This Geocache would not look out of place on the neck of Frankenstein's monster.
West End Conservation Area (formerly known as Stanhope / Grange Road Conservation Area) was designated in 1975 and enlarged in 1990 and 1999. Featuring the best of Darlington’s early suburban development from the 18th to 20th Century, this Conservation Area has a varied character that provides instructive forms for future suburban development as well as its own intrinsic value. Primarily located to the west of the Town Centre Conservation Area and extending as far as the Cockerton Conservation Area and Carmel Road, this extensive part of Darlington has extensive tree cover and significant open spaces.
The West End Conservation area suffers from a number of intrusive features: • The replacement of original timber windows with UPVC has damaged the character of the area in some cases. This is limited at present on the whole, but it also shows a trend that causes concern. • The surface car park of the nearby Supermarket and the lack of enclosure or boundary makes a poor contribution to the character of the area. • A number of poor quality house extensions. • Infill development of gap sites with buildings of an inappropriate scale and form or displaying poor detailing. • Modern developments behind walls or with an uncharacteristic relationship to the street. • Development pressure on the extensive gardens that are found in some parts of the area. • Extensions to the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College • The loss of railings and walls.