Corby is helping to reveal some of the country’s amazing history as the Borough’s famous Dragline Bucket gets included in the BBC’s nationwide initiative, A History of the World, highlighting Britain’s important historical objects.

The Drag Line Bucket is one item of just ten objects from across the county to be included in the nationwide campaign. A History of the World is a unique partnership between the BBC, the British Museum and 350 museums and institutions across the country. At its heart is a landmark series on BBC Radio 4, A History of the World in 100 Objects, broadcast from Monday 18 January. The ten listed objects for Northamptonshire can be found on BBC Radio Northampton’s website, www.bbc.co.uk/Northampton, and all the objects are on display at the relevant museums.

The Dragline Bucket is symbolic of Corby’s huge steel manufacturing history and was used in quarries around Corby from the early 1900s to the end of steelmaking in Corby in the 1980s. An incredible 5 million tons of Ironstone was extracted a year with the help of the Bucket during its lifespan which was used across the world for industry and construction purposes.

Residents and History buffs can view the Dragline Bucket firsthand at East Carlton Country Park’s Steel Heritage Centre, East Carlton.

Corby Borough Council’s Heritage Development Worker, Billy Dalziel, said:

“East Carlton Country Park’s Steel Heritage Centre has a large steel Bucket situated outside the Café. What many visitors to the park may not realise is that the Bucket is ironically a small piece of a much larger machine known as a Drag Liner, primarily used in the Quarrying industry to excavate the overburden or topsoil in order to expose the Iron Ore bed below.

It was the use of these huge Drag Liners that helped Corby Steel Works to become the largest combined Steel Making Plant in Europe during its heyday.

Deputy Leader of Corby Borough Council and Heritage Champion, Cllr Mark Pengelly, said:

“Corby has a proud history and we are very excited to be included in this project. Corby’s regeneration programme has seen the Borough build the foundations for a bigger, better and brighter future but we must not forget what makes our town special – our heritage.”

“The inclusion of the Bucket and its part in “The History of the World Project” will hopefully spark people’s imagination and interest in local heritage.”

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For more information please contact: Dalitso Njolinjo, Corby Borough Council
Telephone: 01536 464020 Mobile: 07901 512 702 Fax: 01536 464640
Email Dalitso.njolinjo@corby.gov.uk

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