Bowes Railway

01/09/2026

Join us for our very last Heritage Walk of 2026! 😃

Next month's Heritage Walk is taking place on Friday 4th September. Book now to avoid disappointment! Hope to see you there 😃

25/08/2026

Roll up, roll up! In honour of the Bicentenary of Mr George Stephenson's excellent invention, which enabled wagons to ascend the dizzying heights of the Bowes Incline, we have a series of HISTORIC TALKS at Bowes Railway.

Our next talk will be by author Margaret Hedley and the subject will be 'Women's Lives in Pit Villages'
🗓️Tuesday 8th September 2026
⏰10:30am
📍Bowes Railway Museum, Springwell Village, NE9 7QJ

It will be FREE of CHARGE, fascinating, and fuelled by tea, coffee and biscuits! What's not to love? No booking necessary, just pop along for 10:30am!

For further info, please contact:
📧[email protected]
📞07850 916 484

Washington Heritage Partnership
Washington Sunderland Community

25/08/2026

Next month's Heritage Walk is taking place on Friday 4th September. Book now to avoid disappointment! Hope to see you there 😃

19/08/2026

🥳 Free Family Craft Sessions 🥳

🎨Join us on Tuesday 25th August 10:30am-12:30pm for a free arts & crafts and brass rubbing session

🚂We also have a Paint Your Own Loco session on Thursday 27th August 10:30am-12:30pm

Limited spaces available for both sessions.
Come along and let your creativity run wild!

Text or email to book your child's place:
07850 916 484
[email protected]

19/08/2026

Bowes Railway is looking forward to attending the annual Washington Carnival hosted by Community Opportunities - YOUTH & PLAY 😃

Funded by:
Washington Sunderland Community

📣SAVE THE DATE📣
WASHINGTON CARNIVAL 2026
Saturday 19th September
10am-4pm

MORE DETAILS COMING SOON
Albany Park, Washington, NE37 1BN

⚠️If you have any queries, please call Meg on 0191 5373231 or email [email protected] to ensure you query is answered.

13/08/2026

Photo of the week

11/08/2026

UPDATE: NO BOOKING NECESSARY, JUST POP ALONG FOR 1PM 😄

We're looking forward to welcoming Groundwork NE & Cumbria to Bowes Railway for these FREE crafty summer sessions! See posters for more details 😃

07/08/2026

Members of the Bowes Railway Artists Group are busy creating work in celebration of our 200th anniversary. Artwork is being displayed in the new Bicentenary Celebration Portfolio which can be found on our main website.

New work is uploaded regularly, take a look! https://bowesrailway.uk/art-gallery/

07/08/2026

It was a pleasure for our volunteers to be asked to create this beautiful bespoke tub to celebrate Washington.Glebe Bowling Club being 70 year old and commemorating miners of Glebe Colliery!

They're having a 70th anniversary get together on Saturday 8th August - pop along and help them celebrate! 🥳 and remember the miners who sadly perished in the Glebe Pit disaster 🖤

07/08/2026

Archive Photo of the Week: The image shows the manufacturer's works plate for a "Planet" type diesel locomotive. Works No. 3922, manufactured by F.C. Hibberd & Co. Ltd., at its Park Royal Works in West London.
The locomotive was delivered new to Springwell on 1st January 1960 and was the very first diesel locomotive purchased for the NCB No. 6 Area. Engine. No. 3922 spent 14 years stationed at Springwell. Its primary task was working the Pelaw Main Railway branch line, specifically hauling coal wagons from the exchange sidings at Wrekenton round to Springwell. Because it was low-geared for heavy pulling and maxed out at a very slow top speed, the workers affectionately nicknamed the locomotive "Wells Fargo". Following the closure of the Pelaw Main line routes in 1974, the shunter was overhauled at Springwell and spent the next few years being transferred around to various local industrial sites to fill in for emergencies. By 1977, it had ended up working out of the Philadelphia engine sheds and at the end of the 1970s it became surplus to requirements. It was purchased for preservation by the Bowes Railway in 1979, effectively returning it permanently to its original home at Springwell.