Land which for centuries has been called Axwell, is overlooked by the two hills of Whickham to the east and Winlaton to the west and is divided by the river Derwent. The name Axwell is corruption of the Anglo-Saxon Ak Shiels, which means cottages in the oak wood. The two hill tops were underlain by a series of coal seams which were exploited from as early as the 14th century. By the mid 16th century the area was one of the most industrialised in England.