About us

" The North Pennines Heritage Trust works to conserve the historic remains of man's activities in the landscape of the Northern Pennines and to help people to understand and enjoy them. "

Founded in 1987 the Trust is a registered charity and limited company. From its base at Nenthead it carries out an expanding programme of conservation and interpretation on sites across the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It raises money from a wide range of sources by developing partnerships among funding bodies. In the three years to July 1996 the Trust raised £1.5 million, most of which is spent to the benefit of the local economy.

The Trust's flagship project is the restoration and conversion of the former Rampgill Mine buildings at Nenthead into six workshops, the Trust administrative offices and the Nenthead Mines Heritage Centre. A five-year programme of work, with a budget of £5m, began in 1997.

The Trust has around 300 members, and is run by a team of unpaid Directors. Some of the members carry out valuable practical work at weekends, including cleaning-out of leats, building walls, cleaning vegetation from buildings, and many other tasks essential to the conservation and preservation of the heritage of the Northern Pennines.

In addition to free admission to the Nenthead Mines Heritage Centre, members receive a quarterly newsletter with reports of the Trust's work and can take part in a programme of site visits, events and talks. The Trust also publishes booklets on interesting sites and features of the Northern Pennines and undertakes surveys of archaeological and architectural remains.