People browse shops in the streets of consett town. In the first half century of its history, the company always made a profit. Brassy colours conceal emptiness and would seem to urge temporary gratification. Consett magazine publishes positive local content about a town which sits high on the edge of the pennines in north east england, consett. The company was created in 1840 by mr johnathon richardson under the name of the derwent iron.
Consett steel services limited free company information from companies house including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity. By 1893 the consett iron company owned ten collieries, seven blast furnaces, steel melting shops, plate and angle mills,a foundry, brickworks and engineering works. A definitive history of shotley bridge and consett. Today, there is no sign of the decades of heavy industry that took place on the site, and instead there is a tesco extra store. Blackhill in the 1940s a nostalgic memory of blackhill. The explosive development which resulted from the formation of the derwent iron company at this time created a company town in the truest sense, with the lives of approximately 14,000 workers and teir dependents dominated by iron, coal and later, steel. Steel had dominated consetts economy for 140 years. I was born at dixon street, blackfyne, blackhill, county durham. It was taken back by the works in 1948, and the renamed side of consett a. Cokewashing and byproduct plants are erected at templetown and langley park colliery and new byproduct plant known as the fell coke works commenced. Consett steel works 1980they closed the same year, with a loss of. The company owned coal mines and limestone quarries, and manufactured iron and steel.
Welcome to this, the 4th book in our consett series. The works provided the teams first ground the vicarage field, known locally as the vic. This in turn was the successor to the derwent iron company, founded in 1840. Federation of family history societies tips and links for family history. Art uk is the online home for every public collection in the uk. Consett, from steel to tortilla chips, published in 1989 to accompany the exhibition of the same title. Consett, a town in considecumknitsley township and an ecclesiastical parish in durham. About 3,500 jobs were lost when the consett s former steel works shut down in 1980, but the proposals mark the latest stage of the regeneration of the site. The history of the beginning of consett iron company. An iron and steelworks was established in consett in 1864 by the consett iron company limited and over the next 100 years consett became one of the worlds most prominent steel making towns. The genesis project was formed after the closure of the steel works with one aim.
Family history book, history books, durham city, st johns college, uk people, places in england. Consett iron and steel works 1950s 1960s, part 1 of 3 youtube. Buy consett iron works in 1893 by uk paperback online at lulu. Cyndis list index of online genealogical resources. It did not start making steel until 1881, but consett s product was seen as the best. The original workshops of the sheffield, ashtonunderlyne and manchester railway were in newton near hyde in cheshire but were inconveniently situated, cramped and makeshift. After the best local ironstone was depleted the stockton and darlington railway and other local railways were extended to transport ironstone from cleveland to the works. The works were the largest in england by 1860, with eleven blast furnaces on a site of over 70 acres and a workforce of nearly 4,000 men and boys. The consett iron company ltd was an industrial business based in the consett area of county durham in the united kingdom.
Consett steel works closed the same year, with a loss of jobs. The town was dominated by the steelworks until 1980 and the club enjoyed their patronage. Many steel workers had been on strike shortly before the closure in what was at the time the largest strike in british history since the second world war and would remain so until the miners strike later that decade. Because im researching the shotley bridge swordmakers for my phd in english, my focus will be on part 1. General view of the consett steel works showing trackways and overhead piping 4221569 framed, poster, canvas prints, puzzles, photo gifts and wall art. History consett magazine consett news for consett by. Minute book of the shareholders of the consett new town hall company ltd. Consett steel works, where many of my fathers family once worked. Urban photographylandscape photographyarchitectural photographyeasington collieryfamily history bookhistory booksst johns college.
History consett magazine consett news for consett by the. Sep 16, 2003 the consett steel works provided jobs for 6,000 workers at its peak in the 1960s. Discover artworks, explore venues and meet artists. How consett steelworks closed with the loss of 4500 jobs in september, 1980 and how the site looks today. Blackhill was shadowed by consett iron company as it was then known later known as consett steel works, most of the men worked there. The town lies at the terminus of the consett branch of the n. But there was intense competition in the 1970s from both local competitors on teesside and from abroad. Before the 1840s the area now known as consett was a wild, desolate space. Francis frith the uks leading publisher of local photographs since 1860. Page to celebrate the history of the consett steelworks work in progress content and pictures taken from a. Douglas vernon lived locally and worked at consett steel works for.
Ray tells me he was the last apprentice to be trained at consett, following his father into the works and. On this day 35 years ago, the town of consett in county durham was dealt a hammer blow when its giant steelworks closed. The street signs steel street, bessemer street, tin mill place, and the smelters arms, castleside, pub sign document its steel industry origins. Media in category consett steel works the following 9 files are in this category, out of 9 total. Consett iron and steel works 18401980 derwent iron company in consett was founded in 1840 by jonathan to quarry and smelt ironstone. See more ideas about old photos, local history and history. Macgregor as british steel chairman to drive through its savage rationalisation programme and by. A contemporary description of the steel and iron manufacturing carried on at consett steelworks during the victorian era by jenkins, w isbn. The population of consett according to the census was 36,017. Consett iron company project gutenberg selfpublishing.
May 31, 2009 consett iron and steel works 1950s 1960s, part 2 of 3 duration. The consett steel works provided jobs for 6,000 workers at its peak in the 1960s. It did not start making steel until 1881, but consetts product was seen as the best. Consett iron company catalogue item durham record office. Consett magazine focuses on inspiring, educational, and entertaining content. Consett iron lets look again a history of branded britain. Despite these problems, by the 1860s the works became increasingly successful, with over 18 furnaces, as well as rolling mills, coke ovens and foundries. Mar 11, 2008 consett steel works was due to close in 1980 and with some 3,700 jobs on the line, it was a bleak future for consett. Steel works photographs by julian germain childrens. It was denationalised shortly afterwards, then renationalised in 1967. Registered april 4, 1864, and owns the chopwell, garesfield, langley park, victory, and other collieries in the county of durham, limestone quarries near stanhope acquired in 1900, and iron and steel works at consett. In the 1870s the production of steel became increasingly important, and the consett industries supplied steel for shipbuilding and the railway industry.
A definitive history of shotley bridge and consett and. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. By developing the redundant land, the trust has totally changed the landscape, facilitated over 150 million pounds worth of development and created hundreds of jobs for local people. Derwentside district council 1974 2009 catalogue item. Consett steel works, county durham with images historic. Mar 31, 2005 before the 1840s the area now known as consett was a wild, desolate space. It did not start making steel until 1881, but consetts product was seen. Family history book, history books, durham city, st johns college, uk people, places in england, north east england, childhood days, coal mining.
The consett iron company ltd was an industrial business based in the consett area of county. Or, to give the book its full name, thread of iron. From their inception, the works and town have constantly changed due to industrial and commercial pressures and the need for improved housing. Consett, from steel to tortilla chips, why not publishing, 1990. Consett from steel to tortilla chips julian germain company photography steelworks.
Local history old photos steel vintage photos old photographs steel grades. Following nationalisation in postwar britain, the company became part of the british steel corporation, employing 7,250 as late as 1970. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of consett. In 1845 the railway asked their locomotive superintendent, richard peacock, to find a more suitable site for a locomotive and carriage and wagon works. At the industrys peak, in the 1960s, the works employed 6,000 people and the plant was. A brief history, and description, of consett iron works, teesside, and. Several pubs have taken names that reflect the towns steel making past.
Jul 23, 2012 consett iron and steel works 1950s 1960s nev t. Unlike in the family snaps and in tommy harriss local press photos, germains subjects rarely look you in the eye. Consett steelworks closed on this day in 1980 evening. We love to publish locally sourced consett and county durham content from writers of all ages. Consett steel works was due to close in 1980 and with some 3,700 jobs on the line, it was a bleak future for consett. Here is a picture of consett before the demolition of the works. On september 1980 the legendary iron and steel works at consett closed, despite making a profit that year, and left a devastating third of the town out of work. The film opens with long shots of consett steel works, the highest steel works in britain, set in the rural landscape. It did not start making steel until 1881, but consetts product was seen as the best in the world, good enough to rival anything. Featuring over 200,000 oil paintings by some 38,000 artists. Shotley bridge hospital plans for consett steelworks site.
Towns like consett in county durham relied heavily on the steel works which were part of their cultural heritage. The consett iron company itself was nationalised in 1951, becoming part of the iron and steel corporation of great britain. Hodgson, discovered that the banks books were only balanced. From consett s bygone days as a steel town with a strong reliance on rail, next to where the main railway station used to be, is a club named the station club, now opposite a health centre. The history of the consett iron company chapter one the iron works first twenty four years in operation 1841 to 1865 an early sketch showing the blast furnaces of consett iron company. Consett talking points welcome to book number 5 in our consett series.
It did not start making steel until 1881, but consett s product was seen as the best in the world, good enough to rival anything. Consett steel works, county durham family history book history books life pictures life pics easington colliery salt of the earth north east england londonderry city of angels easington colliery photographed by allinsons photography during demolition. The derwent iron works, county durham, were established in 1840. Consett steel services limited overview free company. The redcar plants history over the past 40 years has been tangled. My memories are from when i started school in 1943 at the tin mill school, derwent street, blackhill, as far as i remmember i did not like it. The consett iron company was the largest steel manufacturer in the world. Thatcher will be remembered for closing consett steelworks. In the late 1950s early 1960s a film was commissioned by the british iron and steel industry to document the day to day o. But there was intense competition in the 1970s from both local competitors on.
174 207 1440 227 132 907 397 1267 268 150 712 182 1419 340 734 513 993 936 1573 882 895 1481 1454 13 775 1110 1397 56 266 808 1300 906 1029 1262 673