Open Day At Derwentcote Steel Furnace
Derwentcote Steel Furnace, Forge Lane, Hamsterley Colliery, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE17 7RS
Derwentcote Steel Furnace is the earliest and most compete steel-making furnace to have survived in Britain. This rare furnace played a crucial role in the British steel industry for around 150 years. Built in the 1730s, it was used for cementation, a process that converted wrought iron into steel. Derwentcote furnace went out of use by 1891 and subsequently fell into disrepair. It was restored by English Heritage in 1990.
As part of this year’s Heritage Open Days festival, we are offering the unique opportunity to explore the furnace interior by opening these buildings to the public. Visitors will be free to explore the interior buildings at their own leisure, and knowledgeable volunteer guides will be on hand to help bring the history of this distinctive building to life.
Derwentcote Steel Furnace, Forge Lane, Hamsterley Colliery, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE17 7RS