| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Coordinator: |
Linda and Ruth
|
| Group email: | Local History group |
| When: | Monthly on Tuesdays 1:15 pm Third Tuesday of the month. We start at 1.15 pm with refreshments before the talk which begins at 1.45 pm |
| Venue: | Willow Road Community Centre |
| Cost: | £2 including refreshments |
This group attracts a large number of our members and others from Darlington u3a. We meet in the Community Hall on Willow Road so there is no limit on numbers, all are welcome.
At a cost of £2 we offer refreshments from 1.15pm on the Third Tuesday of each month with a speaker beginning at 1.45pm.
Some of the speakers are our own members others have been recommended to us - and subjects generally relate to Darlington and the North East of England,
In addition to the 2026 Local History Speakers table below, we have booked two visits to St Andrews Church in Haughton-le-Skerne on 28th Jan & 25th Feb. There will be opportunities to sign up for these visits at the Local History Meetings as numbers will be limited.
Other walks and visits are planned and will be confirmed in due course.
*Below the Speaker Programme 2026 please see the write up for a recent outing.
Local History Speaker Programme 2026
| 2026 | Local History Speakers |
|---|---|
| January 20 | Leisure and Recreation in Victorian and Edwardian Darlington - Chris Forster |
| February 17 | Richard III "Benevolent Monarch or Murderous Tyrant" - Kim Harding |
| March 17 | Gertrude Bell, Her Life and Legacy in North East England - Ruth Beckett |
| April 21 | ‘Guests’ of Queen Victoria 1851. The census for that year reveals 226 prison inhabitants – we shall look at the justice system and their crimes - David Butler |
| May 19 | The Impact & Significance of Ladybird Books - Kevin Beckett |
| June 16 | Of Fish & Actors – History of Darlington Hippodrome - Chris Lloyd |
*22 April 2026 outing.
On a lovely sunny afternoon 21 of us gathered at Tees Cottage Pumping Station for a guided tour. We were taken around the site by George and John, very experienced volunteers who have a wealth of knowledge about the Victorian beam engine, the gas and electric engines. My preference would be the 1904 Beam Engine which is a scheduled monument as well as a work of art – shining brass pipes, pumps, and an enormous Beam which is 30 feet long and weighs 25 tons. George’s enthusiasm was apparent in the loving way he described and explained the history, how the machine worked and where all the pipes went! The boilers in the adjacent building are similarly impressive structures, produced in Darlington in 1902 by Teasdale up on Neasham Road. But obtaining coal for them is nowadays difficult and very expensive.
The Gas engine was working steadily producing a rhythmic selection of noises from all the moving components as it pumped water into one of the large filter ponds. From there the water would have once been pumped up to reservoir at Bushel Hill to then feed the town. Water was also transferred to Harrogate Hill, before the site was finally closed in 1980 and placed in the care of the Preservation Trust.
Also on the site is a Blacksmith’s shop where you can treat yourself to a day’s experience of working in a traditional smithy. We were all given a ticket to a future open day when we can see the Beam engine fully working, which is certainly something not to be missed.
Local History Speaker Programme 2025
| 2025 | Local History Speakers |
|---|---|
| Jan 21 | William Armstrong’s Legacy Ruth Beckett |
| Feb 18 | Cockerton Soldiers of WW1 Lorna Wilkinson |
| March 18 | History of Darlington - builders and buildings Dave Hogg |
| April 15 | Tees Pumping Station George Beautyman |
| May 20 | Excavations @ Auckland Castle John Castling |
| June 17 | The Arts and Crafts Movement Kevin Beckett |
| July 15 | Gibside in the Derwent Valley David Butler |
| August 19 | Highlights of Roman County Durham – David Mason – county archaeologist |
| September 16 | Church Recording – Vivien Clear & Rosalind Platts |
| October 21 | Women of the Stockton & Darlington Railway Caroline Hardie |
| November 18 | Ruth will be inviting you to "Look more closely at Hope Town" |
| December 16 | Dilapidation & rejuvenation: two properties in County Durham - Ruth & Kevin Beckett |