The photographs cover the length of the Derwent Valley, from the Derwent Reservoir in the foothills of the North Pennines and Shotley Bridge in County Durham to Clockburn Lake here in Derwenthaugh Park and Prudhoe Castle in Northumberland.

Thanks to all those who submitted photographs to the competition.

Do you have a favourite image in the exhibition? Complete a voting slip and hand in to a member of our team at the Heritage Centre.

The photographer with the most votes will be awarded with a certificate.

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 Anke, a local artist, creator, designer and maker @desayn (pronounced /di-zIEn/).

Anke will not be hosting an in person Meet the Maker event at the Heritage Centre, however her work will be on display and available to purchase in our shop area at the Heritage Centre between 15th – 29th October.

“My work is inspired by life & love and locations, I love creating an eclectic mix of art & jewellery”.

Anke works with precious & mixed metals as well as all kinds of mixed media, including preloved maps and natural resources such as sea glass, beach found pottery, driftwood and moss.

Fulfilling a teenage dream, Anke learned silver smithing between 2016-2019 studying in Bensham.

Through her jewellery making she then ventured into creating larger metal art pieces, mainly inspired by the wonderful North East and its landmarks and historic buildings.  Her artistic copper version of the Tyne Bridge was picked to be included into Newcastle Cathedral’s time capsule buried until 2121.  “I feel very honoured being a part of this historic event”.

Anke’s latest art range is dedicated to Scotland – a place close to her heart after writing her thesis about Scottish Whisky.  She also met and married her County Durham husband there too.

Anke has various ranges of work, including ‘Love your Life’ jewellery – themed around life and love, along with her Northern Jewellery range focussed on northern words or sayings and her new range which currently includes a coo #duncanthe coo and a stag #wallacethestag.

Instagram: @desayn.art

In the run-up to the COP 26 Conference in Glasgow this November, Land of Oak & Iron are creating a week of events including a book launch, art display and performances on the theme of the climate change emergency, showing positive ways that individuals and organisations in our area are working to address the challenge.

So far we have the following planned at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill:

• Art display by Gibside Sewing Group – all created by recycling materials. All week (no booking required).
• Land of Oak & Iron Trust book launch ‘Releasing the Genie of Coal’, exploring the past, present and future of industry and innovation in the Derwent Valley.  Further details and booking for 19th October: ‘Releasing the Genie of Coal’ Book Launch | Land of Oak and Iron
• Wildlife & Biodiversity Guided Walk. Further details and booking for 23rd October: Wildlife and Biodiversity Guided Walk | Land of Oak and Iron
• Live music in the Heritage Centre with local folk musicians on 23rd October (no booking required).
• Short dance performance in the Courtyard with Eliot Smith Dance on 23rd October (no booking required).
• Family craft activities creating bird feeders, wildflower seed bombs and more on 24th October.

More details coming soon of our events during the week 18th – 24th October – watch this space and check our website ‘What’s On’ and social media events pages.

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Ahead of the Glasgow COP26 Conference in November, the Land of Oak & Iron is organising a programme of related events including the launch of the new book ‘Releasing the Genie of Coal’ on Tuesday 19th October.

Working with Peter Stark OBE and Dr William Lancaster (old friends and local lads), Land of Oak & Iron Trust volunteers have produced this new book in which historian Bill Lancaster reveals how nationally significant the Derwent Valley has been in the development of the mining industry; and Peter Stark’s visionary essay poses the fascinating question as to whether the level of innovation involved in the industrial developments in the area’s deep mining, railways and coal-fired power stations could not now be applied to the global challenges we face.

Hosted by Ros Rigby OBE, the evening will include a presentation by Peter Stark, after which you will have the opportunity for questions.

Then local resident, former CEO of National Energy Action and energy consumer advocate Jenny Saunders CBE will talk about the current situation in the North East: how the area has already played a role in developing new technologies and what is needed to encourage entrepreneurs and new developments by the energy companies.

The book is illustrated with colour photographs, graphs, historic maps and engravings and can be purchased at the book launch and also from the Land of Oak & Iron History Portal: Land of Oak & Iron | Climate Crisis (landofoakandironlocalhistoryportal.org.uk)

Tickets for the evening event at the Heritage Centre are £12.50 including a glass of wine (or juice) and a platter of nibbles.  Please note you may need to share a table with other guests.

For schools, there is also a free downloadable resource aimed at KS4/5 and staff CPD .  You can find out more abut the Trust’s work with schools and download the presentation from Land of Oak & Iron Trust’s History Portal.

Booking essential

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

In the run-up to the COP 26 Conference in Glasgow this November, Land of Oak & Iron are creating a week of events including a book launch, art display and performances on the theme of the climate change emergency, showing positive ways that individuals and organisations in our area are working to address the challenge.

On Friday 22nd October, Northern Gas Networks will be at the Heritage Centre talking about the UK’s first homes to demonstrate 100% hydrogen appliances which are open to the public at their site at Low Thornley, near Winlaton.

Heating homes accounts for 30% of carbon emissions so, as we move towards the Government’s target of reaching Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, the way we heat our homes needs to change.  Hydrogen can play a key role as it doesn’t produce any carbon when burned.

The homes in Low Thornley provide the first real-life glimpse into a hydrogen-fuelled home of the future and are fitted with boilers, cookers, hobs and fires which look and feel and feel like the natural gas versions used today. These homes are playing a key role in familiarising the public and industry with the use of hydrogen.

Drop into the Heritage Centre anytime between 10.30am and 1pm to find out more.

Find out more about our other events during our climate week 18th – 24th October through our ‘What’s On’ and social media events pages.

LAND OF OAK & IRON’S PAINTED PUMPKIN TRAIL

It’s back again! The Land of Oak & Iron Painted Pumpkin Trail!

After the popularity of last year’s trail – we have once again enlisted our artist friends and our staff team to get creative by hand painting spooky pumpkins for our Painted Pumpkin Trail!

Visit the Heritage Centre and pick up a trail page during half-term, Saturday 23rd – Sunday 31st October, 10am – 4pm, then find and name all the different painted pumpkins that you find.

OCTOBER HALF TERM SPOOKY POTIONS & SPELLS

On Tuesday 26th, Wednesday 27th & Thursday 28th October you can also drop in anytime between 11am – 3pm and make a Halloween potion and write a spooky spell using a quill pen and ink.

Take a photograph of your spookily dressed child while taking part in our Halloween activities at the Heritage Centre, upload to our Facebook page saying which painted pumpkin is your favourite and add the tag #paintedpumpkintrail

Suggested donation £3 per child – all donations help us stage this and our other fun events for families and will also go towards the funds were raising for a play park.

In the run-up to the COP 26 Conference in Glasgow this November, Land of Oak & Iron are creating a week of events including a book launch, art display and performances on the theme of the climate change emergency, showing positive ways that individuals and organisations in our area are working to address the challenge.

On Saturday 23rd October we welcome back some of our regular musician friends to the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill.  Expect to hear some of the most experienced folk singers and musicians in the North East as they bring with them local songs about the rivers and industries of the area.

The line up will be Bill Elliott (of the Elliotts of Birtley), Kevin Youldon, Ken Tonge, and Alan Beadle of Kiddar’s Luck with a range of folk tunes about mining and life in the north east.

This is free to attend and no booking required.

There will be a break between 2pm – 2.30pm for Eliot Smith’s dance performance in the Courtyard (weather dependant).

Check our website ‘What’s On’ and social media events pages for other events during our climate awareness week.

‘Roots From Within’ is a short community dance work created by Eliot Smith and in collaboration with the community dancers. The dance takes it’s inspiration from nature and explores the climate crisis.

This performance includes a short excerpt from Smith’s upcoming new work, LIFE, performed by one cutting-edge dancer, set to an original piece of music by the award-winning composer Adam Johnson.

Eliot Smith Dance acknowledge the support for this event from Arts Council England, Community Foundation / Newcastle Culture Investment Fund, Northumberland Arts Development and The Land of Oak and Iron.

Please note this is an outdoor event in the Heritage Centre courtyard and is free for the public to attend – no booking is required.

This event may be cancelled due to the wet weather. Duration 20 minutes.

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

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.

On the 29th October, we have Bill Elliott and Kevin Youldon performing live for you to enjoy while you tuck into your pizza.

Musicians for our November and December pizza evenings will be announced soon. (Our December evening is earlier in the month on December 11th).

As the colder weather settles in, we will move the musicians and event indoors, however we are ever hopeful for some lovely Autumn evenings where we can still make use of the Courtyard area.

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.

Local children’s author and illustrator Monique Scott will be reading her book Two Little Mice along with some other books that she has illustrated in this storytelling session.

Monique will then lead a craft activity for all the children to take part in.

After the session you could then set off on a little walk with your family to collect twigs and leaves and make a little house for a mouse – take a photograph and upload to our Facebook page with #OakIronMouseHouse

There will also be the opportunity to purchase signed copies of Monique’s books and merchandise – which would make such lovely Christmas presents.

No need to book, but places limited so please arrive early to guarantee your place.

£3 per child – donations help towards running these activities and also go towards the funds we’re raising for a new play park.

Local children’s author and illustrator Monique Scott will be reading her book Two Little Mice along with some other books that she has illustrated in this storytelling session.

Monique will then lead a craft activity for all the children to take part in.

After the session you could then set off on a little walk with your family to collect twigs and leaves and make a little house for a mouse – take a photograph and upload to our Facebook page with #OakIronMouseHouse

There will also be the opportunity to purchase signed copies of Monique’s books and merchandise – which would make such lovely Christmas presents.

No need to book, but places limited so please arrive early to guarantee your place.

£3 per child – donations help towards running these activities and also go towards the funds we’re raising for a new play park.

Local ornithologist Michael Turner will lead you on this guided walk around the Lower Derwent Valley, helping you to identify the birds of autumn and uncovering some of their ancient folklore.

Why do we have a ‘murder’ of crows? What garden bird was hunted and sacrificed on St Stephen’s Day and which of the nation’s favourite birds has a darker side?

All will be revealed and much more on this fascinating walk.

We will then return to the Heritage Centre, where there’s the option to purchase brunch and a hot drink to warm you up after the walk.

Please bring binoculars if you have them and dress appropriately with stout footwear.

No dogs please.

Suitable for adults only.

Tickets £9.50 per person.

Booking essential.

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

Join Katherine Rodger, an experienced painter and art teacher, for this new painting course at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill.

Kath will guide you from the blank canvas to the finished artwork using demonstrations and individual assistance to improve your skills and confidence.  The aim is for each student to produce artworks they can feel really proud of.

This 4 week course is suitable for beginners and for those who would like to learn more from an art tutor.

Four week course costs £70, price includes tuition and a hot drink.

You will need to bring basic painting materials which we can advise you of when booking.

Limited places.

Booking essential

Join local ornithologist Michael Turner on this guided walk and discover the wildlife that has reclaimed the Land of Oak & Iron.

On returning to the Heritage Centre, there is the option to purchase brunch or a drink from café shrub as you chat about the nature spotted on your walk.

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

Tickets £9.50 per person

Booking essential

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 different sessions to explore and discover many aspects of nature and wildlife.

Our sixth and final session for this year will be sure to send you Wild About Art!

We will be out and about collecting natural resources to make wild artworks in the environment, we will then head indoors and get creative with printing.

£9.50 for 1 child + 1 adult

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

Join Katherine Rodger, an experienced painter and art teacher, for this new painting course at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill.

Kath will guide you from the blank canvas to the finished artwork using demonstrations and individual assistance to improve your skills and confidence.  The aim is for each student to produce artworks they can feel really proud of.

This 4 week course is suitable for beginners and for those who would like to learn more from an art tutor.

Four week course costs £70, price includes tuition and a hot drink.

You will need to bring basic painting materials which we can advise you of when booking.

Limited places.

Booking essential

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.

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Join Max Adams, author of Trees of Life, The Wisdom of Trees and The King in the North to launch his new book with an illustrated talk and Q&A.

‘The First Kingdom’ – English origins in the Age of Arthur

November 2021 sees the paperback launch of Max’s latest book on Dark Age Britain, ‘The First Kingdom’ – a prequel to ‘The King in the North’.  Max will introduce some of the stories, ideas and themes that emerge from his study of this most enigmatic period of our history, as the Early Medieval Kingdoms of the British Isles emerged from the ashes of Roman Britannia.

Max asks how we can understand the landscapes and experiences of ordinary people, warriors, kings and queens living through those turbulent times; and what they can tell us about how we became British, English, Geordies, Cockneys…

Join Max for this fascinating talk with drinks and nibbles, a Q&A session and book signing, and be among the first to get your hands on the new paperback – just in time for Christmas.

Ticket price of £12.50 includes glass of wine (or soft drink) and nibbles.

Please note you may need to share a table with other guests.

Booking essential.

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

Join Katherine Rodger, an experienced painter and art teacher, for this new painting course at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill.

Kath will guide you from the blank canvas to the finished artwork using demonstrations and individual assistance to improve your skills and confidence.  The aim is for each student to produce artworks they can feel really proud of.

This 4 week course is suitable for beginners and for those who would like to learn more from an art tutor.

Four week course costs £70, price includes tuition and a hot drink.

You will need to bring basic painting materials which we can advise you of when booking.

Limited places.

Booking essential

Do you love the Land of Oak & Iron? Interested in the rich heritage of the Derwent Valley?

This informal event will explore local people’s memories of spending time in nature and consider the importance of place in how we remember the past. It will suggest ways you can gain a different perspective on enjoying local heritage and reflect on your own memories by focusing on your senses.

The event will take place at the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill. Weather permitting we will meet in the courtyard to spend some time thinking about how the weather and the seasons impact on our feelings about place. Then warm up inside café shrub with a cuppa and a chance to hear some memories of your favourite local places and maybe share some too.

This is a free event with hot drinks provided.  However, tickets are limited and booking essential, click on the green button below.

Please note you may need to share a table with other guests.

The event will be led by Philippa Carter, PhD Researcher at Newcastle University. Philippa has been researching landscape and memory in collaboration with the Land of Oak & Iron and has been working with communities to understand more about the relationship between people, landscape and heritage. You can find more information on her PhD project here: https://www.ninedtp.ac.uk/philippa-carter/

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

Join Katherine Rodger, an experienced painter and art teacher, for this new painting course at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill.

Kath will guide you from the blank canvas to the finished artwork using demonstrations and individual assistance to improve your skills and confidence.  The aim is for each student to produce artworks they can feel really proud of.

This 4 week course is suitable for beginners and for those who would like to learn more from an art tutor.

Four week course costs £70, price includes tuition and a hot drink.

You will need to bring basic painting materials which we can advise you of when booking.

Limited places.

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.

On the 29th October, we have Bill Elliott and Kevin Youldon performing live for you to enjoy while you tuck into your pizza.

Musicians for our November and December pizza evenings will be announced soon. (Our December evening is earlier in the month on December 11th).

As the colder weather settles in, we will move the musicians and event indoors, however we are ever hopeful for some lovely Autumn evenings where we can still make use of the Courtyard area.

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.

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

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

The workshop will take place in café shrub at the Land of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre after opening hours. The space is a lovely, cosy place to be, especially at Christmas with twinkling fairy lights, a glass of wine and nibbles.

Tickets are £20 per person and includes a brief talk on fused glass, tuition, a glass shape of your choice to get creative with, glass of wine (or other soft drink) and a platter of nibbles to enjoy.

There is the option to purchase additional glass shapes to work with at £7.50 each so you can make more as gifts or for yourself, along with drinks and other refreshments to purchase from café shrub.

The glass pieces will be carefully taken away by Nat to be fired in her kiln and ready for collection a week later.

This event is suitable for all, no experience necessary!

So why not treat yourself to a creative festive evening, come along on your own, with a friend or family member or maybe buy the workshop as a unique gift voucher for someone special (if you would like a gift voucher please let us know and we can create one with the receiver’s name on).

Booking essential

Due to the last few tickets remaining for our Friday workshop – we have organised a second evening!

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

The workshop will take place in café shrub at the Land of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre after opening hours. The space is a lovely, cosy place to be, especially at Christmas with twinkling fairy lights, a glass of wine and nibbles.

Tickets are £20 per person and includes a brief talk on fused glass, tuition, a glass shape of your choice to get creative with, glass of wine (or other soft drink) and a platter of nibbles to enjoy.

There is the option to purchase additional glass shapes to work with at £7.50 each so you can make more as gifts or for yourself, along with drinks and other refreshments to purchase from café shrub.

The glass pieces will be carefully taken away by Nat to be fired in her kiln and ready for collection a week later.

This event is suitable for all, no experience necessary!

So why not treat yourself to a creative festive evening, come along on your own, with a friend or family member or maybe buy the workshop as a unique gift voucher for someone special (if you would like a gift voucher please let us know and we can create one with the receiver’s name on).

Booking essential

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

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.

On the 29th October, we have Bill Elliott and Kevin Youldon performing live for you to enjoy while you tuck into your pizza.

Musicians for our November and December pizza evenings will be announced soon. (Our December evening is earlier in the month on December 11th).

As the colder weather settles in, we will move the musicians and event indoors, however we are ever hopeful for some lovely Autumn evenings where we can still make use of the Courtyard area.

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.

This was such a popular workshop last year and was fully booked – so we thought it would be a good idea to run it again this year too!

Get festive and creative with this popular workshop, which will show you how to weave with willow, developing skills and techniques to create your own unique Christmas wreath for your home.

Under the guidance of outdoor education leader and experienced basket maker Liz Beech (a member of the Northumbrian Basketry Group), you will learn how to twist and weave the natural base from willow, then attach a wide range of natural seasonal materials to create an eco friendly, welcoming wreath for your door this Christmas.

This year’s workshop will take place under cover of our large gazebo, outside the Heritage Centre, near to the Courtyard area.

Only 10 places available on this workshop to allow space and quality teaching.

Cost £35 including willow and lots of natural greenery to choose from, hot drink and mince pie.

Booking essential.

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Join Michael Cawood Green for this fascinating, illustrated talk about his book ‘The Ghosting of Anne Armstong’.

Michael’s novel calls up the lost voice of a fourteen year old girl who, between January and May 1673, made some of the most dramatic accusations in the history of English witchcraft and then disappeared, leaving behind the mystery of what drove her to insist, in the face of rejection after rejection, on telling so strange a story – ultimately at the cost of her own life.

Fantastic yet compelling, Anne Armstrong’s accusations against her neighbours in an isolated part of the Tyne Valley were recorded in the court depositions that form the basis for this literary thriller from Goldsmith Press.  Following a fictional historian who becomes obsessed with tracking Anne through each twist and turn of the legal proceedings, the reader is drawn ineluctably into the shadowy world where Anne’s dark tale plays out to its devastating end.

The narrative is shot through with questions: Why does Anne risk being suspected of witchcraft herself as she accused an ever-increasing number of others?  Is she seeking revenge, or does she want to earn money as a witch finder?  How does a young, illiterate woman have such detailed knowledge of the esoteric forms of witchcraft?  How does she learn to understand and manipulate  the legal process? Is she a victim of her own hallucinations?  Or is she telling the truth – the truth as she sees it, as perhaps only she can see it?

And, finally, how does she meet her lonely death in the building, which – if reports about appearances of her ghost are to be believed – she has never left?

Rumours that she haunts what is now the Wellington Hotel in Riding Mill in which it was said she committed suicide – or was murdered by the people she accused – continue to this day.

An intriguing talk followed by a Q & A and book signing.  Tickets £12.50 including a glass of wine (or soft drink) and nibbles at the Heritage Centre.  Put the date in your diary and book soon.

Please note you may need to share a table with other guests.

Book Tickets

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!

Are you a keen chess player, love a game of dominoes, a whizz at back gammon or enjoy the puzzle of a jigsaw? Then ‘Board Game Tuesdays’ will be just your kind of morning.

Whether you’re a serious, competitive board game player or just enjoy a fun game of snakes & ladders, solitaire or frustration, we would love you to come along to our free relaxed, sociable mornings every Tuesday at café shrub in the Heritage Centre, Winlaton Mill.

We will have some board games for you to borrow, or you can bring along your own game to play or a jigsaw (you could bring it in a jigsaw carrier/mat).

Come on your own or with a friend and spend time with other like-minded people to enjoy a morning of games –  and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Free session, no need to book – just drop in anytime between 9.30am – 11.30am!

Please note this is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formally led).

Land of Oak & Iron ‘Woolly Wednesdays’ group.

Whatever your interest – knitting, crocheting, felt-making, spinning or some other woolly craft, then this group is for you.

Come along to this relaxed, sociable morning at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – bring your current woolly project, start a new one or maybe even learn some new skills while spending time with other like-minded people and make a few new friends along the way.

This is a drop-in, self-led session (not a formal taught session).

Please bring along your own materials – we will have a basket of wool for you to make use of too!

£3.50 per session including a tea or coffee (not hot chocolate or mocha).

No need to book – just drop in!