The Silkin Way is a 23km walking and cycling route through

Telford Telford () is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, about east of Shrewsbury, south west of Stafford, north west of Wolverhampton and from Birmingham in t ...

starting in Bratton and finishing in

Coalport Coalport is a village in Shropshire, England. It is located on the River Severn in the Ironbridge Gorge, a mile downstream of Ironbridge. It lies predominantly on the north bank of the river; on the other side is Jackfield. The settlement wa ...

. In places the path follows the former Great Western Railway and the dry canal beds of the old

Shropshire Canal The Shropshire Canal was a tub boat canal built to supply coal, ore and limestone to the industrial region of east Shropshire, England, that adjoined the River Severn at Coalbrookdale. It ran from a junction with the Donnington Wood Canal ascend ...

and goes via

Telford Town Centre Telford Shopping Centre is a indoor shopping centre in Telford, Shropshire, England. It is located in the geographical and economic centre of the new town, on land which was previously undeveloped. The trustees of the shopping centre are regis ...

and the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. Along the route the Silkin Way runs close to the many natural and historical features within Telford and shows great contrasts between futuristic architecture, woodlands, and mature parkland.

History

The path is named after

Lewis Silkin Lewis Silkin, 1st Baron Silkin CH (14 November 1889 – 11 May 1972), was a British Labour Party politician. Career Lewis Silkin was born on 14 November 1889 to Abraham and Fanny Silkin, who were Litvak Jews from what was then the Lithuanian ...

, the Minister responsible for the post-war Labour Government's New Towns Act 1946 and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Town Park to Coalport section of the route was opened in 1977 by the Prime Minister James Callaghan and the Bratton to Town Park northern section was added later. The path is marked with distinctive black iron wheels at important junctions.

Path description

Silkin Way is a designated cycle route and for most of the way uses old railway paths and canal beds and is mainly on flat and fairly smooth surfaces. There are a few steps but most are wide and easy to push bikes up and down. Cyclists are asked to use the alternative cycle route around the

Telford Shopping Centre Telford Shopping Centre is a indoor shopping centre in Telford, Shropshire, England. It is located in the geographical and economic centre of the new town, on land which was previously undeveloped. The trustees of the shopping centre are regis ...

section. The highest part is as you approach the Holyhead Road just before

Telford Central railway station Telford Central railway station serves the town of Telford, Shropshire, England. It is located on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line north west of Wolverhampton and is operated by West Midlands Trains. It is situated close to the Telford Sho ...

and is an ideal place to divide Silkin Way into two parts if you are walking. With many places to stop and see on the path, Telford & Wrekin Council say it is like a book - "you can read it all at once or just dip into it from time to time, digesting at your leisure".

Places of Interest

The Silkin Way passes through many areas showing the history of Telford and those of particular interest include; * Apley Castle Park * Hadley Park Mill *

Telford Town Park Telford Town Park is a park and Local Nature Reserve in Telford in Shropshire. In 2015, it was voted "UK's Best Park" in the inaugural public competition organised by Fields in Trust History The Anglo-Saxon period saw the first real cha ...

* Stirchley Chimney and Furnace *

Dawley and Stirchley railway station Dawley and Stirchley railway station was a station in Dawley, Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. ...

* Madeley Windmill * Madeley Market Station *

Blists Hill Victorian Town Blists Hill Victorian Town is an open-air museum built on a former industrial complex located in the Madeley area of Telford, Shropshire, England. The museum attempts to recreate the sights, sounds and smells of a Victorian Shropshire town ...

* Lee Dingle Bridge *

Coalport China Museum The Coalport China Museum is one of the ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums administered by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. The museum is based in the village of Coalport within the Ironbridge Gorge on the northern bank of the River Severn in Shrop ...

Coalport Bridge Coalport Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge between Coalport and Preens Eddy in Shropshire, England. Early bridge Architect and bridge-builder William Hayward (1740–1782) designed the first crossing over the Severn at Coalport, based on two ti ...

References

External links

Telford & Wrekin Council Silkin Way Map

gps-routes.co.uk Ordnance Survey Map

Plotaroute.com Silkin Way Route Planner
{{colend Long-distance footpaths in England Telford Rail trails in England

History

Path description

Places of Interest

See also

References

External links