In Arthur Ransome's children's novels of the late 1930s We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea and Secret Water, the character Commander Walker is a naval officer stationed at Shotley.
Ashford PTC and the other remaining regional training centres, Aykley Heads in Durham, Bruche in Warrington, Cwmbran in Wales, Ryton in Ryton-on-Dunsmore and Shotley in Ipswich were closed.
In Arthur Ransome's children's novels We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea and Secret Water, the character Commander Walker is an officer stationed at Shotley.