A TUCKED-away rail bridge in Darlington has taken its place alongside Windsor Castle and Shakespeare’s birthplace in a list of the 100 most historically-important places in England.

Skerne Railway Bridge is the world’s oldest continuously-operated railway bridge and the largest piece of infrastructure on the world’s first passenger railway.

It has now been featured in a new book by Historic England, named Irreplaceable: a History of England in 100 places, which features ‘historic places where remarkable things have happened across England’.

Other national treasures in the region which have made the list include the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, the Angel of the North, Whitby Abbey, Dunstan Staiths in Gateshead, the Pitman’s Parliament in Durham, Fountains Abbey in Ripon, the Grand Hotel in Scarborough and the Angel of the North in Gateshead.

The places featured were chosen by the public and put to judges to choose the shortlist.

TV historian Bettany Hughes chose Skerne rail bridge as one of the entries in the travel and tourism category.

Other judges included Robert Winston, Mary Beard, George Clark and Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson.

The book, which will be published in hardback on September 18, features photographs of each place, which also include the Roman Baths in Bath, the observatory in Greenwich and closer to home, Fountains Abbey in Ripon and the Angel of the North.

It is the only bridge to have been featured on a £5 note.

But it is hidden away just off North Road in Darlington, a little way behind the Exercise 4 Less gym.

After being neglected for many years, the bridge was revamped last year.

There are now footpaths leading to it, a cyclepath going under it and an information highlighting the history of the once-forgotten bridge.