Derwentcote Steel Furnace, Steel furnace in County Durham, England
Derwentcote Steel Furnace is an industrial site in County Durham with a distinctive cone-shaped brick structure built for the cementation method of steel production. The site also includes workers' cottages and water-powered equipment that show how the entire operation functioned.
The site was built in 1733 and became one of the few places in England producing steel through this specialized cementation method. It operated for more than a century until economic changes led to its closure in the mid 1870s.
The site was a center of metalworking expertise where skilled workers practiced their craft over generations. The buildings and machinery show how people in the 1700s worked together to produce quality steel through precise techniques.
The furnace sits easily accessible beside the A694 road with parking available nearby. You can explore the grounds at your own pace, though guided visits provide better insight into the technical details of how things worked.
The building still retains equipment from the 1700s, including crucibles and original water-powered machinery. These surviving pieces offer a rare glimpse into what daily work actually looked like back then.
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