The Border Counties Railway

The Border Counties Railway was built between 1855 and 1862, running from Hexham station on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, up the North Tyne valley to Bellingham and across the border into Scotland, joining the Carlisle to Edinburgh line at Riccarton Junction, an isolated settlement with no road access.

Running north from Hexham, the stations on the line were at Wall, Chollerford, Chollerton, Barrasford, Wark, Redesmouth Junction, Bellingham, Charlton (closed 1862), Tarset, Thorneyburn, Falstone, Plashetts, Lewiefield Halt, Kielder, Deadwater, Saughtree and Riccarton.

Originally intended to serve the colliery at Plashetts (now submerged deep under the Kielder Reservoir) and other small mines in the area, the 42 mile single track line eventually formed a vital lifeline for these small communities of the North Tyne for around a century, until it was finally closed in 1958. The Heritage Centre at Bellingham is now the only place where many mementoes of this lost railway are preserved. There are hundreds of maps and historic photographs of the line, its stations and buildings, staff and traffic, and artefacts ranging from tickets and sign boards to railwaymen's lamps and tools and even the original Bellingham station clock!

NB:

1. The Heritage Centre has acquired two Mark 1 railway coaches which will be delivered during April 2011. One coach will be used as exhibition/ learning/ lecture space and the other will become a tea-room. Progress of this project may be monitorred here.

2. The very successful 'Wannie Line' exhibition shown twice (due to demand) in 2010 will be available semi-permanently when the coaches are refurbished.

3. Until Wednesday 11 May 2011, the Heritage Centre is showing the Robert Stephenson Trust exhibition - 'Robert Stephenson - Life and Rainhill'.

The Heritage Centre is certainly a vital destination for anyone interested in this 'forgotten' piece of transport history.

Please click on images to enlarge

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