2022 saw the Bicentenary of the Hetton Colliery Railway designed by George Stephenson. His brother Robert Stephenson (1788-1837) supervised the building of the railway after George was appointed engineer of the Stockton and Darlington railway. The eight mile long Hetton Railway, which was opened on 22nd November 1822, was the first designed for steam power and had both fixed and "travelling" engines.
In celebration of this history defining event, the Hetton Colliery Railway 200 Charity (HCR200) was set up and a bicentenary conference was held at Easington Lane Community Access Point on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th November.
You can access HCR leaflets online at HCR200 Leaflets.
More information on HCR200 is also available on the HCR200 Facebook page and on the HCR200 YouTube page - for John Banham's talk on 19 November 2022 see HCR200 YouTube page.
Following John Banham's Third Thursday talk in November 2020, the Record Office have also posted an online exhibition on their website to celebrate the bicentenary of the Hetton Coal Company. Click on the link to go to the exhibition Durham County Record Office - 'Adventurers and Pirates' - Hetton Coal Company, 1820.
Here is an example of one of nearly 200 brief biographies of people associated with County Durham published in the six volumes of Durham Biographies between 2000 and 2009.
These links are part of the Durham at War website (Durham County Record Office). Supporting material was produced as part of a First World War Centenary commemorative exhibition entitled ‘Spennymoor’s Great War’, held at the Bob Abley Gallery, Spennymoor Town Hall, during August 2014.
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