A HISTORIC bridge that witnessed the dawn of the railway age has been named as one of England’s top ten travel spots by a leading historian.

In 1825, when the Stockton and Darlington Railway launched, George Stephenson’s Locomotion No 1 passed over Darlington’s Skerne Bridge, ushering in a new era of travel.

As the oldest railway bridge in the world - having remained in continuous use since Mr Stephenson’s days - it is now considered a site of great historic importance.

It was once the largest piece of infrastructure on the world’s first passenger railway and is the only bridge to feature on the back of a £5 note.

Recently revamped after years of neglect, Skerne Bridge now stands proudly as a symbol of Darlington’s rich heritage.

The significance of the site has been noted by respected historian Bettany Hughes, who has included Skerne Bridge as one of her ten choices in the Travel and Tourism category of a campaign that aims to celebrate England’s heritage.

Historic England’s Irreplaceable: A History of England in 100 Places was launched in an attempt to ascertain the 100 places which best bring England’s extraordinary history to life.

In the Travel and Tourism category, Skerne Bridge is named alongside a Fosse Way, a Roman road that stretches from Lincoln to Exeter and Dreamland in Margate, one of Britain’s oldest surviving amusement parks.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England said: “The desire to travel is in our bones, so charting how and where people have travelled around England through these 10 places is fascinating.

“England is full of places which have drawn travellers and tourists for thousands of years and will continue to play a central role in our national life.”

Cllr Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure and local environment, said the accolade could help to boost tourism in the town.

He said: “It is absolutely great news and it underlines how important Darlington is in the history of travel.

“We recently reopened the bridge so people can now go and look and admire the oldest working railway bridge in the world.

“For the town, this is a real boost and just one example of what there is on offer in Darlington.

“It also sets us up nicely and helps with the work we are doing for the Tees Valley’s bid to become 2025’s City of Culture.

“This is helping to put us on the national map and it may well bring more people to the town, where they can visit the bridge and the Head of Steam railway museum, where they are able to see the Locomotion No 1.”

All ten places picked by Bettany Hughes will be explored in a Historic England podcast series hosted by Emma Barnett.