Local dignitaries at the George Stephenson Civic Service at the Holy Trinity Church in Chesterfield in 2025.

George Stephenson Day 2026 will take place on Saturday, June 13th, from 10am until 4pm at the Newbold Road church, the final resting place of the pioneering engineer known as the ‘Father of Railways’.

The event forms part of a wider George Stephenson heritage initiative, supported by a £240,600 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and additional backing from partners including Graysons Solicitors, EMR, CrossCountry Rail, the Raymond Ross Fund and Holy Trinity Church itself.

George Stephenson Day flyer

Visitors attending the day will also be among the first to see Holy Trinity’s new kitchen and toilet facilities as they near completion. The improvements are part of an ambitious programme transforming the church into both a place of worship and a visitor destination celebrating Chesterfield’s railway and industrial story.

A major highlight of the event will be the first public display at Holy Trinity of rare artefacts connected to the historic Clay Cross Company. Founded by George Stephenson in 1837, the Clay Cross Company became one of the region’s defining industrial concerns, producing coal, iron, bricks, pipes and minerals during the height of Britain’s industrial expansion.

Peter Clark, managing partner at Graysons Solicitors, said:

“We’re proud to support a project that not only celebrates one of the most important figures in British engineering history, but also shines a light on Chesterfield’s wider industrial heritage. George Stephenson Day promises to be a fantastic opportunity for the community to engage with the town’s remarkable past and to see the exciting transformation taking place at Holy Trinity.”