6 Darlington pubs that we wish we could still drink in

They were among many businesses forced to close during restrictions introduced to halt the spread of Covid-19. 

While funding schemes were introduced by the government to help keep these businesses alive until they were able to resume trading fully, the series of lockdown measures resulted in the establishments shutting up shop for months at a time.

In October 2020, just six per cent of landlords had “high confidence” that their establishments would survive beyond three months. By early February 2021, the proportion of “high confidence” had dropped to its lowest recorded level of one per cent.

That confidence has since risen in 2022 but residents have been left with fewer pubs on the streets of Darlington. 

We take a look at some of the pubs to have closed:

Glittering Star

The Glittering Star, on Stonegate, closed during the first coronavirus lockdown in May 2020 and hasn’t reopened since.

A post on the pub’s social media page at the time read: “UPDATE just to let everyone know due to the last few months Mr Smith has decided to close the pub down we would like to thank everyone who has supported us and been there for us and are sorry it has come to this all our love Steve, Sam & Aiden x”.

The historic pub first opened in 1891 under The Glittering Star name before undergoing a series of renovations and name changes until it returned to it origin name again in 1993.

The Glittering Star. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

The Albion

Formerly on Yarm Road, the popular pub house Bed and Breakfast rooms upstairs while the drinkers took residence downstairs.  

However, the pub closed in 2020.

A post on the Lost pubs website reads: “This pub closed in 2020 and is now being converted into bedsits.”

The Albion on Yarm Road. Picture: Google

Bank Top Central

It is unclear when this pub, also on Yarm Road, closed but images from Google Maps show two different facades.

The future of the building is unknown.

Bank Top Central. picture: Google

Hogan’s

Last year, Darlington Council sought permission to flatten Hogan’s public house on Victoria Road.

The pub, previously known as Park Hotel, was built as a temperance hotel around the time the nearby Bank Top station was built.

The landmark premises, which features a series of arches supported by doric columns, is considered a heritage asset because of its historic location and external appearance.

Planning documents examining the area’s heritage stated there was no alternative to demolishing the pub as Pensbury and Park Roads are to be re-aligned, a key part of the scheme. However, they state Hogan’s, has been “identified as having considerable significance in the context of Darlington”.

The pub formed part of the Hogan‘s Leisure franchise, which ran six pubs – four in Darlington and one in Bishop Auckland and Stockton respectively.

"Hogan's is the best thing that's ever happened to older folk around here,” one former customer told The Northern Echo in 2000. “I go in almost every afternoon, it's where I meet the folk I grew up with."

It was later obtained by the Hartlepool-based Cameron's brewery, which is still in operation today and also owned the nearby Albion and Bank Top Central. 

Read this 2000 report from The Northern Echo's visit to the pub 

The former Hogan's pub. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

Central Borough

The Central Borough had five addresses: it was Nos 1, 3 and 5 Farrer Street and Nos 11 and 12 Hopetown Lane.

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