Land of Oak & Iron are excited to host this new solo exhibition by Fiona Carvell, a local pastel artist and art tutor based in Shotley Bridge.

Fiona’s work will be on display in the ‘Inside Out Gallery’ windows at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill

Fiona graduated with a BA (Hons) in Illustration & Moving Image Design, from Suffolk College and the University of East London, which led to illustration commissions and a career in broadcasting.  She then trained at the BBC before moving to Sky Television in London as a graphic designer for several different television channels.

Fiona returned to her native North East in 2002 to take up a teaching post, specialising in graphic design and drawing.  She became a full time artist in 2015 and now works with Northumberland based Unison Colour as an Associate Artist, working almost exclusively with their handmade pastels to create her artwork. She became a member of The Pastel Guild of Europe in 2019, which recognises achievement and progression in the field.

Fiona regularly exhibits her work and was honoured to be included in the 121st annual exhibition of The Pastel Society at The Mall Galleries, London in 2020, where she was awarded the 2020 Royal Talens/Rembrandt Award and was delighted to have a piece selected for the 2021 exhibition. Fiona will also be exhibiting with The Society for Graphic Fine Art (The Drawing Society) in 2021, again at the Mall Galleries.

The wide variety of subject matters represented in Fiona’s work reflects an on-going drive to explore and develop as an artist. There are common threads which run throughout her work – contrasts of movement, stillness and a sense of physical space.  Each piece is a particular response or message, with the fundamentals of drawing and colour always being central to their execution.

All framed artworks are available to purchase, there will also be unframed works for sale in the shop.

Please speak to a member of staff if you are interested in purchasing one of the artworks.

www.fionacarvell.com

Join us for an evening of live music and fresh wood-fired pizza on the last Friday of every month.

Treat yourself to a delicious freshly made, wood-fired pizza from Lucca Pizza’s Vintage Trailer, which will be situated towards the rear of the Heritage Centre near the Courtyard area.

The amazing and talented Hop Skiffle & Jump band will also be performing a variety of Skiffle folk songs live in the courtyard for you to enjoy while you tuck into your pizza.

Alcoholic drinks (along with non alcoholic drinks) and sweet treats will be available to purchase from café shrub to enjoy alongside the pizza and music.

No need to book, just turn up and enjoy yourself on the last Friday of every month, between 6pm – 9pm (last food order 8.30pm).

Masks must be worn when entering the Heritage Centre to use the café, shop or toilets.  Sanitising spray and hand gel is available at both entrances.

Enjoy live music in the courtyard with the ‘Cloth Cap Temperance Band’ at Land of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre (Winlaton Mill) as part of Make Music Day celebrations.

Put together a group of some of the most experienced folk singers in the North East, point them at an audience and what do you get? Songs, tunes, humour, audience participation and a lot of fun!

The Cloth Cap Temperance Band is a lively mix of excellent singers and musicians who have a wealth of entertaining material and play a multitude of instruments. Expect to hear Geordie songs, expect to laugh, expect to join in but, most of all, expect to have a really good time!”

The line-up for The Land of Oak and Iron is Ken Tonge, Bill Elliott, Kevin Youldon, Mike Davidson, Colin McLelland, John Dixon and Alan Beadle.

Live performances outside near the courtyard, with sessions being played between 12 noon and 3.30pm (subject to weather).

‘Scoops n Smiles’ will also be selling lots of lovely flavours of ice cream from Mabel the heritage ice cream van too!  So lets hope for sunshine so we can eat ice-cream whilst enjoying an afternoon of local songs and tunes!

café shrub will be open for delicious take-out drinks, food and snacks.

Please observe social distancing with your family bubble keeping at least 2m from other visitors and the musicians.
Please follow current Covid-19 guidelines.

Masks must be worn when entering the Heritage Centre to use the café, shop or toilets.  Sanitising spray and hand gel is available at both entrances.

Spring is a great time to enjoy the delights of birdwatching.  Migrant birds have already arrived, joining resident birds. Nesting is in full swing with the adult birds keeping busy supplying food for their young.

Join local ornithologist Michael Turner on this early morning guided walk and learn how to identify by sight and sound the birds of the Lower Derwent Valley.

Also there is the option to purchase brunch or a hot drink to warm you up as you chat about the birds spotted on your walk.

Leaving from the Heritage Centre, the walk will be on regular footpaths with varying gradients.

Please bring binoculars if you have them and dress appropriately for the weather.

Sorry no dogs allowed on the walk please.

Tickets £9.50 per person. Places limited.

Three dates to choose from:

Booking essential.

Built in the 1720s, Derwentcote Steel Furnace is the earliest and most complete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain. Situated in the Derwent Valley, Derwentcote Steel Furnace was once at the centre of Britain’s steel industry.

Derwentcote Steel Furnace was a cementation furnace, a method which, when introduced to Britain during the early-mid eighteenth century, allowed steel to be produced in much larger quantities and to a more consistent standard.

The site fell into disrepair after its closure in 1891. In 1990 the site was restored by English Heritage. Unfortunately, in recent years, the interior of the site’s iconic ‘cone-shaped’ furnace has been largely closed to the public. In 2011, Channel 4’s Time Team uncovered a lost world of mill ponds and worker’s cottages hidden beneath the site’s extensive woodland. They also discovered the remains of a water wheel as well as a crucible furnace; a technological innovation that succeeded the cementation process.

The guided walks will be run by a team of dedicated and knowledgeable Volunteer Guides. Key features of the tours will include:

Handling collection, which volunteers can share with visitors to bring history to life.

Tour of both the interior of the conical furnace building, which has been previously closed to the public

Tour of the archaeological remains of various iron/steel works – including a crucible furnace, worker’s cottages and water wheel

Visitors who wish to explore the site independently can enjoy;

A Woodland Walk – this is a curated walk taking in the full site. Supported by signage and finger posts, the walk takes you past the conical furnace building, worker’s cottages and water wheel. The track snakes down to meet the river, where visitors can enjoy a rest on a beautifully carved bench.

Please note; although the woodland walk has been made accessible through the support of Land of Oak and Iron, the track is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The track can also become very boggy after rain.

A new set of interpretation panels featuring historical illustrations of how the site would have looked in its hey-day.

A series of poetry posts, developed in associated with the Land of Oak and Iron.

The following dates are available to book:

Saturday 29th May 2021, – Launch Day 10:00 am
Sunday 13th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 27th June 2021, 10:00 am
Wednesday 30th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 11th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 25th July 2021, 10:00 am
Friday 30th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 8th August 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 22nd August 2021, 10:00 am
Tuesday 31st August 2021, 10:00 am

Organised groups (for example History Societies, U3As or community groups) are asked to contact the site team directly to book a tour freetoenter.sites@english-heritage.org.uk

Booking essential

Land of Oak & Iron are excited to host the next of our regular ‘Meet the Maker‘ events at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill.  Our next Meet the Maker is with illustrator Sarah Glover.

Sarah Glover is a self taught wildlife, pet and portrait artist based at her home in Durham. Graphite pencils are her medium of choice and taking inspiration from the natural world she creates stunning lifelike portraits of our most favourite members of the animal kingdom.

When she draws wild animals she imagines them posing in front of a camera so they often look as though they’re making eye contact which helps to give each subject their own little character.

Sarah takes private commissions, usually for pet portraits, capturing the furry members of the family in pencil really makes an extra special gift. She loves drawing eyes, they really bring the drawing to life – especially when it’s a pet, getting the eyes just right really helps to capture their personality. .

As well as original drawings and prints, Sarah had a wonderful range of printed gifts including cups & coasters, greetings cards, notebooks, tote bags and cushions with more items being added to the range as time goes by.

Some of Sarah’s work is now available to view and purchase from the Heritage Centre shop (accessed via café shrub) in the 2 weeks running up to her Meet the Maker event.  Please also drop by to say hello to Sarah in person on Sunday 27th June to see some more of her original artworks, gifts and chat about having a portrait of your pet.

The Heritage Centre and all our events are fully risk assessed and Covid-19 compliant.

‘Meet the Maker’ will be outside under cover of the gazebo, social distancing will be in place for both the artist/makers and our visitors.  We have enhanced cleaning regimes in place, sanitiser and hand gel is available at both entrances to the Heritage Centre and face coverings to be worn when entering the building to use toilets, shop area and café shrub.

Built in the 1720s, Derwentcote Steel Furnace is the earliest and most complete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain. Situated in the Derwent Valley, Derwentcote Steel Furnace was once at the centre of Britain’s steel industry.

Derwentcote Steel Furnace was a cementation furnace, a method which, when introduced to Britain during the early-mid eighteenth century, allowed steel to be produced in much larger quantities and to a more consistent standard.

The site fell into disrepair after its closure in 1891. In 1990 the site was restored by English Heritage. Unfortunately, in recent years, the interior of the site’s iconic ‘cone-shaped’ furnace has been largely closed to the public. In 2011, Channel 4’s Time Team uncovered a lost world of mill ponds and worker’s cottages hidden beneath the site’s extensive woodland. They also discovered the remains of a water wheel as well as a crucible furnace; a technological innovation that succeeded the cementation process.

The guided walks will be run by a team of dedicated and knowledgeable Volunteer Guides. Key features of the tours will include:

Handling collection, which volunteers can share with visitors to bring history to life.

Tour of both the interior of the conical furnace building, which has been previously closed to the public

Tour of the archaeological remains of various iron/steel works – including a crucible furnace, worker’s cottages and water wheel

Visitors who wish to explore the site independently can enjoy;

A Woodland Walk – this is a curated walk taking in the full site. Supported by signage and finger posts, the walk takes you past the conical furnace building, worker’s cottages and water wheel. The track snakes down to meet the river, where visitors can enjoy a rest on a beautifully carved bench.

Please note; although the woodland walk has been made accessible through the support of Land of Oak and Iron, the track is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The track can also become very boggy after rain.

A new set of interpretation panels featuring historical illustrations of how the site would have looked in its hey-day.

A series of poetry posts, developed in associated with the Land of Oak and Iron.

The following dates are available to book:

Saturday 29th May 2021, – Launch Day 10:00 am
Sunday 13th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 27th June 2021, 10:00 am
Wednesday 30th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 11th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 25th July 2021, 10:00 am
Friday 30th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 8th August 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 22nd August 2021, 10:00 am
Tuesday 31st August 2021, 10:00 am

Organised groups (for example History Societies, U3As or community groups) are asked to contact the site team directly to book a tour freetoenter.sites@english-heritage.org.uk

Booking essential

Land of Oak & Iron are pleased to host this new solo exhibition by Holly M Scott, an artist and printmaker based in Middleton in Teesdale in County Durham.

Holly’s work can be seen on display in the ‘Inside Out Gallery’ windows at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill.

Known for her detailed, sensitive linocuts, Holly’s work conveys her lifelong enchantment with the natural world.
Long since spellbound by wildlife, and conscious of the significance of nature in her own everyday life, Holly’s work honours the tradition of mankind’s fascination and constant dialogue with the birds and animals
that surround us.

Borne from a strong connection to the land, and inspired by childhood memories and chance encounters with wildlife, her beautiful hand coloured lino prints touch upon folklore and seek to evoke the timelessness of animal lives.

All framed artworks are available to purchase, there will also be unframed works for sale in the shop.

Please speak to a member of staff if you are interested in purchasing one of the artworks.

Join in on the 1st Sunday of every month to make new discoveries while exploring the beautiful green spaces surrounding the Heritage Centre.  Activities will include discovering more about mini beasts, bees, trees, wild art and much more! 

There will be 6 different sessions to explore and discover many aspects of nature and wildlife.

Our next session will be led by Emily who loves all things to do with bees! Explore and discover all about our buzzy pollinating bee friends and also make a miniature bee garden to take home with you too!

£9.50 for 1 child + 1 adult

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Join us at the Land of Oak & Iron for a fused glass workshop with local glass artist Natalie Yates from Northern Sky Design.  Nat’s stunning work is on display and for sale in our shop area, her work is very popular and regularly sells out!

Join Nat in this creative workshop to create your own fused glass artwork, which will take place in café shrub at the Land of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre.  The space is a lovely, cosy place to be on an evening and you can enjoy a hot drink and delicious cake while Nat shows you how to create your own unique glass artwork panel ready for firing in Nat’s kiln.

A selection of prepared panels, resources, and materials will be provided to help you create your own unique piece.  Your creation will then be carefully taken away to be fused, framed and finished – ready to collect a week later from the Heritage Centre.

So why not treat yourself to a creative evening, come along with a friend or family member or maybe buy as a unique gift for someone special.

Limited places and booking essential, we expect this workshop to be very popular, so please reserve your place as soon as possible to avoid missing out. Tickets £47.50

Booking essential

Land of Oak & Iron are excited to host the next of our regular ‘Meet the Maker‘ events at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill.  Our next Meet the Maker is with artist Beth Huttley.

Beth is a local artist and art tutor based in the North East and has over ten years experience teaching art in prisons, schools/colleges and running community workshops.  Beth specialises in ceramics and in 2019 completed her MA in Glass and Ceramics at The National Glass Centre, Sunderland, where her studio is currently based.

Beth has a primary focus on Fimo (polymer clay), which she uses to create her ‘Little Shroom’ mushroom houses and jewellery products. During the pandemic Beth launched ‘Fungi-Fashion’, a company housing all things mushroom related – from clothing and tote-bags, to postcards and art-prints. Mushrooms and fungi have a big influence in Beth’s work, as well as being inspired by nature, she bases a lot of her creations on fungi she finds, which are combined with a fantasy element, bringing her creations to life.

In 2020 Beth and her artist partner formed ‘Huttly and Welch Creations’ – an art platform to house public and private commissions, workshops, exhibitions and events. Their recent commission includes a 6ft x 6ft sculpture of a seal, commissioned by North Tyneside Council, which is currently touring the North East coastlines. The sculpture was created to raise environmental awareness of pollution on our beaches and the damage this does to marine life, a topic Beth is most passionate about.

Some of Beth’s work will  be available to view and purchase from the Heritage Centre shop (accessed via café shrub) in the 2 weeks running up to her Meet the Maker event.  Please also drop by to say hello to Beth in person on Saturday 10th July to see some more of her original artworks, gifts and cute ‘Little Shroom’ clay creations.

The Heritage Centre and all our events are fully risk assessed and Covid-19 compliant.

‘Meet the Maker’ will be outside under cover of the gazebo, social distancing will be in place for both the artist/makers and our visitors.  We have enhanced cleaning regimes in place, sanitiser and hand gel is available at both entrances to the Heritage Centre and face coverings to be worn when entering the building to use toilets, shop area and café shrub.

Built in the 1720s, Derwentcote Steel Furnace is the earliest and most complete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain. Situated in the Derwent Valley, Derwentcote Steel Furnace was once at the centre of Britain’s steel industry.

Derwentcote Steel Furnace was a cementation furnace, a method which, when introduced to Britain during the early-mid eighteenth century, allowed steel to be produced in much larger quantities and to a more consistent standard.

The site fell into disrepair after its closure in 1891. In 1990 the site was restored by English Heritage. Unfortunately, in recent years, the interior of the site’s iconic ‘cone-shaped’ furnace has been largely closed to the public. In 2011, Channel 4’s Time Team uncovered a lost world of mill ponds and worker’s cottages hidden beneath the site’s extensive woodland. They also discovered the remains of a water wheel as well as a crucible furnace; a technological innovation that succeeded the cementation process.

The guided walks will be run by a team of dedicated and knowledgeable Volunteer Guides. Key features of the tours will include:

Handling collection, which volunteers can share with visitors to bring history to life.

Tour of both the interior of the conical furnace building, which has been previously closed to the public

Tour of the archaeological remains of various iron/steel works – including a crucible furnace, worker’s cottages and water wheel

Visitors who wish to explore the site independently can enjoy;

A Woodland Walk – this is a curated walk taking in the full site. Supported by signage and finger posts, the walk takes you past the conical furnace building, worker’s cottages and water wheel. The track snakes down to meet the river, where visitors can enjoy a rest on a beautifully carved bench.

Please note; although the woodland walk has been made accessible through the support of Land of Oak and Iron, the track is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The track can also become very boggy after rain.

A new set of interpretation panels featuring historical illustrations of how the site would have looked in its hey-day.

A series of poetry posts, developed in associated with the Land of Oak and Iron.

The following dates are available to book:

Saturday 29th May 2021, – Launch Day 10:00 am
Sunday 13th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 27th June 2021, 10:00 am
Wednesday 30th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 11th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 25th July 2021, 10:00 am
Friday 30th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 8th August 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 22nd August 2021, 10:00 am
Tuesday 31st August 2021, 10:00 am

Organised groups (for example History Societies, U3As or community groups) are asked to contact the site team directly to book a tour freetoenter.sites@english-heritage.org.uk

Booking essential

Social distancing will be in place for both the artist/makers and participants.  We have enhanced cleaning regimes in place, sanitiser and hand gel is available at both entrances to the Heritage Centre and face coverings to be worn when entering the building to use toilets, shop area and café shrub.

Social distancing will be in place for both the artist/makers and participants.  We have enhanced cleaning regimes in place, sanitiser and hand gel is available at both entrances to the Heritage Centre and face coverings to be worn when entering the building to use toilets, shop area and café  shrub.

Spring is a great time to enjoy the delights of birdwatching.  Migrant birds have already arrived, joining resident birds.  Nesting is in full swing with the adult birds keeping busy supplying food for their young.

Also there is the option to purchase brunch or a drink from café shrub as you chat about the birds spotted on your walk.

Leaving from the Heritage Centre, the walk will be on regular footpaths with varying gradients.

Please bring binoculars if you have them and dress appropriately for the weather.

Limited places to allow for social distancing. Sorry no dogs.

Tickets £9.50 per person

Booking essential

Built in the 1720s, Derwentcote Steel Furnace is the earliest and most complete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain. Situated in the Derwent Valley, Derwentcote Steel Furnace was once at the centre of Britain’s steel industry.

Derwentcote Steel Furnace was a cementation furnace, a method which, when introduced to Britain during the early-mid eighteenth century, allowed steel to be produced in much larger quantities and to a more consistent standard.

The site fell into disrepair after its closure in 1891. In 1990 the site was restored by English Heritage. Unfortunately, in recent years, the interior of the site’s iconic ‘cone-shaped’ furnace has been largely closed to the public. In 2011, Channel 4’s Time Team uncovered a lost world of mill ponds and worker’s cottages hidden beneath the site’s extensive woodland. They also discovered the remains of a water wheel as well as a crucible furnace; a technological innovation that succeeded the cementation process.

The guided walks will be run by a team of dedicated and knowledgeable Volunteer Guides. Key features of the tours will include:

Handling collection, which volunteers can share with visitors to bring history to life.

Tour of both the interior of the conical furnace building, which has been previously closed to the public

Tour of the archaeological remains of various iron/steel works – including a crucible furnace, worker’s cottages and water wheel

Visitors who wish to explore the site independently can enjoy;

A Woodland Walk – this is a curated walk taking in the full site. Supported by signage and finger posts, the walk takes you past the conical furnace building, worker’s cottages and water wheel. The track snakes down to meet the river, where visitors can enjoy a rest on a beautifully carved bench.

Please note; although the woodland walk has been made accessible through the support of Land of Oak and Iron, the track is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The track can also become very boggy after rain.

A new set of interpretation panels featuring historical illustrations of how the site would have looked in its hey-day.

A series of poetry posts, developed in associated with the Land of Oak and Iron.

The following dates are available to book:

Saturday 29th May 2021, – Launch Day 10:00 am
Sunday 13th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 27th June 2021, 10:00 am
Wednesday 30th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 11th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 25th July 2021, 10:00 am
Friday 30th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 8th August 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 22nd August 2021, 10:00 am
Tuesday 31st August 2021, 10:00 am

Organised groups (for example History Societies, U3As or community groups) are asked to contact the site team directly to book a tour freetoenter.sites@english-heritage.org.uk

Booking essential

Built in the 1720s, Derwentcote Steel Furnace is the earliest and most complete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain. Situated in the Derwent Valley, Derwentcote Steel Furnace was once at the centre of Britain’s steel industry.

Derwentcote Steel Furnace was a cementation furnace, a method which, when introduced to Britain during the early-mid eighteenth century, allowed steel to be produced in much larger quantities and to a more consistent standard.

The site fell into disrepair after its closure in 1891. In 1990 the site was restored by English Heritage. Unfortunately, in recent years, the interior of the site’s iconic ‘cone-shaped’ furnace has been largely closed to the public. In 2011, Channel 4’s Time Team uncovered a lost world of mill ponds and worker’s cottages hidden beneath the site’s extensive woodland. They also discovered the remains of a water wheel as well as a crucible furnace; a technological innovation that succeeded the cementation process.

The guided walks will be run by a team of dedicated and knowledgeable Volunteer Guides. Key features of the tours will include:

Handling collection, which volunteers can share with visitors to bring history to life.

Tour of both the interior of the conical furnace building, which has been previously closed to the public

Tour of the archaeological remains of various iron/steel works – including a crucible furnace, worker’s cottages and water wheel

Visitors who wish to explore the site independently can enjoy;

A Woodland Walk – this is a curated walk taking in the full site. Supported by signage and finger posts, the walk takes you past the conical furnace building, worker’s cottages and water wheel. The track snakes down to meet the river, where visitors can enjoy a rest on a beautifully carved bench.

Please note; although the woodland walk has been made accessible through the support of Land of Oak and Iron, the track is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The track can also become very boggy after rain.

A new set of interpretation panels featuring historical illustrations of how the site would have looked in its hey-day.

A series of poetry posts, developed in associated with the Land of Oak and Iron.

The following dates are available to book:

Saturday 29th May 2021, – Launch Day 10:00 am
Sunday 13th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 27th June 2021, 10:00 am
Wednesday 30th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 11th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 25th July 2021, 10:00 am
Friday 30th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 8th August 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 22nd August 2021, 10:00 am
Tuesday 31st August 2021, 10:00 am

Organised groups (for example History Societies, U3As or community groups) are asked to contact the site team directly to book a tour freetoenter.sites@english-heritage.org.uk

Booking essential

Join us for an evening of live music and fresh wood-fired pizza on the last Friday of every month.

Treat yourself to a delicious freshly made, wood-fired pizza from Lucca Pizza’s Vintage Trailer, which will be situated towards the rear of the Heritage Centre near the Courtyard area.

The amazing and talented Hop Skiffle & Jump band will also be performing a variety of Skiffle folk songs live in the courtyard for you to enjoy while you tuck into your pizza.

Alcoholic drinks (along with non alcoholic drinks) and sweet treats will be available to purchase from café shrub to enjoy alongside the pizza and music.

No need to book, just turn up and enjoy yourself on the last Friday of every month, between 6pm – 9pm (last food order 8.30pm).

Masks must be worn when entering the Heritage Centre to use the café, shop or toilets.  Sanitising spray and hand gel is available at both entrances.

Built in the 1720s, Derwentcote Steel Furnace is the earliest and most complete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain. Situated in the Derwent Valley, Derwentcote Steel Furnace was once at the centre of Britain’s steel industry.

Derwentcote Steel Furnace was a cementation furnace, a method which, when introduced to Britain during the early-mid eighteenth century, allowed steel to be produced in much larger quantities and to a more consistent standard.

The site fell into disrepair after its closure in 1891. In 1990 the site was restored by English Heritage. Unfortunately, in recent years, the interior of the site’s iconic ‘cone-shaped’ furnace has been largely closed to the public. In 2011, Channel 4’s Time Team uncovered a lost world of mill ponds and worker’s cottages hidden beneath the site’s extensive woodland. They also discovered the remains of a water wheel as well as a crucible furnace; a technological innovation that succeeded the cementation process.

The guided walks will be run by a team of dedicated and knowledgeable Volunteer Guides. Key features of the tours will include:

Handling collection, which volunteers can share with visitors to bring history to life.

Tour of both the interior of the conical furnace building, which has been previously closed to the public

Tour of the archaeological remains of various iron/steel works – including a crucible furnace, worker’s cottages and water wheel

Visitors who wish to explore the site independently can enjoy;

A Woodland Walk – this is a curated walk taking in the full site. Supported by signage and finger posts, the walk takes you past the conical furnace building, worker’s cottages and water wheel. The track snakes down to meet the river, where visitors can enjoy a rest on a beautifully carved bench.

Please note; although the woodland walk has been made accessible through the support of Land of Oak and Iron, the track is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The track can also become very boggy after rain.

A new set of interpretation panels featuring historical illustrations of how the site would have looked in its hey-day.

A series of poetry posts, developed in associated with the Land of Oak and Iron.

The following dates are available to book:

Saturday 29th May 2021, – Launch Day 10:00 am
Sunday 13th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 27th June 2021, 10:00 am
Wednesday 30th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 11th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 25th July 2021, 10:00 am
Friday 30th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 8th August 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 22nd August 2021, 10:00 am
Tuesday 31st August 2021, 10:00 am

Organised groups (for example History Societies, U3As or community groups) are asked to contact the site team directly to book a tour freetoenter.sites@english-heritage.org.uk

Booking essential

Booking essential.

Built in the 1720s, Derwentcote Steel Furnace is the earliest and most complete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain. Situated in the Derwent Valley, Derwentcote Steel Furnace was once at the centre of Britain’s steel industry.

Derwentcote Steel Furnace was a cementation furnace, a method which, when introduced to Britain during the early-mid eighteenth century, allowed steel to be produced in much larger quantities and to a more consistent standard.

The site fell into disrepair after its closure in 1891. In 1990 the site was restored by English Heritage. Unfortunately, in recent years, the interior of the site’s iconic ‘cone-shaped’ furnace has been largely closed to the public. In 2011, Channel 4’s Time Team uncovered a lost world of mill ponds and worker’s cottages hidden beneath the site’s extensive woodland. They also discovered the remains of a water wheel as well as a crucible furnace; a technological innovation that succeeded the cementation process.

The guided walks will be run by a team of dedicated and knowledgeable Volunteer Guides. Key features of the tours will include:

Handling collection, which volunteers can share with visitors to bring history to life.

Tour of both the interior of the conical furnace building, which has been previously closed to the public

Tour of the archaeological remains of various iron/steel works – including a crucible furnace, worker’s cottages and water wheel

Visitors who wish to explore the site independently can enjoy;

A Woodland Walk – this is a curated walk taking in the full site. Supported by signage and finger posts, the walk takes you past the conical furnace building, worker’s cottages and water wheel. The track snakes down to meet the river, where visitors can enjoy a rest on a beautifully carved bench.

Please note; although the woodland walk has been made accessible through the support of Land of Oak and Iron, the track is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The track can also become very boggy after rain.

A new set of interpretation panels featuring historical illustrations of how the site would have looked in its hey-day.

A series of poetry posts, developed in associated with the Land of Oak and Iron.

The following dates are available to book:

Saturday 29th May 2021, – Launch Day 10:00 am
Sunday 13th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 27th June 2021, 10:00 am
Wednesday 30th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 11th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 25th July 2021, 10:00 am
Friday 30th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 8th August 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 22nd August 2021, 10:00 am
Tuesday 31st August 2021, 10:00 am

Organised groups (for example History Societies, U3As or community groups) are asked to contact the site team directly to book a tour freetoenter.sites@english-heritage.org.uk

Booking essential

Social distancing will be in place for both the artist/makers and participants.  We have enhanced cleaning regimes in place, sanitiser and hand gel is available at both entrances to the Heritage Centre and face coverings to be worn when entering the building to use toilets, shop area and café shrub.

Join us for an evening of live music and fresh wood-fired pizza on the last Friday of every month.

Treat yourself to a delicious freshly made, wood-fired pizza from Lucca Pizza’s Vintage Trailer, which will be situated towards the rear of the Heritage Centre near the Courtyard area.

The amazing and talented Hop Skiffle & Jump band will also be performing a variety of Skiffle folk songs live in the courtyard for you to enjoy while you tuck into your pizza.

Alcoholic drinks (along with non alcoholic drinks) and sweet treats will be available to purchase from café shrub to enjoy alongside the pizza and music.

No need to book, just turn up and enjoy yourself on the last Friday of every month, between 6pm – 9pm (last food order 8.30pm).

Masks must be worn when entering the Heritage Centre to use the café, shop or toilets.  Sanitising spray and hand gel is available at both entrances.

Built in the 1720s, Derwentcote Steel Furnace is the earliest and most complete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain. Situated in the Derwent Valley, Derwentcote Steel Furnace was once at the centre of Britain’s steel industry.

Derwentcote Steel Furnace was a cementation furnace, a method which, when introduced to Britain during the early-mid eighteenth century, allowed steel to be produced in much larger quantities and to a more consistent standard.

The site fell into disrepair after its closure in 1891. In 1990 the site was restored by English Heritage. Unfortunately, in recent years, the interior of the site’s iconic ‘cone-shaped’ furnace has been largely closed to the public. In 2011, Channel 4’s Time Team uncovered a lost world of mill ponds and worker’s cottages hidden beneath the site’s extensive woodland. They also discovered the remains of a water wheel as well as a crucible furnace; a technological innovation that succeeded the cementation process.

The guided walks will be run by a team of dedicated and knowledgeable Volunteer Guides. Key features of the tours will include:

Handling collection, which volunteers can share with visitors to bring history to life.

Tour of both the interior of the conical furnace building, which has been previously closed to the public

Tour of the archaeological remains of various iron/steel works – including a crucible furnace, worker’s cottages and water wheel

Visitors who wish to explore the site independently can enjoy;

A Woodland Walk – this is a curated walk taking in the full site. Supported by signage and finger posts, the walk takes you past the conical furnace building, worker’s cottages and water wheel. The track snakes down to meet the river, where visitors can enjoy a rest on a beautifully carved bench.

Please note; although the woodland walk has been made accessible through the support of Land of Oak and Iron, the track is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The track can also become very boggy after rain.

A new set of interpretation panels featuring historical illustrations of how the site would have looked in its hey-day.

A series of poetry posts, developed in associated with the Land of Oak and Iron.

The following dates are available to book:

Saturday 29th May 2021, – Launch Day 10:00 am
Sunday 13th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 27th June 2021, 10:00 am
Wednesday 30th June 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 11th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 25th July 2021, 10:00 am
Friday 30th July 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 8th August 2021, 10:00 am
Sunday 22nd August 2021, 10:00 am
Tuesday 31st August 2021, 10:00 am

Organised groups (for example History Societies, U3As or community groups) are asked to contact the site team directly to book a tour freetoenter.sites@english-heritage.org.uk

Booking essential