Heritage funding for Derwent Valley
Funding award for valley combining history and nature. Tony Henderson reports
A heritage project which explores a valley’s industrial past and its return today to nature has been boosted by a £248,000 award.
The grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to community and environmental charity Groundwork NE & Cumbria goes to its Land of Oak & Iron project, which covers 177 sq kilometres of the historic Derwent Valley and surrounding areas.
The now tranquil valley between Gateshead and County Durham was a cradle of the Industrial Revolution, with a booming iron and steel industry that lasted from the 1690s until the 1980s.
Industry has left its mark on the landscape with the remains of forges and furnaces. It also shaped local communities, influencing traditions such as rapper dancing, and the writings of pitman poet Tommy Armstrong.
Nature has been reclaiming the valley, with its woodlands, riverbanks, grasslands, paths and trails supporting a wide range of species such as otters, kingfishers and red kites, which were reintroduced into the valley in 2004.
The award will help develop the history and heritage work at the Land of Oak & Iron heritage centre in Winlaton Mill in the Derwent Valley and two other linked visitor centres.
The money will be used to encourage greater public involvement with the centre and develop its programme of free events and activities.
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 Consett.
Materials at these two centres will be revamped, and an interactive storytelling room will be created at the Land of Oak & Iron. These will tell the story of the North East’s industrial, social and ecological history and heritage, with work due to start in the autumn.
The Land of Oak & Iron Trust is keen to recruit new volunteers to support a programme of public engagement, educational events and sessions on history, industrial heritage and local ecology, alongside producing more publications on local history and heritage and reintroducing guided historic walks around the Derwent Valley.
Jack Burton, Groundwork NE & Cumbria’s newly appointed engagement officer, is organising a series of free public events.
Bob James, chairman of the Land of Oak & Iron Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for this generous award.
“The Land of Oak & Iron Trust is delighted to be a lead partner in this exciting project to celebrate and share the remarkable heritage of the Derwent Valley and beyond. There is a rich and distinctive story to be told, shaped by its dramatic landscape, its nationally important industrial heritage and the generations of people who have lived and worked here.
“By celebrating the story we can strengthen community pride, encourage more people to explore the area, and inspire future generations to value and care for this unique heritage.”
Sarah Barton, programme co-ordinator, Groundwork NE & Cumbria, said: “This National Lottery funding represents a fantastic investment in both the Land of Oak & Iron heritage centre and the wider community. It will enable us to deliver a broad, inclusive programme of events and activities.”
The first free events to be hosted at the heritage centre as part of this new programme are Coal Mining’s Musical Memories and Traditions on August 10, 1.30pm-3pm, hosted by North East folk singer Bill Elliot, sharing his experience of growing up in a mining family. To book, email landofoakandiron@groundwork.org.uk.
There will also be a family-friendly drop-in kite-making workshop on August 12, 10am-12pm – no booking required – inspired by the red kites that live in the valley.