Consett

Consett sits high on the edge of the Pennines. Its name originates in the Old English 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, and nearby was limestone. These three ingredients were needed for blast furnaces to produce iron and steel. The town is perched on the steep eastern bank of the River Derwent and owes its origins to industrial development arising from lead mining in the area, together with the development of…