Wednesday 1st November 2023 – Tuesday 2nd January 2024

Our next exhibition in the ‘Inside Out Gallery’ at the Heritage Centre is by local artist and designer Rhianne Siân.

Rhianne specialises in illustration and surface pattern design.  Over the past 5 years, Rhianne has built up her collection of classic and contemporary Illustrated artwork, showcased across her unique artworks, prints and a wide range of British made homeware and gift products.

Wrap up warm for this winter guided bird walk in the lower Derwent Valley – part of our Frost Fest weekend celebrations.

As well as helping you with identification skills, local ornithologist Michael Turner will uncover the life story and fascinating facts behind Britain’s favourite bird and Christmas icon, the Robin…but be warned, things aren’t always as they seem.

The walk will be on regular pathways with some slight gradients.

Please bring binoculars if you have them and dress appropriately with stout footwear, waterproofs may be necessary depending on the weather.

No dogs please.

Tickets cost £9.50

BOOKING ESSENTIAL.

A weekend of festive themed activities and family-friendly crafts, live music and delicious food and drinks to enjoy from our café.

Father Christmas will be making a special visit too on both Saturday and Sunday – we’re so excited!! No booking required, just pay at the café and take your ticket along to the Grotto. £5.50 per child + 2 adults, additional adults. Includes a gift and treat from Father Christmas.

This year’s Frost Fest will include family-friendly crafts for children, along with live music with Major Cough Cough’s Thunderbox on Saturday morning, Julie Wilmore and William Blythe on Saturday afternoon, and Axum Folk Ensemble on Sunday afternoon. See separate listing for more info about the musicians: FROST FEST LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC – The Land of Oak & Iron (landofoakandiron.org.uk).

We also have a Willow Lantern Workshop on Saturday morning – booking essential.

Winter Robins Guided Walk on Sunday morning – booking essential.

And of course, not forgetting the fabulous return of our Mischievous Elf Trail – what are they getting up to this year? Our resident Derwent Threads Sewing Group have been busy making little outfits for all the elves as they travel around the World looking for Father Christmas! Pick up a trail page and look for the little Elf scenes in the windows.

If you wander outside you might also spot Two Little Mice getting ready for Christmas too – pick up a trail page from the Heritage Centre and see if you can find them all.

Take a look in our shop where you can buy your own little Elf soft toy and books, and Monique’s Two Little Mice books too – they would make lovely Christmas gifts.

Suggested donation £1 to take part in each trail.

On Saturday evening we also have a great event just for the grown-ups to enjoy – our Festive Wine Tasting, Cheese & Charcuterie evening, with the Newcastle Wine School. Find out more and book a space here.

We hope to see you here – a great way to get into the festive spirit in the run up to Christmas Day!

Artist and children’s author Monique Scott is leading another of her very popular children’s watercolour and illustration class at our lovely Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill.

Monique has illustrated and written several children’s books and taught lots of children how to draw and paint.  She will share her illustration and painting techniques with children during this two hour art class.

Monique will teach the children how to draw and then add colour to their drawings using watercolour paints, as well as blending and brush techniques.

All materials will be provided. Suitable for ages 6  years and older – the session will be adapted for different ages and abilities.

Tickets £12.50 including tuition and all painting materials.

Limited places available and booking essential. Monique’s classes book up really quickly, so please reserve your place as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

Monique will also have signed copies of her books, along with some of her other illustrated merchandise for you to look at and purchase.

Please note an adult needs to stay in the room with children aged 8 and under, and to stay on site for older children.

BOOK HERE

As part of our Frost Fest weekend, we will be joined by some of our musician friends for festive acoustic tunes and songs playing in the Heritage Centre Café.

Saturday 9th December 10am, Major Cough Cough’s Thunderbox. 2pm Julie Wilmore and William Blythe.

Major Cough Cough describes the musicians as a .“…diminutive but ever popular Parlour Orchestra, presenting a musical entertainment suitable for the most discerning of audiences. Messrs Jackson, Wheeler and Dixon will perform a symphonic confection of lyrical dexterity and terpsichorean melody employing musical instrumentation of a diversity too extensive to be listed. Don’t be late! A splendid time is guaranteed for all.” Expect experienced musicians mixed with quirkiness and merriment!

Julie and William are regular volunteer musicians with Beamish Museum and at the National Trust sites of Washington Old Hall and Gibside – and have become regular favourites at our Heritage Centre too. They will have some little hand-bells for you to join in with the festive tunes.

Sunday 10^th December 1pm, Axum Folk Ensemble.

Axum Folk Ensemble is an eight-piece folk band from the north-east of England. They bring traditional tunes from around the British Isles and beyond performed in lush new arrangements. They will be performing a selection of beautifully arranged traditional carols and Christmas tunes to get you in the festive mood.

“Stunningly beautiful music mixing tradition with invention to deliver a truly haunting sound that draws out every fibre of each tune they approach.” Tim Carroll, Folkwords

“Drenched with atmosphere and real emotion.” The Crack Magazine

These music sessions are free for our cafe customers to enjoy – no booking required.

Café open for drinks, snacks, breakfast, lunch and sweet treats – seating both indoors and outdoors if you fancy braving the cooler weather.

Polite notice – only refreshments/food bought in our café can be eaten in and around the Heritage Centre (including our benches and planting areas). If bringing your own food/picnic you are very welcome to use the field area just over the mound from the Heritage Centre.

Join us at the Heritage Centre for a fantastic live music evening, helping to raise money for our charity Groundwork NE & Cumbria.

We will be joined by 4 local bands, who will each perform a set during the evening. Come along for a great night of food, drink and live music. Cheer for your favourite band – the audience’s favourite wins the night!

THE BANDS:

Reservoirs: A 5 piece band from Consett, with influences from the likes of Talking Heads and Vampire Weekend, with country and jazz influences mixed in.

Detroit Tourist Board: A local band with Patrick on mic, uke and violin, Dom on acoustic guitar and mic, Nicola on uke and mic, Tom on bass and Liam on drums.

TALES: A 4 piece alt-rock band from Newcastle and Sunderland, with Michael Goodfellow (vocals and guitar) and Colin Wan (drums), Eliott Brown (bass) and Sam Fisher (lead guitar). Their first single, ‘Amitriptyline’ was released in 2019, with their second single, ‘Muscle Memory’, released in 2020. This earned the band their first radio airtime through ‘BBC Introducing North East’. They went on to release three further singles; ‘Nosedive’, ‘What We Talk About’, and ‘Icarus’, receiving further radio coverage and featuring in NARC magazine. They continue to gig and write new music to this day, always keen for a rocking show!

Holiday in Tokyo: A four-piece alt-pop outfit from County Durham. The band focus their song writing on being as honest as possible, leaning heavily into themes of jealousy, nihilism, love and nostalgia. Sonically, they blend elements from 70s funk, neo-soul bedroom pop and early 2000’s alternative rock.  Their shifts in genre are held together by a cohesive sound of chorus guitars, snappy drums and warm vocals.

Café & Bar: Our café will have a special evening menu, including burgers, nachos, loaded fries and some of our favourites for the evening (vegetarian available) along with tea/coffee, alcoholic and soft drinks, and sweet treats to enjoy alongside the live music.

No need to book, just turn up for a great evening.

Doors open 6pm, bands playing from around 6.30pm, (last food order 8pm, last drinks orders 11pm). Get here early to grab a seat, order your food and settle in for a great evening of live music.

Shake off those post-Christmas blues, take a break from festive TV and get set for the New Year on this guided bird walk around the Lower Derwent Valley.

Local ornithologist Michael Turner will help us identify the rich bird life that is still around even in the depths of winter. So, forget that last piece of turkey, put the Christmas chocs’ away and join our refreshing winter bird walk as we look for red kite, buzzard, kingfisher, jay and others.

Pop into our café and grab a cuppa to take with you, or why not treat yourself to a lovely breakfast or brunch on your return as you chat about the birds and nature spotted on your walk.

The walk will be on regular pathways with some slight gradients.

Please bring binoculars if you have them and dress appropriately with stout footwear, waterproofs may be necessary depending on the weather.

Sorry, no dogs please.

Tickets £9.50 per person

BOOKING ESSENTIAL.

Wednesday 1st November 2023 – Tuesday 2nd January 2024

Our next exhibition in the ‘Inside Out Gallery’ at the Heritage Centre is by local artist and designer Rhianne Siân.

Rhianne specialises in illustration and surface pattern design.  Over the past 5 years, Rhianne has built up her collection of classic and contemporary Illustrated artwork, showcased across her unique artworks, prints and a wide range of British made homeware and gift products.

Start 2024 with a feel-good walk – wrap up warm and have a New Year wander through the stunning lower Derwent Valley, spotting winter birds as you go.

Local ornithologist Michael Turner will help you with identification skills and spotting the rich bird life that is still around even in the depths of Winter.  A great way to welcome in the New Year!

Buy a cuppa from our café to take with you, or why not treat yourself to a New Year’s breakfast or brunch and a hot drink from our café to warm you up as you chat about the birds you spotted on your walk.

Tickets £9.50 per person.

The walk will be on regular pathways with some slight gradients.  Please bring binoculars if you have them and dress appropriately with stout footwear, waterproofs may be necessary depending on the weather. No dogs please.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL.

Our regular Wednesday painting course has been so popular (with all the spaces booking up quickly) we have added another course on Friday mornings.

Join Katherine Rodger, an experienced painter and art teacher, for another of our painting courses at the Heritage Centre in Winlaton Mill – our Wednesday course is so popular, we have now added this additional course on Friday mornings.

Experienced tutor Kath will guide you from the blank canvas to finished landscape artworks 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 course takes place every Friday morning for 4 weeks starting 12th January 2024 and is suitable for beginners and for those who have already completed one of our earlier courses with Kath, or have painted before and would like to learn more techniques or continue with their art projects.

Become part of this friendly painting course, learn how to paint and make new creative friends along the way.

Four week course costs £80, price includes tuition and a tea/coffee each week. Limited places – booking essential.

This works out at only £20 per week of expert tuition, along with friendly chat and a cuppa.

Please bring basic painting materials such as brushes and acrylic paints (we can advise you of this when booking). We will also have some brushes, water jars etc that you can use too.

Any questions please get in touch, email [email protected]

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