“We have to do something. It will be a huge shame if in 2025 this internationally important building is still left in ruins.”
The building was one of three commissioned by the railroad in 1826, before the development of the modern concept of a “station” as a place for passengers to wait and unload their luggage.
The first stage of the campaign is to acquire and stabilize stations. The second long-term phase for The Friends is to return the building to economic and community use, perhaps as a pub or boarding restaurant in 1825.
“It’s a shocking situation,” said Sedgefield MP Paul Howell.
“It’s sad to see it the way it is because when I worked at the nearby Perstorp Wearwright in the late 1980s, it was the place to have a drink at the end of the day.
“This is the correct history and I should be able to participate in the bicentenary celebrations, so Friends have my full support and support.”