A NEW book highlighting the importance of the early railways in the Derwent Valley to the region will be launched today.

The Early Railways of the Derwent Valley, by North-East historian Les Turnbull, explores the early rail network serving the largest coalfield in the world, across Durham and Northumberland, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The book, which is supported by Land of Oak and Iron, a lottery-funded project to celebrate the industrial heritage of the area, will be launched at a free event at 7pm at the Mining Institute on Neville Hall on Westgate Road in Newcastle.

A section of the book describes the waggonways in the west of the coalfield which carried coal to the tidal reaches of the River Tyne.

Karen Daglish, partnership manager at Land of Oak and Iron, said: “We are very pleased to be able to support this book.

“Through our community grants programme, we can enable projects that celebrate the industrial, natural or cultural heritage of the Land of Oak and Iron to come to fruition.

“The book is a great opportunity for people to discover something new about all of the wonderful history, heritage that the Land of Oak and Iron has to offer, and we hope people enjoy reading and hearing about it, and even coming to visit the area that it is about.”