THE WYLAM birthplace of the famous “Father of Railways” has been closed by the National Trust.

George Stephenson spent the first eight years of his life in a humble cottage in Wylam.

For the last 68 years George Stephenson’s Birthplace has been cared for by the National Trust. The visitor attraction, which sits on the Wylam Waggon Way, also featured a tea-room and garden.

However on January 29, the trust moved to close the visitor attraction, citing rising costs and dwindling visitor numbers.

The cottage will remain closed for the rest of the year and though the National Trust describes the closure as temporary, its future is uncertain.

A National Trust spokesman said: “We’ll be using this time to re-evaluate how this special place can be used to provide an experience that inspires visitors, whilst also being mindful of our limited charitable resources.”

However the shock closure has caught the Wylam community by surprise.

Wylam Parish Council said the National Trust did not notify them of the closure.

Vice-chairman, Coun. Tom Martin said the issue would be discussed at the next parish council meeting.

He said: “The feeling in the village is one of disappointment that no consultation appears to have taken place.

“This is clearly something the National Trust has been thinking of, if it had made that known, possible solutions could have been put forward.

“I’m very upset by the news that something of such significance to Wylam has closed.

“It is a huge part of the village’s social history and there are volunteers who do an awful lot of work there who will also be affected.”