THE WEARDALE RAILWAY TRUST

Registered charity 1088897 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE WEARDALE RAILWAY TRUST LTD

The members of Weardale Railway Trust support the educational activities, operation and preservation of the railway infrastructure and rolling stock on the railway line which operates between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland in County Durham.

Objects

THE TRUST IS ESTABLISHED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PURCHASING, RESTORING AND PRESERVING BUILDINGS AND LAND OF THE RAILWAY AND OTHER ARTEFACTS OF HISTORICAL INTEREST AND BUILDINGS CONNECTED THEREWITH AND IN PARTICULAR BUT WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING TO RESTORE THE RAIL LINK BETWEEN SIGNAL NUMBER S36 COCKTON HILL BRIDGE BISHOP AUCKLAND AND WEARHEAD IN THE COUNTY OF DURHAM FOR THE BENEFIT AND EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC AND THE PRESERVING OF BOOKS, DRAWINGS, RECORDS, DOCUMENTS, SOUND AND VISUAL RECORDINGS, CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS AND PHOTOGRAPHS RELATING TO SUCH LAND AND ARTEFACTS THEIR HISTORY AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT

Area of benefit: COUNTY DURHAM

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · Recreation · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£62k

Latest spending

£55k

Registered

2001

Accounts read

FY2026

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The accounts state that the Trust achieved a net surplus of £7,491 for the year, with total income rising to £62,378 from £27,645 in the previous period. The Trustees confirm that free reserves are sufficient to meet their stated policy of maintaining three to six months of operating costs, and the Trust remains in a stable financial position.

Automated summary of the FY2026 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three and six months of operating costs (held: £229k)

“The Trustees’ policy is to maintain between three and six months of operating costs in reserve in order to cover unforeseen expenditure relating to the Trust’s charitable objectives.” — page 12

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Loan waiver by Trustee

“During the year, a loan previously provided by G Mudd, a Trustee of the charity, with a balance of £24,927 at the start of the year, was formally waived by the lender and donated to the charity.” — page 24

Per its FY2026 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 03226401

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

SMALLWOOD, Logan — director, appointed 11/05/2026on trustee list
KIMBER, Kevin Guy — director, appointed 25/04/2026on trustee list
HOARE, Peter, Dr — director, appointed 11/11/2024on trustee list
SMITH, David, Dr — director, appointed 14/10/2024on trustee list
HATTON, Thomas John — director, appointed 02/10/2021on trustee list
CLARKE, Jean — director, appointed 17/07/2019on trustee list
DINGLE, Robert John, Dr — director, appointed 20/08/2018on trustee list
WOODHAMS, Mark — director, appointed 30/06/2015on trustee list
MUDD, Gerald Christopher — director, appointed 14/02/2006on trustee list
WOOD, Michael Richard Duncan, Dr — director, appointed 15/11/2003on trustee list
CLARKE, Jean — secretary, appointed 14/03/2020

Official officers record.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook

Trustees · trustee networks

Dr David Smith · trustee of 1 other charity
Dr MICHAEL RICHARD DUNCAN WOOD
Dr Peter Hoare
Dr Robert John Dingle
GERALD CHRISTOPHER MUDD
Jean Clarke
Kevin Kimber
Logan Smallwood
Mark Woodhams
Thomas John Hatton

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Durham

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/01/2026	£62k	£55k
31/01/2025	£28k	£43k
31/01/2024	£22k	£18k
31/01/2023	£27k	£22k
31/01/2022	£29k	£33k

Common questions

Is THE WEARDALE RAILWAY TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2026 accounts: The accounts state that the Trust achieved a net surplus of £7,491 for the year, with total income rising to £62,378 from £27,645 in the previous period. The Trustees confirm that free reserves are sufficient to meet their stated policy of maintaining three to six months of operating costs, and the Trust remains in a stable financial position. Its FY2026 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	09/09/2005	£4k	publicity information
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	05/01/2004	£49k	"Restoration of the Stanhope Railway Station"
Northern Rock Foundation	09/12/2003	£53k	Grant awarded to Weardale Railway Trust Limited (Durham)
Northern Rock Foundation	11/11/2003	£15k	Grant awarded to Weardale Railway Trust Limited (Durham)