Heighington Station - Locomotion One

World’s earliest railway station digital documentation

Heritage & ConservationFriends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway

It is no exaggeration to state that the Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) is where the modern railway began; the 26-mile journey on the S&DR between Shildon and Stockton, via Darlington, on 27 September 1825 transformed how the world traded, travelled, and communicated. The surviving features of this first railway are therefore of international significance; the conservation of the key remaining elements — including over 19 km of the original 1825 trackbed still in use, along with scheduled monuments, historic bridges, and buildings — is of vital importance.

As part of this essential conservation work, Kittiwake Digital provided high-resolution digital documentation and visualisation of Heighington Station; the world’s earliest railway station. This created a complete 3D, interactive, digital model of the structure, capturing both interior and exterior details. The scan outputs included a detailed point cloud and imagery that we used to produce a full topographic survey, floor plans, elevations, cross-sections, and other architectural documentation needed for conservation planning, applications, and restoration design work. The 3D model allows the conservation team to “look inside” the building virtually, supports fly-through visualisations, and can be used for future interpretation, public engagement or exhibitions, as well as for planning restoration work.

Aerial panorama of Heighington Station with the railway line running past it

Laser scanner set up in the station's flooded cellar

Surveyor scanning inside the stripped-back station interior

Walking a scanning target across the wet forecourt outside the station

Side elevation of the Heighington Station 3D model on a black background

Model of the station seen past the level crossing gate

Three-quarter view of the station model showing the chimney stacks

Side view of the station model with the later extension

Street-level view of the station model from the roadside

Rear of the station model showing the external steps

What our clients say

The Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway are a registered charity routed in the communities of South West Durham and Teesside along the 1825 line. The Friends have been working for over ten years to conserve the structures, artefacts and archives of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and raise awareness of its international significance as the place where the modern railway began and rapidly changed the world. While the core aim is heritage conservation they do this with a wider purpose to create economic regeneration and employment, improve the urban and rural environment, raise educational standards and inspire community pride and cohesion.

Niall Hammond·Director Archaeo-Environment

Over the last 5 years the Friends have worked with Historic England to research and designate historic structures all along the 1825 line. From this it became very clear that Heighington Station, built 1826/7 was the world’s oldest purpose built railway station, constructed and operated by a railway company for passengers. Historic England protected it at Grade II*, placing it in the top 8% of historic buildings in England. Sadly it is today empty and unloved and now on the Heritage At Risk Register. In 2024 the Friends of the S&DR launched a campaign to buy and restore the site as a Georgian railway station, which has attracted grants and public donations. However without an accurate survey, plans for restoration and reuse just couldn’t have been taken forward. The help, expertise and good humour of Kittiwake Digital in surveying and understanding the building has been essential in helping us take the project forward and demonstrating the high professional standards we aspire to work to.

Niall Hammond·Director Archaeo-Environment

The survey that you have done for us is proving to be incredibly useful as it will form the basis of any future plans for works to save the building and they have already been provided to our architect. I am also looking forward to (one day!) being able to use them as part of interpreting the site, showing how it looked in 1825 and offering people a chance who might not be able to visit and have a pint, a fly through from the comfort of their armchairs.

Caroline Hardie·Director at Stockton & Darlington Railway

Measured floor plans, elevations and sections drawn up from the survey

← Back to Examples

Let’s talk about your project

Whether you have a fully-defined brief or you’re exploring options, we’re happy to discuss your needs. Every project starts with understanding what you’re trying to achieve.

Get in touch