Visiting a former steel town may not be top of your list when staying in the beautiful countryside of Edmundbyres but if you need supermarkets, petrol stations, banks or a McDonalds during your stay at Hepple Hill Cottage, Consett is your best bet. It is only 15 minutes away.
Consett was once one of the world’s most prominent steel making towns producing steel for the Blackpool Tower and British navy nuclear submarines. When the steel works was closed in 1980, it was devastating for the hilltop town. For nearly 140 years the ironworks had been the lifeblood of Consett and the industry dominated everything. Such was its dominance in 1881 that more than 2,000 of the houses in Consett and Blackhill and Leadgate belonged to the Consett Iron Company who had played a major role in the development of the town.
Fire in the Consett sky
The sky above Consett used to glow red at night. Former residents of Hepple Hill Cottage would have seen the brightly coloured night sky from the front garden.
For a while in the late 80s, the snack food company Phileas Fogg became moderately famous for their ‘made in Medomsley Road, Consett’ TV adverts before the firm was sold to United Biscuits in the 1990s. Another somewhat random Consett fact is that comedian and actor Rowan Atkinson was born and raised here.
Consett has about every supermarket you could need: Tesco, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl. There is also a B & M and the legendary Barry’s Bargains in Middle Street which claims to be the cheapest shop in the North East!
Consett Leisure Centre has two swimming pools, a gym, squash courts and an indoor sports hall where you can hire a badminton court. It was only built 8 years ago and is a good option on a rainy day if you need to keep children occupied or fancy some indoor exercise.
Less healthy entertainment can be found at McDonald’s opposite Tesco, KFC and Costa next to Morrisons.
