Darlington is a beautiful, historic borough right in the heart of the North East.
As a shopping destination, Darlington is second to none. We have a thriving independent business scene, as recognised when the town centre was awarded with the title of one of top independent high streets in the UK in 2023. From luxury fashion to handmade homewares, and artisan bakeries to jewellery makers, we have it all! There’s also a fantastic array of high street names and a department store to browse too.
When the lights go down, catch a show at the wonderful Darlington Hippodrome or watch a gig at The Forum. See the latest film at Vue or the Odeon cinema and there’s also plenty of amazing restaurants, bars and clubs in the town centre. Try one of our award-winning cocktail or real ale bars in which you’ll find that great north eastern welcome.
The area is justifiably proud of its world famous rail heritage, so no trip would be complete without a visit to the newly redeveloped railway museum, Hopetown. You’ll find plenty of inspiration to help you explore the borough, as well as info on all of the businesses you can find. We always have lots going on too, so if you’d like to attend one of our events, make sure you check out the what’s on calendar or 2024 events guide.
Darlington Markets
Markets in Darlington have a heritage going back to medieval times. Through the ages they have supported the growth of the town, which developed from weaving wool and leather making, dyeing material brought down from Scotland and then to engineering for the railway industry. The Town prospered under the influence of local Quakers and in 1860 the Grade II listed Victorian Market Hall was built which opened for trade three years later. Darlington Markets sits alongside the famous Clock Tower, which at the time housed the sister bells to Big Ben.
Dolphin Centre
Dolphin Leisure Centre is an award winning, recently refurbished centre offering a soft play area, swimming facilities including training areas, a climbing wall, equipment for badminton, table tennis, squash, football, martial arts, fitness suites, fitness classes and specialised activities for both under 5s and over 50s.
Darlington Hippodrome
Theatre from 1907, hosting plays, opera, comedy, music, dance and pantomime, local and touring. In 2017, we completed a £13.7 million restoration project which transformed the theatre for current and future generations to enjoy. The restoration enabled the theatre to expand its artistic programme and make significant access improvements including public lifts and wheelchair access to all levels. The building’s footprint was enlarged enabling us to offer a programme of year-round events and access to daytime facilities including a café bar, meeting spaces, an education centre and a variety of galleries.
South Park, Darlington
South Park is a beautiful Victorian park set in 91 acres of land, set on the outskirts of Darlington. After receiving a multi-million pound Heritage lottery grant, the popular site now offers a lake, band stand, new play areas, a skateboard park and seasonal bistro.
Hopetown
Darlington is the home of the steam railway, opening the first steam railway station for transport of both people and goods in 1825. Hopetown is an incredible museum offering the chance to celebrate the life of steam railways and has on display a number of different trains, exhibitions and a large model railway.
Darlington Brick Train
The ‘Brick Train’ sculpture was commissioned by David Mach who created it in 1997 to celebrate Darlington’s rich railway heritage.It depicts the record-breaking Mallard, which still holds the world record for a steam locomotive at 126 mph. It was constructed from 185,000 bricks and 6,000 cubic feet (170 cubic meters) of concrete. It took just over five months to build by a team of 34 brick layers, labourers and apprentices. This sculpture can be found on the A66, next to Morrisons supermarket at Morton Park.
Tees Cottage Pumping Station
Tees Cottage is a museum housed in the old site of the Pumping Station, responsible for supplying clean drinking water to Darlington and surrounding villages. The museum now offers a selection of attractions including a Blacksmith’s shop and a minature railway.
Shopping in Darlington
As a shopping destination, Darlington is second to none. We have a thriving independent business scene, as recognised when the town centre was awarded with the title of one of top independent high streets in the UK in 2023. From luxury fashion to handmade homewares, and artisan bakeries to jewellery makers, we have it all! There’s also a fantastic array of high street names and a department store to browse too.