Revamped North Yorkshire museum reveals new name

07/04/2022

Two workmen standing either side of the horse-drawn ambulance

Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum in North Yorkshire to be renamed Land of Iron when it reopens in autumn 2022.

The new name better reflects the visitor experience following the museum's £2.3million revamp.

The museum was awarded £1.45million thanks to National Lottery players, with further funding coming from the Coastal Communities Fund, Tees Valley Combined Authority and private donors.

Situated on the former Loftus ironstone mine, Land of Iron will showcase the impact and significance of the industry for the UK. It was the first ironstone mine to open in Cleveland in 1865 and one of the last to close in 1958.

Important Industrial heritage

Ironstone mining in Cleveland and North Yorkshire took place on a large scale and dates as far back as Roman times. However, its role in helping to power the Industrial Revolution is what makes its heritage truly significant.

Land of Iron holds the largest collection of objects and archives relating to ironstone mining in the country. When the museum reopens, visitors will be able to see a number of objects that have never been on display before.

A painting by Stan Banks showing a village street scene with two boys playing on bicycles in the foreground. — Paintings by local artist Stan Banks will go on display for the first time. The paintings show life in Skinningrove village, Cleveland after the mines closed, Credit: Land of Iron

The largest object in the collection, a horse-drawn ambulance, will also return to public display when the museum reopens.

In addition to the revamped museum, visitors will be able to explore the buildings and tunnels of what was once Cleveland’s third largest ironstone mine. As they step back in time, they will discover what life was like for the 500 men and boys that worked day and night underground.

Land of Iron was also the name of a recent project run by the North York Moors National Park Authority and part-funded by the Heritage Fund. Its aim was to explore and celebrate the ironstone and natural heritage of the moors. Land of Iron will continue this mission by displaying objects found on archaeological digs in future exhibitions.