A Stevenage crematorium will open its grounds to allow people to watch the Flying Scotsman's visit to the town on Friday.

Harwood Park Crematorium in Watton Road is just 500 metres from the railway line and will provide a great view of the iconic locomotive for avid trainspotters.

The grounds will be open from 8am on Friday, June 23, with the Flying Scotsman expected to steam by at around 9am.

"The route will bring the Flying Scotsman past Harwood Park Crematorium, and we are sure that many local and further afield train enthusiasts will be trying to get a glimpse," said David Hall, superintendent and registrar at Harwood Park Crematorium.

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"We are going to be opening the grounds early, 8am, to allow anyone to get a good view from a safe area.

"We have put a period railway station sign in place to make the flying Scotsman feel at home as it comes past."

As part of the Flying Scotsman Centenary celebrations organised by the National Railway Museum, The Railway Touring Company is running a series of mainline steam tours across the country.

Among those is The Great Yarmouth Flyer on Friday, June 23, which will see the Flying Scotsman make a stop at Stevenage.

READ MORE: When will the iconic Flying Scotsman train be in Stevenage?

The locomotive will leave London King’s Cross in the morning, before passing through Alexandra Palace and taking the Great Northern route via Hertford North.

Stevenage will be the final pick up point, before continuing via Royston to Cambridge, and then travelling through scenic Cambridgeshire and the Fens with wonderful views of Ely Cathedral.

The Flying Scotsman will reverse at Norwich, before being diesel-hauled onto the popular east coast seaside resort of Great Yarmouth.

Officially the first steam locomotive to reach 100mph, 60103 Flying Scotsman left Doncaster Works in 1923.

Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built for the LNER, the locomotive was named ‘Flying Scotsman’ after operating the daily 10am service between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, and continued in regular service until 1963 and then later in preservation. 

Today, it is owned by the National Railway Museum in York and is operated and maintained by Riley & Son (E) Ltd.