Shotley Bridge

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Shotley Bridge
Shotley Bridge shown within County Durham
Population	27,394 (2001) [1]
OS grid reference	NZ108511
District	Derwentside
Shire county	County Durham
Region	North East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CONSETT
Postcode district	DH8
Dialling code	01207
Police	Durham
Fire	County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance	North East
European Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	North West Durham
List of places: UK • England • County Durham

Coordinates: 54°51′N 1°50′W / 54.85, -1.83

Shotley Bridge is a village in the Derwent Valley next to, and effectively attached to, Consett in County Durham, England. Shotley Bridge was once the heart of Britain's swordmaking industry.

The origins of swordmaking here dated from 1691. A group of Lutheran swordmakers from Solingen in Germany settled at Shotley, allegedly in order to escape religious persecution, though in practice their departure was prompted by their breaking of guild oaths. Shotley was probably chosen because of the rich iron deposits in the area and because of the fast flowing waters of the River Derwent, which were ideal for tempering swords. Another factor may have been the remoteness of the area, as the swordmakers were keen to preserve their trade secrets, those that they had illegally taken with them from Germany. It is also worth noting that the swordmakers were able to employ the services of the famous local engraver Thomas Bewick. Swords are no longer made in the Shotley district. Today, perhaps the best known feature is the local hospital, where most of the native population of Derwentside under the age of 40 were born.

Parts of the hospital are now disused and are in the process of being demolished. The village has grown in recent years to accommodate a growing population, with new housing estates by the river Derwent, around the old hospital site and on Queen's Road under construction. Old mill buildings by the river are being converted into housing.

Notable buildings include the Gothic town hall, St Cuthbert's Church[2], designed by John Dobson, and many pretty sandstone cottages. The village is set in very attractive countryside, surrounded by woodland. Shotley is believed to be a corruption of Scotley and is thought to mean the ley, or woodland clearing of a Scotsman [3]or clearing where pigeons are to be found. The name Derwent comes from Brythonic/Old Welsh and means "oak river".

England Test cricketer Paul Collingwood played for Shotley Bridge Cricket Club in his youth where he learned his trade under the tutelage of the great CG Stephenson. ^[1]Sunderland legend Ben Clark is from Shotley Bridge.