| − | '''Darlington''' is an industrial and market town in [[County Durham]], located on the River Skerne, a tributary of the [[River Tees]], in the south of the county. Long serving as a market centre for a rich agricultural district, Darlington began to develop as an industrial town when the [[Stockton & Darlington Railway]], the world's first public steam-hauled railway, was opened throught the town in 1825 (although the name suggests otherwise, the line did not terminate in Darlington, but extended westwards to tap the coalfields of south-west Durham). Iron works and manufacturing works were set up in the town, and later a major locomotive plant was established there. Darlington has benefitted in modern times from its good communications. It lies close to the main [[A1]] road between [[London]] and [[Edinburgh]] and on the East Coast Main Line railway linking the two cities; [[Durham Tees Valley Airport]] lies within the town's boundaries. Darlington's railway heritage is celebrated by a railway museum at the town's North Road Railway Station (dating from 1825), and by a large brick sculpture, 'Train', showing a streamlined A4 locomotive of the interwar years. Ironically, this is not situated alongside the railway but adjacent to the town's ring road. | + | '''Darlington''' is an industrial and market town in [[County Durham]], located on the River Skerne, a tributary of the [[River Tees]], in the south of the county. Long serving as a market centre for a rich agricultural district, Darlington began to develop as an industrial town when the [[Stockton and Darlington Railway]], the world's first public steam-hauled railway, was opened throught the town in 1825 (although the name suggests otherwise, the line did not terminate in Darlington, but extended westwards to tap the coalfields of south-west Durham). Iron works and manufacturing works were set up in the town, and later a major locomotive plant was established there. Darlington has benefitted in modern times from its good communications. It lies close to the main [[A1]] road between [[London]] and [[Edinburgh]] and on the East Coast Main Line railway linking the two cities; [[Durham Tees Valley Airport]] lies within the town's boundaries. Darlington's railway heritage is celebrated by a railway museum at the town's North Road Railway Station (dating from 1825), and by a large brick sculpture, 'Train', showing a streamlined A4 locomotive of the interwar years. Ironically, this is not situated alongside the railway but adjacent to the town's ring road. |