Lottery Heritage Fund Support for Historic Didcot Engine Shed Restoration
The HLF has announced initial funding to support the restoration of the historic Didcot Engine Shed. The Grade II listed structure was built in 1932 and is the last remaining example of this type of engine shed in the UK. The development funding of £184,000 has been awarded to help the Great Western Society, who…
Industrial Heritage Sites Benefit From Final Round of UK Government Community Ownership Fund
The UK Government announced the recipients of the final round of the Community Ownership Fund (COF) at the very end of 2024. Amongst the 85 sites and groups receiving £36 million in grants are several industrial heritage sites, including the East Lancashire Railway and the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. More than £1m will go…
Christmas 2024 & New Year 2025 Storms Higlight Vulnerability of Transport Industrial Heritage
The December 2024 storms, particularly Storm Darragh, and the New Year snow storms and flooding in England and Wales, once more highlights the vulnerability of Industrial Heritage sites to the increasing number of severe weather events brought about by Climate Change. Storm Darragh (7-8 December 2024) affected large areas of Britain and Ireland with high…
Industrial Heritage Support 