Consett, England
Steel Town Without The Steel
"Rising from the slag heap, one wind farm at a time"
Official Coat of Arms
A shield dominated by a rampant wind turbine rotating against a permanently grey sky, flanked by two ghostly outlines of demolished steelworks chimneys. Below, a scroll reads 'Altitude Compensates For Attitude', in reference to the town's status as one of England's highest.
TripAdvisor Review
★★★☆☆ 3/5
"Came for the Consett to Sunderland railway path, stayed because my car wouldn't start on the hill out of town. The views over the old steelworks site are genuinely stunning now it's all grassed over, and the wind whips through you like it's personally offended. Empire Theatre was a nice surprise but the high street has more empty units than a Monopoly board mid-game. Friendly people though, and the chip shops are doing God's work."— Barry Fothergill, Gateshead
Property Listing
Nestled at a breathtaking 900 feet above sea level, this characterful former steel town offers UNRIVALLED panoramic views (visibility permitting) and a bracing microclimate that will keep your energy bills interesting. Excellent access to the stunning Derwent Walk Country Park, built handily on the old railway line that used to carry, well, steel.
Twinned With
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone — Both are famous for a massive industrial site that closed suddenly and left the surrounding land eerily reclaimed by nature.
Supporting Evidence
Consett was once home to one of Europe's largest steelworks, employing over 6,000 people, until it closed in 1980 and the land was so contaminated it took years of remediation before anything would grow.