Consett is a town in the

County Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...

district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England, about south-west of

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

. It had a population of 27,394 in 2001 and an estimate of 25,812 in 2019.

History

Consett sits high on the edge of the

Pennines The Pennines (), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of highland, uplands mainly located in Northern England. Commonly described as the "Vertebral column, backbone of England" because of its length and position, the ra ...

. Its name originates in the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

''Cunecesheafod'' (''heafod'' means headland, the meaning of ''cunec'' is less clear but is thought to derive from the Brittonic ''conyge'' or "hill"), first recorded in the 13th century. In 1841, it was a village community of only 145, but it was about to become a boom town: below the ground were coking coal and blackband

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

, and nearby was

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

. These three ingredients were needed for

blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being supplied above atmospheric pressure. In a ...

s to produce

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

and

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

. The town is perched on the steep eastern bank of the River Derwent and owes its origins to industrial development arising from

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

in the area, together with the development of the

industry in the Derwent Valley, which is said to have been initiated by immigrant German cutlers and sword-makers from

Solingen Solingen (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 25 km east of Düsseldorf along the northern edge of the Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr. After Wuppertal, it is the second-largest city in the Bergisches Land, and a member of ...

, who settled in the village of

Shotley Bridge Shotley Bridge is a village, adjoining the town of Consett to the south in County Durham, England, 15 miles northwest of Durham, England, Durham. It is located on the A694 road (Great Britain), A694 road starting from Consett and Blackhill, Con ...

during the 17th century. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Derwent Valley was the cradle of the British steel industry, helped by the easy availability of

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

in the area and the import of high quality iron ore from

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

via the port of

. However, after the invention of the

Bessemer process The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron before the development of the open hearth furnace. The key principle is steelmaking, removal of impurities and undesired eleme ...

in the 19th century, steel could be made from British iron ore (hitherto too heavily contaminated by

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol P and atomic number 15. All elemental forms of phosphorus are highly Reactivity (chemistry), reactive and are therefore never found in nature. They can nevertheless be prepared ar ...

) and the Derwent Valley's geographical advantage was lost, allowing

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...

and

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

to become the leading centre of the British steel industry. Consett railway station opened in 1896. It remained open for passengers until 1955 and mineral trains continued to pass through the site until 1980 on their way to the steelworks. In November 2020, the

Department for Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport ...

approved funding for an initial feasibility study into restoring a rail link to the town.National Infrastructure Strategy
National Infrastructure Strategy p. 41.

Governance

Consett is part of the Blaydon and Consett parliament constituency. It was previously part of the North West Durham Parliamentary Constituency, last represented by Richard Holden of the Conservative Party after the 2019 general election. Since 2024 it is part of Blaydon and Consett Parliamentary Constituency, represented by Liz Twist. Before 1983, the town gave its name to its parliamentary constituency: Consett (UK Parliament constituency). Consett was part of

Derwentside Derwentside was, from 1974 to 2009, a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in County Durham, England. The district took its name from the River Derwent, North East England, River Derwent, which made up part of the northern bord ...

District Council, which merged into the

Durham County Council Durham County Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the non-metropolitan county of County Durham (district), County Durham in North East England. The council is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority, bein ...

unitary authority on 1 April 2009. The Consett area is currently divided into four electoral divisions (Benfieldside; Consett North; Delves Lane and Consett South; and Leadgate and Medomsley), each electing two county councillors. The town unlike most other towns and villages in County Durham is unparished and has no town council. Consett was part of the constituency of

North East England North East England, commonly referred to simply as the North East within England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of County DurhamNorthumberland, , Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and part of northern North Yorkshire. ...

in the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

until 2020.

Geography

Consett sits above the rural Derwent valley near the boundary of County Durham and

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

. 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

and Blackhill contiguous and some not, for example Moorside and Castleside.

Economy

The Consett Iron Company was established in 1864 as a successor to the original Derwent Iron Company of 1840, when the first

blast furnaces A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being supplied above atmospheric pressure. In a ...

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 Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the British Empire. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in P ...

and some of the UK's

nuclear submarines A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear weapons, nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically Marine diesel engine, diesel-elect ...

. 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 An iron oxide is a chemical compound composed of iron and oxygen. Several iron oxides are recognized. Often they are non-stoichiometric. Ferric oxyhydroxides are a related class of compounds, perhaps the best known of which is rust. Iron ...

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 British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...

. 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.Kearney, T. (1990) A Social History of Consett 1840–1990, DCA

Steelworks closure

Consett steelworks had always avoided closure, even in difficult economic times, but in 1980 it was closed with the loss of 3,700 jobs and many more from the knock-on effects in ancillary industries. The unemployment rate in Consett became double the national average.Steel Towns: From Boom to Bust, BBC Nation on Film. A major plan to restructure steel-making in the UK saw light in the mid-1970s, based on concentrating it in five UK coastal locations, to allow easy import of raw materials and export of finished goods. BSC Consett was not one of the locations, despite being serviced by a well-established rail network, producing high-quality boron steel and being in profit in 1980, the year it was closed. A deputation of steelworkers lobbied the government in London. The social impact of the decision was often characterised by many of the local people at the time as "The Murder of a Town". After closure of the steel works the town became one of the worst unemployment black spots in Britain. In 1981, it peaked at 36 per cent – one of the worst unemployment rates of any town in the United Kingdom and around three times the national average at the time. The closure marked the end of the Derwent Valley steel heritage, and the decline of Consett as an industrial town. Along with the closure of coal mines, it was also a first step in the decline of all heavy industry in the Derwent Valley.H. Beynon and R. Hudson (1986), "Nationalised industry policies and the destruction of communities: Some evidence from North East England", ''Capital and Class''. The last steel ingot from the Consett ironworks was made into a cross and is kept at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Blackhill.

Regeneration

Regeneration in the 1990s, through Project Genesis, went only some way towards repairing the damage done to the local economy by these closures. Unemployment came down to the national average, but this was partly due to outward migration and economic inactivity due to long-term illness, neither of which were included in the government statistics. In 2011 Durham County Council, which provides a lot of employment for local people, commenced a three-year plan to reduce its workforce by 1600. Alongside the public sector, small and medium-sized businesses now provide jobs in the area. The

Phileas Fogg Phileas Fogg ( ) is the protagonist in the 1872 Jules Verne novel '' Around the World in Eighty Days''. Inspirations for the character were the American entrepreneur George Francis Train and American writer and adventurer William Perry Fogg ...

Company (County Durham), with its factory in Consett, were mildly famous for a few years from 1988 for their snack food "Made in Medomsley Road, Consett" television adverts. It is now owned by KP Snacks (originally part of

United Biscuits United Biscuits (UB) is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of McVitie's biscuits, Jacob's Cream Crackers, and Twiglets. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In ...

). The Explorer Group, based in Consett, is the United Kingdom's second-largest manufacturer of caravans. Elddis Transport Limited is based in the town. Since 2000, there have been several new housing developments on the former steelworks site and surrounding areas.

Derwentside College Derwentside College is a further education college based in Consett, County Durham, England. It is the major provider of vocational post-16 education and training in the former district of Derwentside. The Principal and Chief Executive is Chris ...

, formerly sited at Park Road, moved to a new campus at Berry Edge in September 2002 and more recently, major retailers have moved in and the site which once made steel for

and Britain's nuclear submarines is now home to rival Tesco and Morrisons stores, a string of high street outlets and fast food restaurants. New industrial units are also to be built on the former steel works site, after the Project Genesis Trust secured investment of £358,968 from the Rural Growth Network (RGN) to develop bespoke business premises and offices on part of the site. (The Project Genesis Trust is a body created to regenerate the former steelworks site). The population soared to 39,000, higher than in the days of steel, and unemployment plummeted. In August 2015, only 420 people were receiving Jobseekers' Allowance, with an official unemployment rate of 1.7 per cent, markedly lower than the rest of County Durham. The wider claimant count of people on out-of-work benefits was 6.3 per cent, half the County Durham average, although it omits those receiving disability benefits, which will be a significant number, given the town's industrial legacy. A large area formerly used by

Hospital was sold to a property developer, which began to build a further 400 homes in 2013–2014. This development has now become the multi-award-winning Woodlands Estate. This has further aided Consett's recovery as a top commuter town due to its convenient location between Durham and Newcastle. Along with the housing developments of the last few years (some still ongoing), there has also been major investment in local amenities, such as a £44-million sports complex in Medomsley Road, near the old sports facilities. This is shared with Consett Academy, which was given a brand new £5.7 million building. In June 2020, the MP for North West Durham, Richard Holden, sponsored a bid to the ''Ideas Fund'' of the Department for Transport's ''Restoring Your Railway Fund'', hoping to access up to £50,000 to cover the cost of an initial study into the feasibility of restoring a rail link between Consett and Blaydon. In November 2020 it was announced that the requested funds would be provided for such a study into reinstating a rail service between Consett and , although it was unclear where the Consett terminus of such a rail link would be located and whether this study would focus on the former Derwent Valley Railway or also include the former route via Birtley.

Education

Consett's

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

is Consett Academy. However, near to Consett in Lanchester is St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College and in

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

North Durham Academy, which along with Consett Academy is part of the New College Durham Academies Trust (NCDAT) managed by New College Durham.

Culture

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

Belle Vue Leisure Centre

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

Other Entertainment

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 Real ale is the name coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for ale that is "brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous ca ...

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

, ''The Grey Horse'', the latter of which hosts the ''Consett Ale Works'' microbrewery. Additionally, ''The Company Row'', a

Wetherspoons J D Wetherspoon (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons, and colloquially known as Spoons) is a British pub company operating in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim ...

pub, sits on the junction of Victoria Road and Front Street. Also well known is Consett's ''Steel Club'' north of the bus station.

Salvation Army Band

Consett was the first in the world to have a

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

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.

Notable people

Alphabetical order within sections

Arts

* Sheila Mackie (1928–2010), artist

Business

* Rod Allen (1929–2007), advertising executive born in Consett * Deryck Maughan (born 1947), chairman of

Salomon Brothers Salomon Brothers, Inc., was an American multinational bulge bracket investment bank headquartered in New York City. It was one of the five List of investment banks, largest investment banking enterprises in the United States and a very profitabl ...

and vice-chairman of the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...

was born in Consett. * Bob Murray (born 1946), kitchen and bathroom magnate and former chairman of

Sunderland AFC Sunderland Association Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Formed in 187 ...

Church

Christopher Lowson Christopher Lowson (born 3 February 1953) is a British retired Anglican bishop. He was Bishop of Lincoln from 2011 to 2021. Education and ordination Lowson was educated at Newcastle Cathedral School, Consett Grammar School and King's College Lon ...

(born 1953), Anglican

Bishop of Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury. The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of Nort ...

Music

* Ruth Copeland (born ), singer-songwriter, wrote songs for the soul star George Clinton. * Lorraine Crosby (born 1960), singer-songwriter, worked with

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...

. * Graeme Danby (born 1962), opera singer born in the town, * Janet Graham (born 1948), composer and music therapist *

Karen Harding Karen Harding (born 18 November 1991) is an English singer and songwriter from Consett, County Durham. Her first single, " Say Something", released in February 2015, entered the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. Early life Born to an English fat ...

(born 1991), singer born in Consett * Mitch Laddie (born 1990), blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter * Freddie 'Fingers' Lee (1937–2014) singer, guitarist and pianist * Susan Maughan (born 1938), singer, who reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1962 with ''Bobby's Girl'' *

Paddy McAloon Patrick Joseph McAloon (born 7 June 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and a founder of the band Prefab Sprout. Early life McAloon was born and grew up in Witton Gilbert in County Durham, England. He was trained to be a Catholic priest be ...

(born 1957), founding member of the band Prefab Sprout. *

Keith Strachan Keith Strachan (born 21 January 1944) is an English composer and theatre director. He co-wrote the song " Mistletoe and Wine", which got Cliff Richard the 1988 UK Christmas number one. His TV work includes the theme music for the worldwide franc ...

(born 1944 in Consett), composer and musical theatre director * Steve Thompson (born 1952), musician, songwriter and record producer born in Consett

Performance

* Alun Armstrong (born 1946), actor, attended Consett Grammar School. * Rowan Atkinson, (born 1955), starred in the ''

Blackadder ''Blackadder'' is a series of four Period piece, period British sitcoms - ''The Black Adder'', ''Blackadder II'', ''Blackadder the Third'' and ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' - plus several one-off instalments, which originally aired on BBC1 from 19 ...

'' and '' Mr. Bean'' comedy series. Atkinson was born to Eric Atkinson and Ella May, Anglican farmers in Consett. * Rebecca Calder (born 1981), actress * Lee Ridley (born 1980), comedian and winner of '' Britain's Got Talent'' 2018 as "Lost Voice Guy" * Denise Welch (born 1958), actress in ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

,'' ''

Soldier Soldier ''Soldier Soldier'' is a British television drama series. Created by Lucy Gannon, produced by Central Television and broadcast on the ITV network, it ran for a total of seven series and 82 episodes from 10 June 1991 to 9 December 1997. It ...

'' and '' Waterloo Road'' * Mak Wilson (born 1957), puppeteer

Politics

* Alan Campbell (born 1957), Labour MP for

Tynemouth Tynemouth () is a coastal town in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne, England, River Tyne, hence its name. It is east-northeast of Newcastle up ...

and former

Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...

Minister for Crime Reduction and Government Whip, was born in the town. * Darren Grimes (born 1993), political commentator and politician * Mark Hewitson (1897–1973), trade union official and Labour MP * George John Smith (1862–1946), three times elected MP for

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

, New Zealand, was born in Consett.

Sports

* Harry Ashby (1946–2010), professional golfer. * Arthur Bellamy (1942–2014), professional footballer with

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

and Chesterfield *

Mark Clattenburg Mark Clattenburg (born 13 March 1975) is an English former professional Association football, football Referee (association football), referee. Clattenburg is a former member of the Premier League and the Durham County Football Association an ...

(born 1975), professional football referee * Frank Clark (born 1943), footballer and football manager, played for

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...

in their

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, most commonly referred to as the Fairs Cup and sometimes as the European Fairs Cup or Fairs Cities' Cup, was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The Fairs Cup was the idea of FIFA vice-presid ...

-winning team in 1968–1969, then for

Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...

under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, winning a

European Cup The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...

winner's medal in 1979. He is Vice Chair of the League Managers' Association. *

Paul Collingwood Paul David Collingwood (born 26 May 1976) is an English cricket coach and former player, who played in all three formats of the game internationally for England cricket team, England. He played for Durham County Cricket Club. Collingwood was a ...

(born 1976), England and Durham cricketer, born in

* John Herdman (born 1975), head coach of the

New Zealand women's national football team The New Zealand women's national football team represents New Zealand in international women's association football, football competitions, and is governed by New Zealand Football (NZF). They are nicknamed the Football Ferns. The New Zealand n ...

(2006–2011), Canada women's national soccer team (2011–2018),

Canada men's national soccer team The Canada men's national soccer team () represents Canada in international Association football, soccer competitions since 1924. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association, the governing body for soccer in Canada. They have been a m ...

(2018 - 2023) and

Toronto FC Toronto Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matc ...

(since 2023) * Colin Hutchinson (1936–2017), professional footballer born in Consett * Russell Inglis (1936–1982), first-class cricketer for

Durham County Cricket Club Durham County Cricket Club (rebranded as Durham Cricket in February 2019) is one of eighteen first-class cricket, first-class county cricket, county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the Historic c ...

, born in Consett * Joe Joyce (born 1961), professional footballer, currently Academy Manager at Newcastle United * Michael Kay (born 1989), footballer for Tranmere Rovers * Joe Loughran (1915–1994), footballer for Birmingham City F.C.,

Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...

etc., born in Consett * Bobby Lumley (1933–2017), footballer for

Charlton Athletic F.C. Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, London, Charlton, south-east London, England. The team compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Thei ...

, Hartlepool United F.C. etc., born in Consett * Jackie Maltby (born 1939), professional footballer born in Consett * Kevin McCurley (1926–2000), professional footballer born in Consett * Paul McNally (born 1949), professional footballer born in Consett * Keith Morton (born 1934), professional footballer born in Consett * Bev Priestman (born 1986), coach of Canada women's national soccer team since 2020, led them to the gold medal at the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

. * John Robson (1950–2004), professional footballer for Derby County and

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...

Jimmy Seed James Marshall Seed (25 March 1895 – 16 July 1966) was an English footballer and football manager. Despite being born in Blackhill, Seed was brought up in the village of Whitburn on the coast just to the north of Sunderland, the family moving ...

(born Blackhill, 1895–1966), professional footballer at Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday, then manager of Charlton Athletic and Millwall * John Stirk (born 1955), professional footballer born in Consett * Mathew Tait (born 1986),

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

international and ex

Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union. The club was established in 1877 as the Gosforth Football Club. Around 1882 the club merged with the Northumberland Football Cl ...

Rugby Union player, born in

and brought up in nearby Wolsingham * Barry Venison (born 1964), retired footballer and pundit

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in County Durham Unparished areas in County Durham Former civil parishes in County Durham