Consett Park

Consett Park, also known locally as Blackhill and Consett Park, is the town's principal Victorian public park, laid out in 1891 for the workers of the Consett Iron Company and their families. The park occupies a slope on the north-western edge of the town and has been steadily restored in recent years with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, reviving many of its original features.

Visitors will find broad tree-lined promenades, formal flower beds, a bandstand, a boating lake and a war memorial. There are children's play areas, tennis courts, a bowling green and open lawns for picnics. The park's mature trees and open aspect give long views out over the Derwent Valley towards the North Pennines, and it links directly to the Coast to Coast (C2C) cycle route that follows the trackbed of the former Consett to Sunderland railway.

Consett Park is a useful starting point for exploring the town's industrial heritage, with information boards recalling the steelworks that once dominated the skyline until closure in 1980. The 773 bus to Blanchland leaves from central Consett a short walk away, making the park a convenient stop before heading up into the Derwent Valley.