Chesterfield to honour George Stephenson with plaque

George Stephenson lived in Chesterfield for the last 10 years of his life

Railway pioneer George Stephenson is to be honoured in Derbyshire with a blue plaque.

The plaque will be unveiled at Chesterfield railway station on Friday as part of a county council scheme to celebrate important people and places.

The railway engineer lived in the town for 10 years and was behind the North Midland Railway that linked Derby with Leeds.

The plaque will be one of six placed across the county after a public vote.

County councillor Andrew Lewer said: "[Stephenson's] impact was enormous as his move to Tapton House in Chesterfield allowed him to supervise his business in the area - a lime quarry at Crich, limeworks at Ambergate and a coal and iron company at Clay Cross.

"Following our public vote, we are pleased to be adding to his substantial Derbyshire legacy with this plaque."

Stephenson was born in Wylam, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1781, and became known as the father of the railway after creating the first ever railway to carry passengers by steam locomotion.

Tapton House was his home for the last 10 years of his life. He died in 1848 and is buried at the town's Holy Trinity Church.