Guest, Sign inJoin
Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildon
Attractions in Shildon

A museum to see in Shildon: Locomotion - The National Railway Museum

5 of the 9 places to visit in and around Shildon are museums or galleries. Look within 5 km of its edge and the list grows by 8 beyond the one inside Shildon’s built-up area. About 94K people a year visit Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildon. Here, 2 places are kept up by English Heritage. Set 17 km out, Durham Castle makes a day trip.

Photo: Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildon, Hugh Mortimer (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In Shildon
1
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
8
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
5
in or near town
Castles & historic places
3
in or near town
Cared for
2
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

Must-know places in Shildon

Close behind Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildon are a historic house, a theme park and a castle.

MuseumLocomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildonin town · 94K visitors a yearHistoric house · English HeritageAuckland Castle3 km outside town, to the northTheme parkTheme parkKynren3.6 km outside town, to the northwestCastleCastle · English HeritageAuckland Castle Deer Shelter3.1 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumFaith Museum2.9 km outside town, to the northwestArt galleryMining Art Gallery2.9 km outside town, to the northwest

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Where each one is

Beyond the town, the 8 nearby are mostly to the northwest.

123456789

The dashed line is Shildon’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

What is on offer

5 museums or galleries and 3 castles or historic places top the count.

Museums & galleries 4 museums · 1 art gallery1 in town · 4 nearby
Castles & historic places 1 historic house · 1 castle · 1 historic site0 in town · 3 nearby
Zoos, theme parks & days out 1 theme park0 in town · 1 nearby

Green: inside Shildon. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

2 places are cared for by English Heritage (Auckland Castle and Auckland Castle Deer Shelter).

Every place

Everything on the list

One in town leads, with 8 more within 5 km of its edge after it.

The one inside Shildon comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

23 listed buildings are on Shildon’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Shildon →

Big names nearby

Day trips

Durham Castle, at 17 km, heads the 12.

CastleDurham Castle17 km northCathedralDurham Cathedral17 km northCastleRaby Castle11 km southwestCastle · English HeritageBarnard Castle Grounds21 km southwestMuseumBeamish Museum28 km north · 350K visitors a yearMuseum · English HeritageThe Bowes Museum20 km southwestCastleWitton Castle8.9 km northwestAbbey or priory · English HeritageMonkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey36 km northeastCastleWalworth Castle8 km southMuseumTurbinia38 km northCastle · English HeritageRichmond Castle26 km southCathedralNewcastle Cathedral38 km north

Places well known beyond Shildon (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Questions before you go to Shildon

What are the main attractions in Shildon?

The place to visit inside Shildon’s built-up area is Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildon. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 8 more within 5 km.

Does Shildon have a museum?

5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Shildon: Locomotion - The National Railway Museum at Shildon, Faith Museum, Mining Art Gallery and Aycliffe and District Bus Preservation Society.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Shildon?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Shildon, 2 places are cared for by English Heritage (Auckland Castle and Auckland Castle Deer Shelter).

What are the best-known days out near Shildon?

Within 40 km: Durham Castle (17 km), Durham Cathedral (17 km), Raby Castle (11 km), Barnard Castle Grounds (21 km).

Where are Shildon’s historic buildings listed?

Shildon has 23 listed buildings. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Shildon when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (15)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.