This is a description of my walk tracing the lost route of the Ferryhill/Hartlepool line, searching for rare artefacts of a long-forgotten railway. The search took place over two consecutive days in mid-February 2026. You can read Part 1 here. Part 2 is below
History and Geography
In the first article, I described the history and geography of a mainly industrial railway that connected a succession of pit villages. The line opened in 1846 and lasted until 1952. Here’s a reminder of the map of the route:
Starting where I left off
I returned by bus to the previous day’s finishing place, Galbraith Terrace in Trimdon Grange. The bungalows next to the bus stop were built for Aged Miners, and are still used for this purpose.
What a difference a day makes
I rounded the back of the miners’ cottages and regained the track bed of the Ferryhill/Hartlepool railway. After a heavy overnight frost, 13 February would bring bright sunshine. This was in stark contrast to the brutal winter of the day before.
Trimdon Colliery
After a 10-minute walk, I reached the outskirts of Trimdon Colliery. The exceptionally heavy rain of Winter 2026 has taken its toll here. I’d waded through a fair bit of floodwater over the past 24 hours, but there was no getting through this; a small lake had appeared on the track bed of the railway.
Trimdon Station
So I was forced to divert to nearby George Street as I entered Trimdon Colliery. I continued to the junction with Station Road and turned left. I knew that the former Trimdon station was on my left, but I had difficulty in locating it. But I was fortunate to run into a knowledgeable local resident. I’d thought that nothing remained of the station, but my new friend pointed out the former stationmaster’s house through a gap in some trees. He showed me how I could get closer to the building to get a photo. I followed his directions, retracing my steps for about 200 metres. And there it was.
A brilliant disguise
Trimdon stationmaster’s house is unrecognisable compared to how it was built. The handsome red brick and Welsh slate roof have been replaced by plaster and tile. A porch and conservatory complete the transformation. The coal mine at Trimdon Colliery was just south of here. I returned back to Station Road, crossed it, then went down a flight of stone steps to regain the track bed of the Ferryhill/Hartlepool railway. Just over to the left, Deaf Hill Colliery was served by the railway.
Après le déluge
As I headed towards my next former station, Wingate, I encountered the worst flooding of the past two days. Rainwater had converted the path into a stream. This continued for about 500 metres.
Wingate
A walk of about a mile and a half took me to the outskirts of Wingate village, and another Station Road. The railway line bridged across this road here, but there’s nothing left of the bridge now. The path ends abruptly, with a steep slope down to Station Road, as can be seen here:
Flight of Fancy
Due to the steep slope, it’s necessary to divert to the right to get down to Station Road. But there is a set of steps on the other side of the road to bring you back up to the level of the former railway.
Another survivor
Wingate station was just to the right of these steps. Nothing remains of the platforms or passenger facilities but, just as at Trimdon, the stationmaster’s house has survived. It can be found about 50 metres to the right of the white house at the top of the steps, up a short cul de sac. Wingate’s version hasn’t been altered as much as the Trimdon one. The Victorian brickwork and Welsh slate roof survive, along with a wooden finial above the gable. But the porch and the garage extension jar slightly.
Station Town
A small settlement grew up in the area around Wingate station after it opened in 1846. This group of terraced houses became known as Station Town. The town was, in effect, a southwards extension of Wingate itself. Wingate had a second railway station to the north of the village, Wellfield station. This station was located on the Castle Eden Railway. You can read about my recent visit to this station and line here. There was no passenger service between Wingate and Wellfield, as they were on different lines.
Industrial archaeology
I made my way further south along Station Road for about 50 metres, then headed east along a public footpath. Although nothing remains of it now, a large industrial complex once centred on Wingate. Rail sidings connected Wingate Grange Colliery, the two pits at Hutton Henry Colliery, and two brick and tile works, to the rail network. A map of this industrial complex can be seen below:
The lost city
This former hive of industry has been replaced by fields and small plantations of trees. Farmers have reclaimed much of the land that was temporarily borrowed for a century by the collieries and brickworks. The Ferryhill/Hartlepool line (in red above) bridged under the Castle Eden Railway (in blue) east of Wingate station. The bridge is no longer there, but its location can be seen in the photo below. The Castle Eden line would have swept from left to right, with the Ferryhill/Hartlepool route darting under it, heading away from the camera. The line would have been just to the left of where the tallest electricity pylon is now.
Hart to Haswell Walkway
The modern footpath curves away to the left. I followed this until I reached the site of yet another railway junction. This is where routes from Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees merged just before Wellfield station. The line then continued north towards Haswell. This former line is now the Hart to Haswell Walkway. In the photo below, the right-hand blue sign points back towards Station Town. The sign on the left points north towards Haswell. I was heading towards Hart, via the wide path between the trees.
Stockton Road
After about 800 metres, as the Hart to Haswell Walkway curves towards the west, the route of the Ferryhill/Hartlepool line once merged from the right. But the track bed is no more, and there is no sign that there was ever a railway junction here. I would follow this walkway for another five miles, all the way to Hart. I soon passed under the A19. Shortly after the A19 overbridge, Stockton Road crossed overhead.
Lunch time
At the start of the Hart to Haswell Walkway, I’d met a group of walkers who were heading in the opposite direction. When I told them where I was heading, they told me where to find the remains of Castle Eden railway station. They also recommended that I stop off at the Castle Eden Inn, which is on Stockton Road, just off the walkway. The footpath that leads up to the road can be seen on the right hand side of the above photo. I ascended the steps, turned right, then I entered the inn and ordered lunch. All within minutes of leaving the railway walk.
Man’s best friend
The sign says that the pub is dog friendly, and it is. Two couples ate lunch as their pets waited patiently by their sides. After an excellent haddock and chips, I returned back to the track bed, turned right under Stockton Road bridge, and found the site of Castle Eden railway station. It’s the only station building on the Ferryhill/Hartlepool line that has survived. It’s a private residence now, almost hidden among the trees. This station pre-dates the others on the line, having been built by the Hartlepool Dock and Railway in 1839. A local Iron foundry provided additional traffic for the line.
Castle Eden confusion
This is time for a quick reminder that Castle Eden railway station wasn’t on the Castle Eden Railway. The railway was named after the parish but crossed from north to south about a mile west of here.
How many Castle Edens are there?
Hesleden was the next station on the line, only about a mile east of Castle Eden. But when the station opened it was called Castle Eden Colliery after the local coal mine. The colliery closed as long ago as 1893, so Hesleden is a pit village that hasn’t had a pit for 133 years. Nothing remains of Hesleden station, and it’s difficult to pin down the location because the area is heavily wooded. This photo below may identify the location, but I can’t be certain.
Hesleden Bank
The walkway started to slope downhill markedly. This is the site of the ferocious Hesleden Bank. When first built in 1832, it had a 1:34 gradient. Westbound freight trains had to be rope-hauled up the incline. The section was re-engineered in 1877 with a 1:50 climb. An improvement, but still heavy going. Fortunately, the heaviest trains were hauling coal in the other direction. The width of the track bed in the photo below gives a clue to its purpose. This was where winding ropes were detached from westbound trains after they’d crested the summit.
Crimdon Dene
The track bed crosses a ravine on an embankment. This is the southernmost of three deep valleys, known locally as denes. These ravines slice 45 metres through the limestone plateau of the Durham coast before emptying into the North Sea. From north to south they are Hawthorn, Castle Eden and this one, Crimdon. The Crimdon Dene embankment is overgrown with trees. Crimdon Beck crosses below, out of sight. A rough track leads from the railway track bed down to the floor of the dene, but I didn’t chance it due to the poor ground conditions.
Hart station
I was about to reach the end of the disused railway. A working railway merges from the left. This is the Durham Coast Line, Hart railway station was located immediately east of where the working railway trails in from the north. When Hart station opened in 1839, the Durham Coast Line didn’t exist; it wasn’t completed until 1905. At that time, a junction was created with the Ferryhill/Hartlepool line. Hart station began life as Crimdon, as it was handy for Crimdon Dene beach, a popular resort in the mid-19th Century. The North Eastern Railway inexplicably renamed it Hart in 1871, after a village located a mile away from the station.
The inevitable axe
The Ferryhill/Hartlepool route closed in 1952, and Hart ceased to be a junction. The station remained open as a stop on the Durham Coast Line, but it closed in 1953. A footbridge now crosses the railway at the site of Hart station. In this view from that bridge looking north, the working railway can be seen curving away to the right. A solitary walker heads towards the camera along the track bed of the Ferryhill/Hartlepool route, now the Hart to Haswell Walkway.
Heading home
It was time to head to Hartlepool railway station for the train home. The path across the footbridge leads to the King Charles III England Coast Path. But this route winds for miles through Hartlepool Headland, and it had been a long day. I made my way down to King Oswy Drive, and hopped the 23 bus to the town centre.
See the sights of Hartlepool
But I decided to take time to visit two final places unrelated to the Ferryhill/Hartlepool railway. Just near Hartlepool railway station entrance, the Athenaeum building can be found on Church Street. Back in the 1960s this was Hartlepool College of Art.
Film buff
Here, in a clip from 1965, Hartlepool College of Art student Tony sets off from the Athenaeum and cycles down Church Street. This short film was directed by his older brother Ridley, who was also a student there. Of course I’m talking about Ridley Scott of ‘Blade Runner’ fame. Young Tony didn’t do too badly either. Tony Scott RIP.
Shed Bashing
I continued along Church Street, took a right on to Mainsforth Terrace, and then followed the road as it ascended over the Durham Coast Line. I took a photo looking north from the bridge. Recent land remediation has revealed the remnants of two railway turntables. These formed part of West Hartlepool Engine Shed, and were used to turn steam locomotives around, slotting them into different parts of the shed for maintenance. I returned to Hartlepool railway station for my train home to Stockton.
Visiting the Ferryhill to Hartlepool railway
For Part 2 of the journey I travelled from Teesside to Trimdon Grange via the Arriva X22 service, My journey home is described above. Unlike Part 1 of the walk, much of this stage took place on well-surfaced public footpaths. So the going and the navigation was easier, although walking boots are still recommended. Despite the easier way-finding, Ordnance Survey Landranger Map 93 (Middlesbrough) always comes in handy, particularly for the WIngate area.
Other railway walks:
