Hopetown Darlington, a locomotive museum that only recently opened in July of this year, was awarded Best Museum in the North East at The North East Culture Awards 2024.
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00:00It's amazing. It's an amazing achievement for the team and the whole site. We only opened in July, so to be acknowledged in this way is fantastic.
00:09So obviously the site is new and it's a big new team, so we've been working together to bring the site up to standard, ready for all visitors.
00:18We've got lots of new buildings on the site, so obviously we've got the museum in Northroyd Station.
00:23We've got the carriage works which have the stores and our exhibitions and events space.
00:28And obviously the gorgeous goods shed as well, which has our cafe in there and our retail shop in there as well.
00:35Hope Town Darlington is brilliant for Darlington as a town.
00:39We're bringing new people into town, but also it's there for our visitors from the local community as well.
00:45So not only is it promoting our rail heritage, but it's also enabling more visitors to come to the town.
00:51It's an attraction for local tourists and tourists internationally as well.
00:55The original Northroyd Station opened in 1842 on the route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
01:01It was the only railway station in Darlington until 1887.
01:05Northroyd Station's significance gradually declined throughout the 20th century.
01:09It was then transformed into a museum in 1975, and now the classic features from the original museum are joined by new attractions
01:17that spread over a 7.5-acre site that incorporates other heritage railway buildings that showcases Darlington's innovative history.
01:24So our next big event is Christmas at the Carriage Works.
01:27So we've got Santa visiting, we've got a reindeer trail, and it's a really big event.
01:32It's a really immersive experience and it's lovely for all the family.
01:36So we're hoping to welcome thousands of people over the next few weeks to come and enjoy that on the site.
01:42It's an amazing site. There's something for everyone, whether you're a rail enthusiast or a family,
01:47or someone who's just interested in heritage or just wants an interesting day out.
01:51We've got something for everyone. We've got a fantastic cafe.
01:54So even if you just come for a cup of coffee at one of our amazing scones, you won't be disappointed.