A GROUP of historians are hoping to expand their collection by inviting people to bring their photographs and memorabilia to a major exhibition this weekend.
Gaunless Valley History Trust is presenting an exhibition on the area’s mining and railway heritage at Butterknowle Village Hall on Saturday, August 18, and Sunday, August 19.
Along with historic photographs, the display will include a model of the Haggerleases railway line, a refurbished mine banner, maps and a metal sign that once warned against trespassing at Lands Viaduct.
The Haggerleases line formed part of the famous Stockton and Darlington Railway (SDR), the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives, and was opened in 1830.
David Wallace, chairman of the north east branch of the Friends of the National Railway Museum, is helping the trust put the display together.
He said two important lines passed through the area, the Haggerleases line run by SDR and another going from Barnard Castle to Bishop Auckland, run by South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway. He said: “The South Durham and Lancashire Union line crossed the Haggerleases line using a viaduct that had three brick and stone pillars supporting a criss-cross of metalwork.
“The main uses were moving military units around Barnard Castle, transporting pupils from Barnard Castle and Middleton-in-Teesdale to a grammar school in Bishop Auckland and for Woolworths getting goods, which were retrieved from the station via a Scammell wagon.”
The Haggerleases line principally supported the mining industry.
A slide show presentation will be given by history trust chairwoman Jeanette Newell at 2.30pm on each day of the exhibition which runs from 11am to 4pm.
People from the area are now being asked by the trust to bring some of their own photographs of the Gaunless Valley to the exhibition so that they can be added to the trust’s collection.
Ms Newell said: “We have got all those very old photographs but to keep it a living collection we need some new ones.”
She added that any memorabilia relevant to the valley will also be welcomed.
