A recently-created Darlington apartments complex has been awarded three stars following an inspection by tourist board VisitBritain.
The accolade is believed to make Railway House one of just two ’serviced apartments’ in the North-East to have received the three star designation.
Railway House, a historic building with links to the early days of steam railways, was recently converted by property developers Graeme and Sarah Stokes.
There had been fears that the derelict former Railway Hotel in Otley Terrace, Hopetown, would disappear but the couple turned it into eight apartments and two houses, all to let, in a scheme costing £800,000.
The accommodation, finished off to a high quality, is for a mixture of users, including people holidaying in the town, those working in the town on short-term contracts, among them visiting theatre company workers linked to productions at Darlington Civic Theatre, and people staying in Darlington while they visit relatives in the Memorial Hospital.
VisitBritain awards stars to a variety of accommodation providers throughout the country, based on the quality of the service that they offer. The organisation rated Railway House as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ on all aspects of what it offers.
Graeme Stokes said: “We are very pleased to have received this designation. I understand that there are only two serviced apartments in the North-East which have a three-star designation from VisitBritain and to be one of them is very satisfying.”
The couple, who live in the Bishop Auckland area of County Durham, had the idea for the development when they moved to the North-East several years ago but found themselves homeless when their house sale collapsed.
The Railway Hotel had closed in February 2006 and, seeing that Railway House was derelict, Graeme and Sarah saved the building last year.
Graeme said: “It is really pleasing that this building is enjoying good times again. When we redeveloped it, we wanted to make it a home from home for the people who stayed with us.
“We fitted out the apartments and houses to a high standard so that they are as comfortable as possible and the VisitBritain designation confirms that we got it right.”
There has been a Railway Hotel on the site from at least the 1840s, when it was established to serve workers at local foundries and at the Stockton & Darlington Railway complex. Most of the current building dates from 1909 although some dates back to the 1840s.
The site is close to the original route of the Stockton and Darlington railway line, which in 1825 saw the journey of the world’s first passenger train, pulled by George Stephenson’s famous engine Locomotion.
Locomotion herself takes prides of place at the town’s railway museum Head of Steam, which stands in the converted 1840s North Road railway station, a short distance from Railway House.
Railway House is also a short distance from the former Hopetown railway works where the A1 Trust recently completed construction of the first mainline steam locomotive to be constructed in almost 50 years, the Tornado.
Graeme said: “We hope that people visiting the town to enjoy its railway attractions will come and stay with us during their visit. That would be a nice touch for a building with such a history.”
Graeme and Sarah can be contacted on 01388 834778.