Consett, United Kingdom

Consett sits above the rural Derwent valley near the boundary of County Durham and Northumberland. The Derwent Reservoir just west of the town makes a popular leisure attraction and beauty spot.

At about 900 ft (270 metres) above sea level, Consett is the third highest market town in England and one of the highest towns in the United Kingdom. This makes Consett typically at least 2 °C colder than nearby cities such as Durham and Newcastle, and more prone to frost, ice and snow in the winter months.

Consett has amenities such as shops, pubs and night clubs that also serve several villages in its immediate surroundings, some such as Shotley Bridge and Blackhill contiguous and some not, for example Moorside and Castleside.

The Consett Iron Company was established in 1864 as a successor to the original Derwent Iron Company of 1840, when the first blast furnaces were introduced. Over the next 100 years, Consett became one of the world's most prominent steel-making towns, manufacturing the steel for Blackpool Tower and some of the UK's nuclear submarines.

Steel dominated Consett's economy for 140 years, with the steelworks' tall cooling towers and other large plant looming over rows of terraced houses. During the iron and steel era a pall of red dust hung over the town, consisting of airborne iron oxide from the steel-making plant. At its peak in the 1960s, the Consett steel works employed 6,000 workers. It was nationalised to become part of the large British Steel Corporation. Although there was intense competition in the 1970s from British firms and from abroad, Consett steelworks remained relatively successful and still profitable even in the year it closed. As the rolling mills were closed in the 1970s, despite local opposition, there were discussions over the future of the plant as a whole.

Consett is home to the Empire Theatre, one of County Durham's oldest theatres. Refurbished in 2020, it stages variety acts, plays and a Christmas pantomime. It also screens films at times when there are no live performances.

The Belle Vue Leisure Centre, including a gym, swimming pool, five-a-side football, tennis and babminton courts is situated on Medomsley Road.

There are several well known pubs in Consett town centre including The Turf (which periodically hosts live music, also called Turfed Oot Café), The Fountain, Bellamy's, The Black Horse, The Traveller's Rest, The Duke of Wellington and the real ale pub, The Grey Horse, the latter of which hosts the Consett Ale Works microbrewery. Additionally, The Company Row, a Wetherspoons pub, sits on the junction of Victoria Road and Front Street.

Also well known is Consett's Steel Club north of the bus station.

Consett was the first in the world to have a Salvation Army Corps Band, formed in December 1879 to play on the streets at Christmas. The original four musicians were Edward Lennox and his bandsmen George Storey, James Simpson and Robert Greenwood.

Consett's secondary school is Consett Academy. However, near to Consett in Lanchester is St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College and in Stanley North Durham Academy, which along with Consett Academy is part of the New College Durham Academies Trust (NCDAT) managed by New College Durham.