About the Land of Oak & Iron Story
The Land of Oak & Iron Story is a project that is being worked on by the Land of Oak & Iron trust in partnership with Groundwork North East & Cumbria. When the heritage centre was built in 2018, displays about the region’s industrial past and its links along the Derwent Valley were also installed at visitor centres in Prudhoe and in Consett. Thanks to funding from the Heritage Fund, the materials at these two centres will be revamped, and a new interactive storytelling room will be created at the Land of Oak & Iron. These will tell the story of the North East’s rich industrial, social and ecological history and heritage for a new generation of visitors.
Heritage Open Days
From Friday 11th – Sunday 20th September, a team of 10 staff and volunteers delivered Heritage Open Days events for the Land of Oak & Iron Trust. We welcomed 141 visitors to the Heritage Centre across the nine days, offering opportunities to engage in the design process for a new heritage interpretation display across the building, meet the Trust’s Research Group, and share community history with volunteers.
The team delivered three events:
Map Room Mock-up – sharing the Trust’s vision for a new and improved heritage interpretation experience in the Map Room and across the Heritage Centre. This session repeated throughout the period.
Research Group Drop-in – A single session sharing the Trust’s mapping work.
Community History Sharing – A single session providing space for members of the public to bring their personal/family history to share with the Trust and spark conversations.
If you came along to any of these events, we want to say we really appreciate it. We loved sharing our plans and ideas, and getting new suggestions and stories from you all. We spoke with a range of visitors, from first time visitors to regulars.
What we learnt
One of the aims of these events was to get feedback and opinions on our plans. We know so many people love the Land of Oak & Iron and have a strong interest in learning more about local heritage. We wanted to ensure that they feel like they are getting something they will love and want to return to time and time again.
Key themes
People want physical experiences, not just digital interpretation. Physical objects, artefacts, things to touch, hands-on activities for children, and activities using traditional skills.
Maps are crucial to the Land of Oak & Iron. They act as a gateway into stories – industry, landscape, family history, walking routes, lost buildings, community memories.
Interest in nature. Industry shaped the landscape…the landscape then recovered…wildlife now occupies former industrial sites.
People care just as much about ordinary lives as they do famous people. Workers’ stories, school memories, family photo albums, oral history recordings, and community recollections. Visitors were far more emotionally invested in those everyday stories.
Public research programme. Visitors shared many sites and topics. These could form the basis of a future research agenda which could support volunteer research projects producing blogs, exhibitions, talks, school resources and publications.
Visitors want participation, not consumption. Visitors want to be part of the journey. There is an opportunity to create a living archive for future generations to inherit through the sharing of photographs, memories, local events, and community stories.
We look forward to helping to bring your ideas to life and will keep you all updated on the process. Keep an eye out on our social media ad events page for design and building updates, upcoming events, newsletters, and more ways for you to get involved.
The Land of Oak & Iron Trust are very grateful for your support and enthusiasm.
