The Railway Tavern, a former Stockton and Darlington Railway inn

The Railway Tavern, originally built in 1826 by John Carter for the Stockton & Darlington Railway, began as an inn and proto-railway station. It was later altered in 1871 by J Ross & R Lamb and in 1898 by GG Hoskins.

The building is constructed of brick, with the front elevation finished in painted render and timber dressings to the ground floor and stone quoins to the first floor. The roof was originally slate but has been replaced with modern tiles.

The plan features a small lobby inside the central public entrance, providing access to flanking public rooms. These rooms are served by a single bar spanning the rear of the entrance lobby.

The front (west) elevation is two storeys and four bays, with the bay to the south being double width. The first-floor windows are domestic-style single-pane sashes. The ground floor frontage incorporates timber pilasters rising from a simple plinth to support a plain frieze topped by a dentilated cornice, flanking the windows and the central double doorway. The pilasters have fielded-panelled bases rising to windowsill height. The ground-floor windows have large plate glass lower lights and smaller top lights divided by glazing bars into a lozenge pattern. The central entrance is approached by three steps and has a plain rectangular overlight. A double-width canted bay extends to the right (south), carrying around the corner of the building and including a single, now blocked, doorway with a lozenge overlight. The roof has coped gables and brick end stacks, with a smaller ridge stack centrally. Other elevations are more domestic, generally retaining sash windows. A double window with lozenge top lights is located on the centre of the ground floor of the side elevation to the south, but lacks pilasters or other external dressings.

Inside, there’s a small, timber-panelled entrance lobby with doors leading to the two public rooms and evidence of former off-sales. The two public rooms are served by a single, Victorian bar front which has been stripped and was probably originally painted. The rooms also contain fitted bench seating, thought to be part of the alterations by Hoskins.