Stainmore Railway – West Side Story Photographic Exhibition

11th June 2025 9:30am

Kirkgate Centre

We're delighted to be one of the stops on this touring exhibition!

With funding support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this photographic exhibition tells the story of the key role played by the Stockton and Darlington Railway, and its successors, in North West England.

2025 is the bicentenary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) which built, and initially operated, the route over Stainmore to transport coal, coke and iron ore to / from the blast furnaces in Teesside, Furness & West Cumberland. A key feature of this was the operation of freight traffic over the Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway.

Comprising of material from the archives of the JW Armstrong Railway Photographic Trust, Cumbrian Railways Association, North Eastern Railway Association, Stainmore Railway Company and a number of private collections.

For more information please visit the organisersfacebook pageor visit theirwebsite.

There's no need to book, the exhibition will be available to view when the centre is open to the public (during box office hours Monday and Friday 10am-12) and when the bar is open for events between the 2nd and 15th June. On selected dates there will be a volunteer available to answer queries. These dates will be announced as soon as possible.

***STOP PRESS***

DAYS and TIMES of opening are as follows (please check in for updates, as we will amend for additional opening times as soon as possible).

TUE 3rd June 1pm-4.30pm

WED 4th June 1pm-4.30pm

THU 5th June CLOSED

FRI 6th June 9.30am-4.30pm and 6pm-7pm

SAT 7th June 9.30am-4.30pm and 7pm-8pm

SUN 8th June 9.30am-1pm and 7pm-8pm (also accessible to the public during 'Sunday Session' music event in the afternoon)

MON 9th June 9.30am-4.30pm and during the evening alongside a talk from Mike Thompson (from 5.30pm, talk begins at 6pm and the exhibition will be viewable up to 8pm)

TUE 10th June 1pm- 4.30pm

WED 11th June 9.30am- 4.30pm

THU 12th June CLOSED

FRI 13th June 1pm-4.30pm

SAT 14th June TBC

SUN 15th June TBC