Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums secures funding to safeguard historic railway

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums has been awarded more than £75,000 to safeguard an early wooden railway discovered in Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne - thought to be one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in the world.

Part of the historic Willington Waggonway, which delivered coal from Willington colliery to the River Tyne, the wooden railway was discovered in 2013 at the site of the former Neptune Shipyard.

The grant from Arts Council England’s Designation Development Fund will allow Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and partners including North Tyneside Council and The National Railway Museum to study and investigate the remains, which date back to the 18th century.

Cllr Ged Bell, Chair of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums said: “The financial support we’ve received from Arts Council England will allow us to begin an extensive and detailed study of the Willington Waggonway remains.

“It is of major historical significance and we’ll be working with experts from across the region and beyond to learn more about the history of the waggonway itself and its part in the ‘birth of the railways’ during the Industrial Revolution.”

The Willington Waggonway remains are the earliest example of a railway built to the international ‘standard’ gauge – the spacing of the rails on the track. The 4’ 8½” spacing was popularised by George Stephenson in the 19th century.

Cllr Eddie Darke, North Tyneside Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “There is so much history behind the Willington Waggonway and this grant will go a long way to helping us to discover more about it.

“We now have a fantastic opportunity to study what was a vital piece of life in this age and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure the track’s preservation for the foreseeable future.”

Paula Brikci, Designation Scheme Manager at Arts Council England said, “We are delighted to support this project which will help to establish ongoing research and understanding of this very important find.”

The grant from the Designation Development Fund will also be used to fund a programme of public events and exhibitions at Stephenson Railway Museum celebrating the discovery. Plans include a scale model of Willington Waggonway, historic reconstruction drawings of the waggonway in operation and ‘meet the archaeologist’ sessions where members of the public can view artefacts from the railway.

Arts Council England’s Designation Development Fund recognises, celebrates and champions significant collections of national and international importance held outside national museums. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums was one of 18 funded projects, receiving a total of £77,130. For more information about the Fund, visit http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/designation-development-fund