Consett: County Durham Steel Town on the Hilltop That Lost Its Works and Found a New Path
Consett sits on high ground in northwest County Durham, about 14 miles southwest of Newcastle and 850 feet above sea level. The population is around 26,000. The town was defined by the Consett Iron Company, later part of British Steel, which operated a steelworks here from the 1840s. At its peak, the works employed over 6,000 people and the glow of the furnaces could be seen for miles. The closure in 1980, when unemployment in the town reached over 30%, became a symbol of deindustrialisation in the north of England. The massive steelworks site has been cleared and redeveloped with housing, retail parks, and green spaces. The air in Consett, once thick with particulate from the furnaces, cleared noticeably after closure.
The town centre along Middle Street and Front Street has undergone regeneration. The Empire Theatre, a restored 1930s cinema, stages live performances. The Derwent Walk Country Park follows the route of a former railway along the Derwent Valley toward Gateshead. The A691 connects east to Durham, and the A692 leads northeast to the A1(M). Consett does not have a railway station; bus services connect to Durham and Newcastle. The Derwentside area is one of the higher-altitude settlements in County Durham, which makes for cold winters. For those exploring adult companionship in the northwest Durham area, Consett's road links to the A1(M) and bus services to Newcastle and Durham provide access to the wider region.
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Consett sits on high ground in northwest County Durham, about 14 miles southwest of Newcastle and 850 feet above sea level. The population is around 26,000. The town was defined by the Consett Iron Company, later part of British Steel, which operated a steelworks here from the 1840s. At its peak, the works employed over 6,000 people and the glow of the furnaces could be seen for miles. The closure in 1980, when unemployment in the town reached over 30%, became a symbol of deindustrialisation in the north of England. The massive steelworks site has been cleared and redeveloped with housing, retail parks, and green spaces. The air in Consett, once thick with particulate from the furnaces, cleared noticeably after closure.
The town centre along Middle Street and Front Street has undergone regeneration. The Empire Theatre, a restored 1930s cinema, stages live performances. The Derwent Walk Country Park follows the route of a former railway along the Derwent Valley toward Gateshead. The A691 connects east to Durham, and the A692 leads northeast to the A1(M). Consett does not have a railway station; bus services connect to Durham and Newcastle. The Derwentside area is one of the higher-altitude settlements in County Durham, which makes for cold winters. For those exploring adult companionship in the northwest Durham area, Consett's road links to the A1(M) and bus services to Newcastle and Durham provide access to the wider region.
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