Urban changes in Darlington

The town of Darlington in northern England began life as a small market town, but it is mostly associated with the development of railways, and grew substantially over the course of the 20th century.

Central Business District (CBD)

The CBD can be clearly identified by all of the main roads converging into the centre as a series of roundabouts. It contains important retail areas, including the Cornmill shopping centre and the Indoor Market hall, as well as the outdoor market square. It also contains important services, including the town hall and the bus station.

Housing

1900- 1940

Terraced housing was built around the CBD in a gridiron pattern for industrial workers, especially for those working on the railways. These houses were small and had no gardens, just a paved yard to the rear, but have now been modernised with features such as garage blocks, and are suitable for small families, couples or first time buyers. These have proved particularly attractive due to convenient access to the town centre and railway station.

1950s

There was a need for post war housing due to the baby boom, so "Geometric" style estates were constructed, the main ones being Blackwell (particularly noticeable due to their white pebbledashed exterior, flat roofs and metal flat windows) and the Harrogate Hill area. These houses were ideal for the typical '2.5 children' family, with front and rear gardens and large, spacious rooms, although they were much less affordable than the terraced housing around the CBD. They are recognisable by their large bow windows and 'sunburst' style glass doors and gates.

1960s

The increasing population levels in Darlington meant another phase of housing construction, 1960's 'curvilinear' streets, identifiable by their spiralled streets and cul-de-sacs. These houses were 'affordable' to new families, although more affluent than central terraced housing (although they had less character than older housing, many were constructed in a 1930s style with bow windows and arches around the door) These houses were constructed away from the CBD and were located near the 'rural' area, with good road links to other towns. These areas include 'Hummersknott', 'Branksome', and a large proprotion of East Darlington (Firthmoor, Eastbourne and Haughton/ Redhall). Skerne Park was constructed around 1960 as a council estate to provide affordable housing to medium sized families. This area is currently undergoing minor regeneration, the main focus being the restoration of the South Park and the addition of new semi-detached housing, and the re-building of Skerne Park Primary school. Many homes in Hummersknott were built as detached properties and aimed at large families, due to a shortage of these types of homes at the time.

1980s

A more recent phase of housing development has resulted in the construction of 'curvilinear' estates, similar to the 1960s ones, although the rooms of these homes are typically smaller than the 1960s estates. These affordable homes were again built near the rural outskirts and away from the noisy CBD. They are suited to small families. Many people argue that these homes are built to a lower quality compared to the 1960s estates and the rooms are smaller.

Industry

Darlington is famous for its railway industry, dating back to the 1830s (George Stephenson's "Rocket" was invented around this time) and during the industrial revolution, Darlington was the world's largest producer of linen. However, trains are no longer constructed in Darlington due to changing technologies and the development of modern businesses. The Lingfield estate and Yarm Road industrial estate are examples of this, and include modern office blocks and factories, as well as services (such as hotels) and retail (Morton Park Shopping centre). Faverdale industrial estate and River View industrial estate are smaller industrial estates, but have been constructed near the railway, an obvious advantage for transportation of materials and communication. All of the estates are located close to main roads and are easily expandable.