The site is open to the general public on five weekends each year when the engines are in operation, but many visitors also attend on other days of the week. Open Weekends in 2024 saw 3333 attendees and in 2025, with two weekends to go, we have already received over 2000 visitors. Although the number of visitors who turn up on other days of the week is not formally recorded, these probably contribute another 150-200 visitors each year.

The majority of visitors are from the local area but, due to worldwide interest, the site has received visitors from all over – USA, Netherlands, Spain, Australia, Germany, etc – mostly visiting Darlington for the first time.

The site is popular with local schools, Mowden Primary, St Mary’s Cockerton and Hummersknott Academy being regular visitors. The educational offering is very important as it provides an historical overview of the provision of clean water to industry and populations, being able to demonstrate the advancement in technology from steam to gas to electrical power. It also offers younger generations the opportunity to appreciate the specialist skills required to design, manufacture and assemble complex machinery without the aid of computers. The fully operational Blacksmiths Shop also demonstrates some of the specialist skills required to produce components necessary for the construction and maintenance of the historic engines.

Specialist interest groups also love the site and it is a popular stopping off point for motoring groups visiting the north east, and also for organisations of retirees, for example U3A groups, Cambridge University Alumni, and ICI retirees.

Providing such a service to the local and international community, requires a committed, knowledgeable and skilful team of volunteers to maintain the site, keep the engines in good operating condition and provide a professional environment in which to engage with our guests and provide a safe and enjoyable workspace for our volunteers.

Since 1982, when the site was first handed over to the initial set of volunteers, the association has grown from strength to strength. Today TCPS has a total of 81 members, 35 percent of whom are women, and 53 of whom are considered to be active, routinely attending the weekly maintenance days and supporting our Open Weekends. Wednesday maintenance days attract, on average, close to 30 volunteers and an Open Weekend requires of the order of 40 people to man the site. TCPS now accumulates a total of 15000 volunteer hours each year, making TCPS one of the largest, if not the largest, volunteer run organisation in the area.

The vast number of the volunteers are retired, with an average age of close to 70. The volunteers are from a wide range of backgrounds - milkman, teachers, brewers, hands-on engineers, graduate engineers, policemen, plumbers, electricians, HS&E professionals, IT specialists, and many more. Being retired, many, if not all, the volunteers look forward to, and enjoy, meeting their colleagues from differing workplace environments and either utilising their existing skill set or acquiring new skills at a time in their lives when this may not have been thought possible.

In addition, a number of the volunteers’ value being members of TCPS as it perhaps provides their only opportunity to ‘get out of the house’ and enjoy something of a new social life.

In conclusion, Tees Cottage Pumping Station plays an important role for the local community, providing an enjoyable and satisfying environment for retired women and men of a wide variety of disciplines, providing an interesting and educational experience for individuals, schools, and other interest groups, whilst introducing many people from the wider UK, Europe, and further afield, to Darlington and, at the same time maintaining and preserving this Scheduled Ancient Monument for the benefit of future generations.