Although Old Shotton retains its own identity, and its own village sign, it now forms part of the town of Peterlee, and it has been described as "the only developed part of Peterlee to predate the new town.
"[2] Following the foundation of Peterlee in 1948,[3] the town spread westward, towards the A19, and so by the 1970s this small village had already begun to be encroached on.
The village is home to two old pubs, "The Black Bull" and "The Royal George" which were both inns on the old A19.
Nearby is Shotton Hall, home of Peterlee town council.
The village is not part of the civil parish of Shotton, which includes the village of Shotton Colliery, as the A19 road forms the eastern boundary of that parish.