Land Of Oak & Iron Story
What is the Land of Oak & Iron?
The Land of Oak & Iron spans the historic Derwent Valley and surrounding areas – covering parts of County Durham, Northumberland and Gateshead – and is widely recognised as a cradle of the Industrial Revolution.
What is the Land of Oak & Iron Trust?
The Land of Oak & Iron Trust was established in 2021 by a group of volunteers to celebrate and help conserve the heritage, culture and landscape of the area, building on the work begun by the former Land of Oak & Iron Landscape Partnership. The Trust’s work covers a wide range of activities such as researching and bringing history to life via books and digital means, helping to manage and plant more woodlands, or working with schools to engage young people in local music and culture. The Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England & Wales (Charity registration number 1188152). In 2022, the Trust and Groundwork NE & Cumbria signed a formal partnership agreement to develop this work further.
The shaded area represents the original Land of Oak & Iron footprint. The research area stretches beyond this to follow some of the heritage stories.
What is he Land Of Oak & Iron Story
With funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Land of Oak & Iron Story (LOIS) will focus on conserving the wider landscape and natural heritage, while promoting and connecting people to the area’s industrial past. Iconic sites such as Crowley’s Ironworks, the Derwentcote Steel Furnace, Allensford Blast Furnace, Cowen’s Brickworks and the Whinfield Coke Ovens will feature prominently – not through physical conservation works, but by ensuring their stories are remembered, shared and celebrated. These historic structures, many now reclaimed by nature, serve as powerful symbols of the industrial legacy that shaped the local landscape and communities.
Alongside this, LOIS will embrace and enhance the area’s natural heritage, which is inextricably linked to its industrial past. Through modest woodland and landscape management, it will conserve the riverbanks, grasslands and woodlands that now surround these historic sites, while acknowledging how industrialisation transformed the terrain. Nature has reclaimed the valley, creating a living record of industrial decline and ecological recovery – something the Trust sees as heritage in itself. LOIS will also focus on the area’s distinctive cultural heritage. Traditions such as pitman poetry, rapper dancing, and chapel culture – as well as the contributions of pioneering women – form an essential part of the local identity. These social and cultural expressions will be documented, celebrated and shared, recognising that heritage is not only found in structures but also in people and stories.
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Land of Oak & Iron Story is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to create this project.
