The new ‘nine month festival' launching in the UK with historic walking trail, world's first railway and AR games
A NEW 'nine month festival' is taking place across County Durham and Tees Valley this year, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR).
As part of the S&DR200 festival, there will be an interactive walking trail between Shildon and Stockton via Darlington - along the rail route which opened on September 27, 1825.
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Along the route will be one of the world's most important groups of surviving early railway buildings including the Grade II* Heighington Station - the world's oldest railway station.
The trail will also include an AR game, which will allow players to "learn more about the pioneering innovations of the S&DR via augmented reality and explore key locations in immersive and dynamic way", according to the festival's website.
The S&DR Trail of Discovery is a public walk and cycling path which follows sections of the original S&DR route in County Durham, Darlington and Stockton.
It stretches approximately nine miles in total.
Along the path, visitors will be able to see highlights from the original route include the world's first train platform, the oldest railway bridge and sites that formerly houses cutting-edge technology of the time.
There will also be three museums along the route - Locomotion in Shildon, Hopwtown in Darlington nad Preston Park Museum in Stockton.
The first of the three museums is home to Europe 's largest collection of early locomotion's.
The second is a reimagined site with interactive experiences telling he story of the early rail.
The final museums is set in 120 acres of parkland and is home to many curiosities of local life, as well as a new gallery.
The first phase of the Trail will be completed during 2025 which will see a continuous route in County Durham from the very start of the line in Witton Park to Heighington Station.
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This part of the trail will be particularly picturesque.
In Darlington, the route will run from Hopetown Museum and pick up the original 1825 route all the way to Middleton St George.
Then in Stockton, the route will pick up at Eaglescliffe Station and take you on a journey to Stockton Riverside, via Preston Park, where you can still see remnants of the 1825 line.
Also in the summer, 17 illustrated panels will be placed be along the route that tell the story of this pioneering historic event that changed the way the world travels, trades and communicates.
The full trail will eventually be fully completed by 2027.
Then on September 27, 2025 the official 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) in the north east of England, which gave birth to the modern railway, will be marked with a re-enactment of the first journey.
As part of the celebration, the nine-month festival - which began in March - there will be a number of other events, exhibitions and activities open to the public.
To date, £57 million has been spent developing the region's cultural infrastructure ahead of the festival.
You can also explore three historic train stations as part of new UK tour – but only until the end of the year.
Plus, the first ever direct trains from London to Switzerland move even closer to launching.
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