A GUIDED walk giving a glimpse of Wylam's industrial past has sold out.

Walk the Line will take in George Stephenson's Birthplace in the village.

The free event was created by Wylam Parish Council with the National Trust, which has owned the cottage where the railway pioneer was born for nearly 70 years.

A guide will share stories of the old waggonway, the Newcastle to Carlisle Railway and the former North Wylam line which closed in 1968 before a tour of Stephenson's birthplace.

'Father of Railways' Stephenson spent the first eight years of his life in the humble cottage on Wylam Waggon Way.

The walk will also highlight other local railway pioneers including Timothy Hackworth and William Hedley, and Jonathan Forster, the trust has advertised.

"This free-to-join event has proven to be very popular with all 12 spaces for the first walk now already booked, with more dates being announced soon", said a spokeswoman for the National Trust.

"We’re looking forward to working with partners in Wylam on this and hope that those joining the walk enjoy the experience.

"Introducing this guided walk is the first step in exploring further opportunities for the occasional opening of George Stephenson’s Birthplace in the coming months."

George Stephenson's cottage opened in September for a series of heritage open days after the site fully closed in 2017.

The National Trust cited rising costs and a decline in visitor numbers at the time and said it was working to "re-evaluate how this special place can be used to provide an experience that inspires visitors."

The closure attracted considerable criticism with a long-running campaign launched and backed by residents, councillors and MP Guy Opperman, who called for a review into the National Trust in 2020 amid the national shutdown of sites, to safeguard the future of the property.

Mr Opperman said: “I am delighted that following our long-running campaign, George Stephenson’s Birthplace will finally be back open for visitors.

"I am delighted that they have listened and taken action, and I hope that visitor demand means we can see the birthplace open even more often throughout the coming years.”

The event is on October 30 from 10.30am.