Shotley Bridge
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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, when a group of Lutheran swordmakers from Solingen in Germany, settled at Shotley, after leaving their homeland to escape religious persecution. 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. It is also worth noting that the swordmakers were able to employ the services of the famous local engraver Thomas Bewick. Sadly swords are no longer made in the Shotley district. Today its only major feature is being the location of the local hospital and so 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 also being converted into housing.
Notable buildings include the Gothic town hall, St Cuthberts Church, 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 [link]. The name Derwent is Old English and means "valley thick with oaks"
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