Trench is a suburb of the
new town of
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 ...
in the borough of
Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin is a borough and unitary authority in Shropshire, England. In 1974, a non-metropolitan district of Shropshire was created called The Wrekin. In 1998, the district became a unitary authority and was renamed "Telford and Wrekin" ...
and
ceremonial county of
Shropshire
Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, on the north side of the town, north of
Oakengates
Oakengates is a constituent town and civil parish in Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, England. The towns parish population was recorded as 8,517 in the 2001 census.
Etymology
The name is not derived from "oak" or "gates" but is derived from the ...
.
Canal Inclined Plane
It was once the site of an
inclined plane
An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...
connecting the now-abandoned
Shrewsbury Canal
The Shrewsbury Canal (or Shrewsbury and Newport Canal) was a canal in Shropshire, England. Authorised in 1793, the main line from Trench to Shrewsbury was fully open by 1797, but it remained isolated from the rest of the canal network until 183 ...
and a smaller canal, the
Wombridge Canal
The Wombridge Canal was a tub-boat canal in Shropshire, England, built to carry coal and iron ore from mines in the area to the furnaces where the iron was extracted. It opened in 1788, and parts of it were taken over by the Shrewsbury Canal Com ...
, higher in elevation and part of the east Shropshire canal network. The Trench Inclined Plane ceased operations in 1921 having been built in 1793. It was the last working canal
inclined plane
An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...
.
Etymology
The area is believed to get its name from a clearing in woodland (Horton Wood).
Roads and development
Trench Road is an ancient byway and was previously known as Trench Way (before 18th Century) and for a period Trench Lane. This byway connected the towns of
Newport and
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...
and was a well known route by 1288.
Trench road was the southern boundary of the village of Horton and the northern boundary of
Wrockwardine Wood
Wrockwardine Wood (pronounced "Rock-war-dine") was originally a detached piece of woodland, then a township, formerly belonging to the manor and parish of Wrockwardine. Wrockwardine is located approximately 7 miles west from Wrockwardine Wood.
...
. Hence Trench was split into the two townships. Trench Farm was located along this road and by 17th Century the road developed with various shops and public houses appearing.
Following
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
the area of Trench started to develop. Woodhouse Crescent had been built by the early 1920s, the area from Trench Road going south (between present Wombridge Road and Church Road) was an army camp and then during the 1960s and 70s the area from Trench Road to Teagues Bridge Lane had turned into a housing estate.
Notable people
*Olympian
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
athlete Robbie Brightwell (1939-2022) was educated at Trench Secondary Modern School in the 1950s.
*
Aston Villa footballer
Dalian Atkinson
Dalian Robert Atkinson (21 March 1968 – 15 August 2016) was an English professional footballer who played as a striker.
During his club football career, he played in England for Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Manchester Ci ...
(1968-2016) was brought up in Trench, where he died after an incident with police outside his father's house there.
See also
*
Canals of the United Kingdom
The canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a varied history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's ...
*
History of the British canal system
References
Telford
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