Shildon
Encyclopedia
Shildon is a town in County Durham
, in England
. It is situated 2 miles to the south east of Bishop Auckland
and 11 miles north of Darlington
. It is 13 miles away from Durham
, 23 miles from Sunderland and 23 miles from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Shildon is part of the Bishop Auckland
parliamentary constituency, which is represented by Helen Goodman
MP.
established its workshops
there in 1825. The company owned much of the land, and the population grew to around 9000.
Today, Shildon's connections with the birth of the railway industry, notably through the efforts of Timothy Hackworth
, are marked by the Locomotion Museum
, which opened in September 2004 and is part of the National Railway Museum
. Daniel Adamson
, Hackworth's apprentice and a renowned engineer
in his own right, was born in Shildon. Shildon and the Locomotion Museum are served by Shildon railway station
, which is on the Tees Valley Line
.
, after whom the local library is named.
Shildon was once a busy, vibrant community with many manufacturing industries. The most notable of these was the railway wagon works, which was closed in 1983 by British Rail
. The closure had a severe and lasting economic impact on the town, and many businesses closed. The opening of the Shildon Locomotion Museum
, an annex of the National Railway Museum
, helped restore some local pride but, due to the site's physical location little benefit was gained by the high street traders.
Local side Shildon A.F.C.
compete in the Arngrove Northern League Division One. In November 2003, they reached the FA Cup
first round for the first time in 42 years; however they were beaten 7-2 on the day by Notts County. They were very successful in the 1930s, as can be seen on their website http://www.shildonafc.co.uk.
Durham Tigers
are the local rugby league
team. They run age level teams in the North East Junior League
.
Shildon also has a number of societies and clubs running in the town. "Shildon Recall" http://www.shildonrecallsociety.com is a local history group that meets in the Shildon People's Centre http://www.spcentre.org.uk (formerly the police station). Shildon Running & Athletic Club, was founded in 1986, is based at the Stadium 2000, situated on Middridge Lane in Shildon http://www.shildonrunning.co.uk.
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated 2 miles to the south east of Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
and 11 miles north of Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
. It is 13 miles away from Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, 23 miles from Sunderland and 23 miles from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Shildon is part of the Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland (UK Parliament constituency)
Bishop Auckland is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. Since 1935 it has elected Labour MPs.-Boundaries:...
parliamentary constituency, which is represented by Helen Goodman
Helen Goodman
Helen Catherine Goodman is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland since 2005, and was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for in the Department for Work and Pensions until 2010 with responsibility for Child Poverty and childcare.-Early...
MP.
Railways
Shildon is considered to be the "cradle of the railways". The town grew considerably when the Stockton and Darlington RailwayStockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
established its workshops
Shildon railway works
Shildon railway works opened in 1825 in the town of Shildon in County Durham, England.- Overview :Shildon was the terminus of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, when it opened in 1825. Its first locomotive superintendent was Timothy Hackworth, who maintained their locomotives at the Soho Works...
there in 1825. The company owned much of the land, and the population grew to around 9000.
Today, Shildon's connections with the birth of the railway industry, notably through the efforts of Timothy Hackworth
Timothy Hackworth
Timothy Hackworth was a steam locomotive engineer who lived in Shildon, County Durham, England and was the first locomotive superintendent of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.- Youth and early work :...
, are marked by the Locomotion Museum
Shildon Locomotion Museum
Shildon Locomotion Museum is a railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, England. The museum is a branch of the National Railway Museum , which is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry...
, which opened in September 2004 and is part of the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
. Daniel Adamson
Daniel Adamson
Daniel Adamson was a notable English engineer who became a successful manufacturer of boilers and was the driving force behind the inception of the Manchester Ship Canal project during the 1880s.-Early life:...
, Hackworth's apprentice and a renowned engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
in his own right, was born in Shildon. Shildon and the Locomotion Museum are served by Shildon railway station
Shildon railway station
-Information:Shildon railway station is on the Stockton and Darlington Railway in North East England and serves the town of Shildon in County Durham, England built by Timothy Hackworth...
, which is on the Tees Valley Line
Tees Valley Line
The Tees Valley Line is a name for the railway route between Bishop Auckland and Saltburn via Darlington and Middlesbrough. Also operated on the line are services from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Middlesbrough and Saltburn via Darlington....
.
General
Shildon was the birthplace of the writer Sid ChaplinSid Chaplin
Sid Chaplin was a writer whose works are mostly set in the North East England of the 1940s and '50s.- Tribute to Sid Chaplin :...
, after whom the local library is named.
Shildon was once a busy, vibrant community with many manufacturing industries. The most notable of these was the railway wagon works, which was closed in 1983 by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
. The closure had a severe and lasting economic impact on the town, and many businesses closed. The opening of the Shildon Locomotion Museum
Shildon Locomotion Museum
Shildon Locomotion Museum is a railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, England. The museum is a branch of the National Railway Museum , which is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry...
, an annex of the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
, helped restore some local pride but, due to the site's physical location little benefit was gained by the high street traders.
Local side Shildon A.F.C.
Shildon A.F.C.
Shildon A.F.C. is a football club established in 1890 based in Shildon, County Durham, England. They compete in the Northern League Division One. They play at Dean Street....
compete in the Arngrove Northern League Division One. In November 2003, they reached the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
first round for the first time in 42 years; however they were beaten 7-2 on the day by Notts County. They were very successful in the 1930s, as can be seen on their website http://www.shildonafc.co.uk.
Durham Tigers
Durham Tigers
Durham Tigers are a rugby league club based in Sunnydale Leisure Centre, Shildon, County Durham in the North East of England. They originally played in the city of Durham...
are the local rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team. They run age level teams in the North East Junior League
North East Junior League
The North East Junior League is a rugby league competition for clubs in the North East of England.It is competed for at under-12, under-14 and under-16 levels. Under-10 sides also exist but only play friendlies...
.
Shildon also has a number of societies and clubs running in the town. "Shildon Recall" http://www.shildonrecallsociety.com is a local history group that meets in the Shildon People's Centre http://www.spcentre.org.uk (formerly the police station). Shildon Running & Athletic Club, was founded in 1986, is based at the Stadium 2000, situated on Middridge Lane in Shildon http://www.shildonrunning.co.uk.
Education
- St. Johns C Of E (Aided) Primary School
- Sunnydale Community College for Maths & Computing
- Thornhill Primary School
- Timothy Hackworth Primary School