The South Telford Heritage Trail is a circular, waymarked walking route that passes by forty-nine heritage sites in the English town of
Telford.
The route
The trail begins and ends in
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 chang ...
and passes through the parishes of
Stirchley & Brookside,
Madeley,
Dawley Hamlets and the
Ironbridge Gorge
The Ironbridge Gorge is a deep gorge, containing the River Severn in Shropshire, England. It was first formed by a glacial overflow from the long drained away Lake Lapworth, at the end of the last ice age. The deep exposure of the rocks cut t ...
. The route follows the remains of a network of canals, tramways, railways, coal-mines, brickworks, potteries and ironworks that once flourished in the area. The trail can be walked in its entirety in 5–6 hours.
History
Telford was established as a
new town
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
in 1968. Within its boundaries it incorporated many old settlements and communities, some dating back to the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
. During the 18th and 19th centuries the area was noted for its coal mines, iron works, china factories and brickworks.
By the beginning of the 20th century much of this industry had declined and by the 1960s, what remained was a legacy of uncapped mineshafts, derelict buildings, abandoned quarries, spoil heaps and pit mounds. The development of
Telford and thoughtful landscaping has removed or hidden many of these scars. However, throughout the area of South Telford there remains a wealth of heritage sites. These include the canals, railways, mines, ironworks, houses and fine buildings associated with the area's industrial past. Many of these heritage sites are easily missed by the casual walker and their contributions to the rich history of the area are less well known.
Aims of the Trail
The aim of the South Telford Heritage Trail is to bring attention the area's history by offering a self-guided walking route that links known and lesser known heritage sites within South Telford and to provide information about each site.
The Heritage Sites
The forty-nine heritage sites that the trail passes are as follows:
These sites also act as trail waypoints.
Funding
The trail was funded by grants from the
Heritage Lottery Fund and
Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council Stirchley may refer to:
* Stirchley, Shropshire, one of the constituents of Telford
* Stirchley, West Midlands, an area in south Birmingham
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