The Heritage Centre is the perfect gateway to exploring The Land of Oak & Iron
Located in Winlaton Mill, it features a welcoming café, a shop stocked with unique items, a variety of events, and much more. Whether you’re planning an adventure or simply soaking in the surroundings, the Heritage Centre is a great starting point. Beyond the Centre, The Land of Oak & Iron offers a wealth of places to discover, each showcasing the natural beauty and rich history of the area.
Heritage Centre
Allensford Blast Furnace
Crowley Ironworks & Derwent Coke Works
Derwentcote Steel Furnace
Hollinside Manor
Nine Arches
Path Head Water Mill
Whinfield Coke Ovens
Tyne Riverside Visitor Centre
The Lodge, Consett & Blackhill Park
Allensford Country Park
Chopwell Wood
Hownsgill Viaduct
Land of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre
Our Heritage Centre is set within the beautiful steep-sided Derwent Valley, with an
abundance of natural woodland, rare and iconic wildlife and hidden heritage.
Discover Land of Oak & Iron whilst planning your next adventure, with our state-of-
the-art touch screens and learn more about the heritage of our fantastic area.
Browse the artisan gifts on offer in the shop, sourced from north east suppliers, or
enjoy a delicious meal in our popular café. We host a variety of exciting events,
some of which are free. To learn more, continue exploring our website
Allensford Blast Furnace
Venture into the woods opposite Allensford Country Park to discover a hidden relic of the industrial past. The blast furnace was used around 1700 and is the earliest surviving ore roasting furnace in Britain; once extracted, the iron was sent to a steel forge further downstream, which supplied the Shotley Bridge sword makers.
Find the Furnace:
Park at Allansford country park and walk towards the A68, cross the river on the A68 road bridge heading towards Northumberland. Walk past the cottages on the right, take the public footpath immediately on the left of the drive which goes behind the cottages. Follow this through the woods for about 400m, the steps down will be on your right.
Crowley Ironworks & Derwentaugh Coke Works
Derwenthaugh Park is a great place for a walk or bike ride with the whole family, climb to the top of Kite Hill and admire the views up the valley, across Nine Arches Viaduct.
Imagine how this looked in the 18th century when Crowley ironworks was employing over 1500 men and was once the largest ironworks in Europe. Explore the park and find Crowley’s dam and mill race, the original core of the ironworks, now all that is still visible of this internationally important manufacturing complex.
Consett Iron Company later opened Derwenthaugh Coke Works coking plant on this site, it was closed and demolished in the 1980’s
Visit Our Heritage Centre Cafe
Derwentcote Steel Furnace
Discover the story of cementation, a process which converted wrought iron to steel, at Derwentcote Steel Furnace, one of the few remaining examples of this type of furnace nationally.
The furnace was built in the 1730s, it was later redeveloped as a steel-rolling mill and crucible steelworks before going out of use in 1891. The furnace was restored by English Heritage in 1990; see for yourself the remains of several workers cottages which were excavated on Time Team but remain derelict.
Hollinside Manor
Hollinside Manor is a 13th century manor house situated east of the Nine Arches Viaduct, on the edge of a steep brow with commanding views of Derwenthaugh Country Park and the surrounding countryside.
It was the home of the Harding family for two centuries during which time the manor became known as the ‘Giant’s Castle’ since the men folk were very tall. The estate passed on to George Bowes of Gibside in 1730 for the sum of £10,000; today the Manor is an Ancient Monument.
Lots To See & Do!
Nine Arches
This railway viaduct is sited at a curve of the river and was built as part of the Consett Branch of the North Eastern railway. Originally a single line, it was widened to take a double track in 1905-08. Built mostly of sandstone with bricks beneath the nine arches it is 500 feet long and 80 feet above the river.
From the viaduct’s heights spectacular views are obtainable of the Gibside Estate to the southwest. The house and grounds there were created by coal owner George Bowes whose father had inherited the estate. Bird watcher’s use the viaduct as a vantage point from which to look out for the red kites which have recently been introduced into the valley. Recent publicity material refers to the bridge as the Nine Arches Viaduct.
Path Head Water Mill
A great day out for the whole family, this hidden gem includes a restored water wheel set in beautiful surroundings adjacent to the Blaydon Burn Nature Reserve.
See how water power is harnessed to work machinery, find out why water being lifted up hill makes a knocking sound or become part of a sun dial. Explore the gardens, chill out on the island, count the many different names on the brick path or walk around the UK coastline in less than a minute!
Whinfield Coke Ovens
There were once 193 beehive coke ovens, built in 1861 by the owners of the Victoria Garesfield Colliery to produce coke from coal mined at Victoria Garesfield and Watergate Collieries; they were the last to operate in Britain until 1958.
There are only five complete and two partial ovens if you go and look today, see how many different bricks you can find as you walk around – are there any from near where you live?The coke ovens sit within Strother Hills, a beautiful woodland to explore, with a footpath link into Chopwell Wood at Victoria Garesfield. Opening times: daylight hours, seven days a week.
Tyne Riverside Visitor Centre
Tyne Riverside Visitor Centre is located within the beautiful setting of the Tyne Riversid Country Park; a great location for walking, dog walking, cycling and boating.
This welcoming site contains a historical information centre and a small shop selling books, maps & gifts. It is also ideal for a family day out as it also has children’s play area and picnic area nearby to enjoy.
The Lodge, Consett & Blackhill Park
Set in the beautiful Blackhill & Consett Park, which was gifted to the community by Consett Iron Company in 1891, The Lodge was the Park Keeper’s cottage and has now been transformed into a heritage centre with information on the local history of Consett and surrounding area, including things to do and places to visit. The park is a wonderful spot to go for a short walk, exercise in nature or for families to explore the playpark.
Allensford Country Park
Allensford Country Park is ideal for a family trip out! Explore the woodland walks and river, relax and snack at the Picnic Area, or enjoy some family time in the play park. The Country Park is also convenient for parking to visit Allensford Blast Furnace
Chopwell Wood
Covering 900 acres, this is the largest woodland in Tyne & Wear. Walkers and cyclists love exploring its excellent network of trails, which offer something for everyone. Many of Chopwell’s ancient oaks were felled in the 1600s and 1700s to build ships, including Charles I’s warship HMS Sovereign of the Seas, launched in
Nowadays areas of conifer are being removed to restore Chopwell’s original cover of native broadleaf trees, including oaks.
Hownsgill Viaduct
The viaduct was constructed to overcome a serious bottleneck in the shipping of minerals on the Stanhope and Tyne Railway. Constructed in just 18 months, the viaduct was opened in 1858. Previously the ravine was negotiated using two inclined planes, worked by a single winding engine. The length of the viaduct is 730 ft., and its greatest height from the bottom of the ravine is 162 ft. It has twelve semi-circular brick arches, each 50 ft. span. The railway was closed in 1969. The track bed is now part of the C2C cycle route.
