Trench is a village in the
Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin is a Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough and unitary authority in Shropshire, England. In 1974, a non-metropolitan district of Shropshire was created called the Wrekin, named after The Wrekin, a prominent hill to the ...
borough of
Shropshire
Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
, England. It lies within the
Wrockwardine Wood and Trench civil parish.
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 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 third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
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") is a village in the Telford and Wrekin borough in Shropshire, England and is bordered by Donnington, St Georges, Trench, The Nabb and Oakengates. The local government parish of Wrockwardine Wood a ...
. 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
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 (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
athlete
Robbie Brightwell
Robert Ian Brightwell MBE (27 October 1939 – 6 March 2022) was a British track and field athlete and silver medallist. (1939-2022) was educated at Trench Secondary Modern School in the 1950s.
*
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
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 C ...
(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 History of the British canal system, varied history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the ...
*
History of the British canal system
The canal network of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom played a vital role in the Industrial Revolution. The UK was the first country to develop a nationwide canal network which, at its peak, expanded to nearly i ...
References
{{UK-canal-stub
Telford and Wrekin
Wrockwardine Wood and Trench