Walking to Sycamore Gap with Dogs - Easy Route

Pizza & Live Music Nights at Land of Oak and Iron

This post is based on a visit in March 2022. Please check with Land and Oak and Iron for the most up-to-date information. 


Pizza & Live Music Nights at Land of Oak and Iron

If you've not been to the Land of Oak and Iron Heritage Centre and cafe with your dog before, you're really missing a treat. It's easy to get to with free on site parking (plus an overflow car park for busy times) and a bus stop outside. The cafe welcomes dogs inside and out, there is fresh dog water available outside and they have dog treats available to purchase too. 

The Land of Oak and Iron Centre is a good starting points for walking around Derwent Valley and you can view (or purchase) walking routes and maps here. 

Postcode: NE21 6RU 




The centre hosts a range of fantastic events across the year and many of them are dog friendly. One such event is their regular pizza and live music nights which take place on the last Friday of every month (check their website for info about upcoming dates). 

These events run from 6pm-9pm with no tickets or booking required. Just turn up! There is plenty of seating outside and I don't think you'd ever really struggle to find somewhere to perch your bum however the indoor seating (especially tables for more than two people) did seem to get taken straight away. If you'd like to get an indoor seat, I'd recommend getting down early. 



During these events you will find a pizza van in the courtyard. You don't need to buy pizza of course but I would definitely recommend. They can cook two pizzas at a time but they only take a few minutes however there can sometimes be a bit of a backlog. We ordered at around 6:45pm and there was a 35 minute wait.

We didn't mind at all as we wanted to be there for a few hours anyway but if you're visiting with hungry little children or want a quick eat, I'd recommend not going on an empty stomach. 

Order and pay at the pizza van and they will shout your name when your order is ready so you don't need to hang around by the van the whole time, just keep an ear out as your timeslot approaches. 

We paid £35 for 5 pizzas (card payment) which is pretty standard. They were nice, super hot and filled us up. Just what we needed. 







You can order drinks, sweet treats and items from the dog menu from the cafe inside. There's never really a queue and it's easy to pop back for more drinks etc.....throughout the evening. 

They serve wine, beer, cider and cocktails / pre-mixed mixers and spirits in cans as well as soft and hot drinks. 







When Steve was ordering pizza I popped into the cafe and purchased our drinks. I couldn't resist three of the huge brownies on the counter too. They were so nice to share! We ended up having them as a starter rather than dessert though. 

It was £24 for a small bottle of wine, a can of beer, 2 cokes, a blackcurrant juice, three large brownies and a slice of doggy pizza. Not too bad but not the cheapest place either. 

How sweet is the Doggy Deli Menu? You can purchase these items at all times, not just the pizza and live music nights. Produced by local supplier David's Dog Deli, these luxury themed nutritious dog biscuits are 100% grain and gluten free. A cute little treat! We couldn't resist a slice of 'Pizza Mutt' which is a Carob and Peanut Butter Base with a Beetroot and Turmeric Topping. Fozzy loved it and it entertained him for a while.









As is common at this type of thing, our first drinks were nice and chilled but our second round was warm. The staff did provide ice though so it was all good and no big deal. The staff in general were all lovely, warm and nice and accommodating / chatty despite it being a pretty busy night for them. 

There is a different band playing each month and no two nights are never the same. On the day of our visit it was Northern Railroad Collective - a five piece acoustic band who were brill. Sometimes they set up inside and if the weather is good (and the when the nights are lighter), I believe they sometimes play outdoors too. 

As we were with a puppy and three kids who like to run about, we were sat on the outskirts and could just hear the music in the background. We did move closer for a bit and I could hear it properly when I was ordering our drinks from the cafe. It was a nice atmosphere regardless. 


There were lots of dogs with their owners there. Some pro-dogs who were obviously used to this kind of thing were just lying under the tables in the heart of the action. Most of the puppy owners like us seemed to sit more on the outskirts which was ideal for us. Fozzy loved his little Friday night out and enjoyed running around with the kids (on his lead) and meeting other puppies. Along with eating his own doggy pizza, I think he had a great night. It definitely wasn't too loud or busy for him and there was plenty of space. 






We spent a couple of hours at the event. It was a lovely chilled evening - not something you'd get dressed up for but just something nice and relaxed after a week at work/school. We loved it and will be back for sure. We can't attend April's event due to a diary clash but will definitely try and return later in the summer. The whole evening had a very similar vibe to the popular beer and bite nights that used to take place at Gibside up the road. 

The Land of Oak and Iron Heritage Centre has on-site toilets and is accessible. 

The next live music and pizza night takes place on Friday 29 April 6pm-9pm with local musicians 'Bookends and Friends'. No bookings or tickets needed and it's free to visit - simply pop along and enjoy. 

These events are subject to change so please always check with the Land of Oak and Iron website for the most up-to-date info but so far, future dates are as follows: 

  • Friday 29 April (6pm-9pm) - Bookends and Friends 
  • Friday 24 May (6pm-9pm) - Still Awake 
  • Friday 24 June (6pm-9pm) - Hop, Skiffle and Jump 
  • Friday 29 July (6pm-9pm) - The Storytellers Street Band 

 Find out more here: https://landofoakandiron.org.uk/event-directory/

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