Museums & Galleries · County Durham
Bowes Railway
📍 NE9 7QJ
Photo: Andrew Curtis (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Guided tours of a historic rope-worked incline railway
- See preserved locomotives and rope-worked inclines
- Celebrate the railway's 200th anniversary with special events
- Seasonal events including Halloween and Meet Santa
- Explore a scheduled ancient monument and former colliery railway
Bowes Railway is a preserved colliery railway near Sunderland, built to carry coal using a unique system of rope-worked inclines and locomotives dating back to 1826. You can join a guided tour to see the surviving inclines, historic workshops and preserved locomotives, with tours running on Tuesdays and Thursdays and lasting around 90 minutes. The site suits those interested in industrial and railway heritage, and seasonal events such as Halloween and Meet Santa add family appeal. Most areas are accessible to wheelchair users, though some uneven ground remains from its industrial past. The nearest station, Heworth, is 1.9 miles away, and with 109 bookable places to stay within 5 miles, it's a convenient addition to a visit in the area.
Practical details
- Open
- Tours run Tuesdays and Thursdays only
- Time needed
- Tours last around 90 minutes
- Booking
- Pre-booking required by text message
- Accessibility
- Most of the site is wheelchair accessible, with some difficult terrain
From the attraction's own website on 9 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
Facilities
- ✓ Gift Shop
- ✓ Guided Tours
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Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
0.9 mi
1.2 mi
1.4 mi
2.2 mi
2.2 mi
2.3 mi
🎪 What's on near Bowes Railway
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🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to Bowes Railway into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
A weekend in County Durham: an accessible itinerary →
A weekend in County Durham with the kids →
A weekend in County Durham →
🗺️ Plan the drive to Bowes Railway
🚆 Or come by train
Live trains to Heworth →Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page