Greenesfield Locomotive Works

The Greenesfield Works was for many years the largest employer in the town. It was opened in the 1850s and by the early years of 20th century over 3,000 men relied on it for their livelihood. But the cramped site limited its expansion and in 1910 locomotive building was transferred to a new works at Darlington. Locomotive repairing continued at Greenesfield until 1932 when that ceased also; the works reopened during the Second World War but was finally closed in 1959. The hotel is listed grade II. The Station Hotel of 1844 is a stone building whose unmodified façade to the north is plain, with 7 bays and a hipped roof. It ceased to be a hotel in 1850 when the adjacent railway station closed to passenger traffic. The hotel was extended and converted into offices for the works in c.1869. The boiler shop was built c.1871. There is also a smith's shop, pattern shop, L-shaped office block, 1851-2 railway workshop, Western Pacific Shed - the largest building on the site, built in the mid-late C20, and the 1844 train shed. A red sandstone parapet wall built on a base of reused firebricks survives. Extensive areas of wood block paving associated with the smith's shops has been recorded. The sandstone retaining walls onto Rabbit Banks Road are of interest. There is an incised cross at one end, possibly a reused boundary marker relating to the Bishop Of Durham's lands above Pipewellgate. Now Ochre Yards residential complex.