83-421: Dawley ( / d ɔː l i / DAW -lee ) is a constituent town of Telford and a civil parish in the borough of Telford and Wrekin , Shropshire , England. It was originally, in 1963, going to be the main centre of the 'Dawley New Town' plan before it was decided in 1968 to name the new town as 'Telford', after the engineer and road-builder Thomas Telford . Dawley now forms part of Telford whose town centre
166-579: A 5 in ( 127 mm ) miniature railway on the Spring Village site. A large OO gauge model railway of Stafford railway station and a cafe are situated at Horsehay & Dawley Station. TSR intends to extend south beyond Horsehay & Dawley station to Doseley Halt , build a new bridge over the A4169 and continue to the Ironbridge Gorge passing through Coalbrookdale and eventually onto
249-412: A big black pig!" Dawley has a street-market every Friday. Dawley town centre consists of a single pedestrianised street that was previously the main route from Bridgnorth in the south to Wellington in the north. The area around Dawley, not covered by Telford New Town, is rural and provides extensive opportunities for walking. The Ironbridge Gorge and The Wrekin are both pleasant walks from Dawley. On
332-410: A departure from Spring Village north to Lawley Village and then back along the line to stop at Horsehay & Dawley. The train then repeats this journey in reverse, for a round trip taking 50 minutes. In addition to the standard gauge running line, the railway also operates a short 2 ft ( 610 mm ) narrow gauge line adjacent to Horsehay Pool. The Phoenix Model Engineering Society operates
415-463: A fabricated steel bridge that will be suitable to span the road which arrived at Spring Village in October 2010. The extension south of Lightmoor is dependent upon TSR securing the redundant half of the former double track from Lightmoor to Buildwas and reinstating the missing portion of the bridge over Brick Kiln Bank. This bridge was previously reduced to a single track width when Network Rail replaced
498-623: A former England international goalkeeper , was born at Dawley in 1874. Joe Butler , another professional football goalkeeper who made 457 appearances for several clubs in The Football League , was born at Dawley Bank in 1879. Joseph Simpson (1909-1968) was born in Dawley, and was the head of the London Metropolitan Police, from 1958 to 1968. Edith Pargeter (1913-1995), who in later life under her pen name of Ellis Peters wrote
581-528: A north–south artery road. The majority of bus services in the area are operated by Arriva Midlands from its garage at Stafford Park, which replaced the original Midland Red garage in Wellington. Banga Bus operate service 891 to Wolverhampton via Shifnal and Tettenhall , replacing the original service operated by Midland Red which was latterly operated by Arriva Midlands . Between 1 June 2021 and January 2022, Chaserider launched service X14 to Cannock and
664-479: A refurbished library, various chain restaurants, Cineworld IMAX Cinema, a bowling alley/arcade and a new multi-storey car park. Telford town centre lies about 16 miles (26 km) east/south-east of Shrewsbury and 20 miles (32 km) north-west of Wolverhampton . The town covers 7,803 hectares (30.13 square miles) and its southern and eastern parts, between the Severn Gorge and Donnington Wood , include
747-472: A relatively low car ownership. In 2004 Telford & Wrekin council was awarded 'Beacon Status' for improving access to public transport. Being a new town with a planned transport infrastructure, the town features relatively few traffic problems, in comparison to the urban areas of Birmingham or medieval streets of Shrewsbury . The M54 reduces through-traffic on local roads, and the A442 Queensway acts as
830-577: A sixth-form college located in Wellington . In September 2017 the two colleges merged to form Telford College . There are four other sixth forms located at Haberdashers' Abraham Darby , Holy Trinity Academy , Madeley Academy and Thomas Telford School . Telford is home to The University of Wolverhampton Business School (UWBS) campus and the School of the Built Environment. Harper Adams University ,
913-470: A town in a town”, e.g. Wellington (Town) Telford (Town). The new town's residents who arrived in the 1960s and 1970s earned the unwanted nickname 'overspill' from people living in the existing towns and villages. In 2007 a £250 million regeneration plan for the town centre was announced, which includes the pedestrianisation of the road surrounding the shopping centre and the creation of new cafés, bars and shops which would lead to 1,750 new jobs. The reason for
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#1732855387970996-564: A university specialising in land-based education is located 9.5 miles to the northeast at Edgmond , near Newport. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central . Television signals are received from the nearby Wrekin TV transmitter situated south east of Telford. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Shropshire , Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire , Greatest Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire and Capital North West & Wales . The Shropshire Star
1079-582: Is The Iron Bridge , located in Ironbridge . It was the first bridge of its size in the world made out of cast iron . In the same area is the Ironbridge Gorge , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The most important landmark in the area is The Wrekin hill. There is also the Lilleshall Monument erected on Lilleshall Hill to the north-east, to the 1st Duke of Sutherland . Telford has a number of primary and secondary schools. These range from academies such as
1162-549: Is a registered charity . Telford Steam Railway operates over a portion of the Wellington and Severn Junction railway (W&SJR). The line to Lightmoor and beyond to Buildwas was constructed by the Wenlock, Craven Arms and Lightmoor Extension railway . Both of these became a part of the Wellington to Craven Arms Railway . For most of its working life the line was operated by the Great Western Railway and subsequently
1245-421: Is a short distance away. For over three centuries, Dawley was a mining town, both for coal and ironstone . Clay extraction, for local industrial-pipe factories, brickyards and the pottery industry, have been major influences on the landscape. Mining had an important impact on the local culture. In 1821, production at Dawley's ironworks of was halted by striking miners in protest at lowering of their wages. Many of
1328-650: Is also published by the Shropshire star. However, the building was demolished in 2023, and moved to Telford Town Centre. There have been job losses, with the movement of 500 Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) jobs at the MoD base at Sapphire House , Telford town centre, to Bristol . The sugar beet factory at Allscott closed in 2007. In 2019 a joint venture called Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land installed itself in Telford, not far from Babcock DSG . Together they are responsible for
1411-459: Is north of Dawley itself. Dawley is one of the older settlements in Shropshire, being mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086). It is divided into Dawley Magna ("Great Dawley") and Little Dawley (also shown as Dawley Parva ("Little Dawley") on older maps). The name Dawley comes from Old English meaning woodland clearing associated with a man called Dealla . The town's main civil parish
1494-422: Is officially called Great Dawley – its parish council is officially Great Dawley Town Council. Dawley Hamlets is a separate civil parish, which covers Little Dawley and other neighbouring villages/suburbs. In 1894 Dawley became an urban district , the urban district contained the parish of Dawley Magna or Dawley, on 1 April 1974 the district was abolished to form Wrekin, the parish was also abolished. In 1961
1577-515: Is run throughout December. The train consisted of a hired S160 steam locomotive from Churnet Valley Railway , 4 coaches plus a banking locomotive (in this case 08 757), The event was a major success for the TSR, bringing in the much needed funds for the extensions and to upgrade and improve their current site and rolling stock. Prior to The Polar Express of 2017, extensive work was carried out on both Horsehay and Dawley station and Spring Village to extend
1660-461: Is second and is 15 miles (24 km) to the west of the town. It is near Staffordshire : Stafford is 21 miles (34 km) to the east and Stoke-on-Trent is 25 miles (40 km) north east from the town. The town is polycentric, having been designated under the New Towns Acts in 1963 and 1968 and developed between the 1960s to the 1970s . Centred on a shopping centre and a public park ,
1743-574: Is the former goods transhipment shed, built in 1860, which had originally permitted the transfer of goods from the W&;SJR to the Coalbrookdale Company's narrow gauge plateway system. The building now serves as the railway's engine shed. At the north end of the line TSR's Lawley Village station is located south of the site of the original Lawley station. That site is now occupied by a commercial development. TSR's regular passenger timetable consists of
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#17328553879701826-652: Is the town's local weekly newspaper. Telford is situated at the terminus of the M54 motorway , a spur of the M6 linking the town with Wolverhampton and the West Midlands , and on the A5 road between Shrewsbury and Cannock . Telford Central railway station is situated on the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton Line . The town also has Oakengates railway station and Wellington railway station on
1909-675: The Albert Edward Bridge onto the power station site, at Buildwas, when it closes. TSR intends to reinstate Coalbrookdale station to serve the Ironbridge Gorge Trust's Museum of Iron, Coalbrookdale's original station buildings survive as part of the Green Wood Centre 's Woodland Experience site. In August 2008 Telford Steam Railway concluded negotiations with Network Rail for the lease and occupation of Lightmoor Junction Signal Box. Restoration progressed steadily throughout
1992-705: The Brother Cadfael novels, went to school in Dawley. She grew up with her family in King Street, Dawley and published her first novel in 1936 while working at a chemist's shop in the town. Numerous roads in Aqueduct, such as Cadfael Drive and Ellis Peters Drive, are 'themed' after her. Roy Pritchard (1925-1993), professional footballer, played in Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers , Aston Villa , Notts County and Port Vale , appearing in 1949 FA Cup Final ,
2075-846: The Challenger 2 Life Extension Project . Aqueduct, Brookside, Dawley Bank, Doseley, Hollinswood, Heath Hill, Horsehay , Lawley, Lawley Bank, Lightmoor, Little Dawley, Malinslee, Newdale, Old Park, Overdale, Randlay, Stirchley, Sutton Hill, The Rock, Tweedale, Woodside. Arleston, Donnington, Donnington Wood, Hadley, Hartshill, Haybridge, Ketley , Ketley Bank, Ketleybrook, Ketleyhill, Leegomery, Muxton, Priorslee , Priorslee Village, Red Lake, Snedshill, St Georges, Trench, Trench Lock, Wombridge, Wrockwardine Wood. Blists Hill , Coalbrookdale , Coalport , Dawley , Ironbridge , Jackfield , Madeley , Newport , Oakengates , Wellington , Admaston , Bratton , Dothill and Shawbirch . Hadley Castle, Halesfield, Hortonwood, Stafford Park The commercial centre of
2158-618: The Coalport Branch Line which ran from Hadley to Coalport . It opened in 1860 but closed in 1952 and the trackbed including platform now form part of the Silkin Way . Dawley is mentioned in the Domesday Book and is therefore one of the older settlements in Shropshire. There was a castle in Dawley, but it was demolished around 1648. The site is unknown, although the Castle Pools (on the old quarry site) and Castle Ironworks (built by
2241-477: The Darby family , one of whom commissioned the world-famous Iron Bridge ) possibly indicate the general area where it may have stood. Prior to the landscaping that followed the creation of Telford New Town, extensive ruins were detectable next to the Castle Pools and are shown on old maps as being the location of the castle, but, in the 1980s, the whole area was buried under thick topsoil and planted with trees. Ironbridge
2324-537: The M54 motorway was completed, connecting the town to the M6 and thence the rest of the UK's motorway network. Other major roads are the A5 , A518 and A442 , which is commonly known as the Eastern Primary or EP , and is officially branded Queensway . Many of the new town's residents were originally from the West Midlands conurbation , which includes Wolverhampton , Birmingham, Dudley and Walsall . A majority of
2407-495: The McArthur Glenn West Midlands Designer Outlet. but was withdrawn due to low usage. A number of council contract services operate under the 'Travel Telford' brand, including Arriva Midlands service 99, Chaserider services 100, 102, 103 and 104 and Select Bus service 101. These were introduced to link local employment opportunities, schools and villages previously without bus services. Notably
2490-594: The Reform UK party. The current MP since the election is Shaun Davies (Labour). Some suburbs, such as Wellington, are located in The Wrekin , which also has varying support between the Conservatives and Labour. Conservative Mark Pritchard was reelected as the latter seat's MP in 2024, and has now held the seat continuously since 2005. Telford is administratively part of the West Midlands region . In 1963 Dawley new town
2573-641: The Telford Langley School to City Technology Colleges like the Thomas Telford School . 8 miles (13 km) to the north are Adams' Grammar School and Newport Girls High School selective schools located in nearby Newport . Wrekin College , an independent co-educational boarding and day school, is located in the Wellington area of Telford. Further education was handled by Telford College of Arts and Technology (TCAT) and Telford New College ,
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2656-578: The Telford and Wrekin borough. These are used for electoral purposes and demographic surveys. Telford was created politically – but its attempts to make a cohesive town from the fusion of other independent towns: Wellington , Madeley , Hadley , Oakengates , Dawley , Ironbridge and Donnington have largely been successful. Despite this, the town has much clearer divisions than in other older towns, such as nearby Shrewsbury, which have developed into one consolidated urban area over time. Some small settlements to
2739-559: The Weald Moors (an area north of the town centre) towards the line along which the Roman Watling Street was built. Farmland surrounded three large estates in the 10th century, namely Wellington , Wrockwardine and Lilleshall . From the 13th century there was urban development in Wellington and Madeley , where Wenlock Priory founded a new town. Six monastic houses, founded in the 11th and 12th centuries, had large interests in
2822-567: The Western Region of British Railways . The line directions between Buildwas and Lightmoor were counter-intuitive for a period when the line going down the hill was the Up Line (towards London ), and the line going up the hill was the Down Line (away from London ), as the direction towards London from Lightmoor Junction was then considered to be routed via the former Severn Valley line. Since
2905-448: The Wrekin , a large hill of 407 m (1335 ft), south-west of Wellington, straddling the border with the unitary Shropshire Council (before the latter's creation in 2009 the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham ). Within the borough of Telford & Wrekin , the town is entirely parished . Telford has no single town council because of this. The town is also divided into Wards, within
2988-412: The council house tenants in Telford were rehoused from inner-city Birmingham. The rehousing affected existing communities, who were sometimes resentful of the changes. As a result some individuals still refuse to put Telford in their address, instead using the original local name (such as Wellington or Dawley) and often citing the existence of town Councils as support for the argument "you can't live in
3071-517: The 100 (nicknamed 'Express 100') runs seven days a week and on evenings. Telford Steam Railway The Telford Steam Railway (TSR) is a heritage railway located at Horsehay , Telford in Shropshire, England, formed in 1976. The railway is operated by volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of September, and at Christmas . Its official business name is the Telford Horsehay Steam Trust (THST), and it
3154-456: The American company Unimation and three firms from Japan: Nikon UK Ltd., which opened a warehouse at Halesfield in 1983; video-tape manufacturers Hitachi Maxell at Apley Castle in 1983; and office equipment manufacturers Ricoh , who took a 22-acre (89,000 m ) site for a factory at Priorslee next to the M54 , and formed the first in Telford's new enterprise zone. Consequently, from
3237-538: The Birmingham-based John Madin Design Group . The Minister proposed an extension of 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) in 1968 (taking in the historic area of Ironbridge Gorge ). The Dawley New Town (Designation) Amendment (Telford) Order was made on 29 November 1968, extending the New Town area by 10,143 acres (4,105 ha) of "land lying within the urban districts of Oakengates and Wellington and
3320-628: The East Shropshire coalfield. North and north-west Telford lie beyond the coalfield's boundary fault on sandstone beds which, along with other Triassic formations, prevail over much of the North Shropshire plain. The town centre stands on a watershed, with land to the south draining towards the River Severn and to the north sloping gently down towards the Weald Moors. The town is dominated by
3403-452: The German meaning "are". However, the dialect is largely lost. Along with the dialect were various conventions and traditions, notably the "pig on the wall". Traditionally, Dawley residents would show their support for The Dawley Prize Band or other civic marches by placing their pigs on their walls. The pig also features in the dialect, with a romantic phrase apparently being "I wudna swop thee for
Dawley - Misplaced Pages Continue
3486-548: The MOD contract from the Euston Park site, as well as a vast array of clients across the world from the Plaza building. Also Capgemini and Fujitsu employ a significant number of staff in the area, mainly supporting their governmental client, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) . The expansion in these job sectors provided a great asset to Telford's economic recovery after 1992. By August 2007,
3569-513: The Shropshire Coalfield. The M54 motorway was completed in 1983, improving the town's road links with the West Midlands conurbation , Wolverhampton is 19 miles (31 km) south east and Birmingham is 28 miles (45 km) in the same direction. In the 2011 census, the town had a population of 142,723 while in 2017, the wider borough had an estimated population of 175,271. It is the most populous settlement in Shropshire, Shrewsbury
3652-527: The Telford Steam Railway had also published its website for "Steaming to Ironbridge" outlining the proposed extension plans for the line into the power station site in Ironbridge, which is very well backed by both Telford and Wrekin and the owners of the power station site, Harworth. The site proposals for the site include a railway station using the existing railway line. In 2024, Lightmoor Signal Box
3735-519: The US, Europe, and Japan . The foreign firms required larger factories, and they began to be built at Stafford Park. By 1983 over 2,000 jobs in Telford were provided by around 40 (mostly American) foreign companies. In contrast to industry in the Black Country at the time, these new companies focused on high-technology industries rather than the heavy and metal-finishing industries. The new arrivals included
3818-403: The area's economic growth. They collectively acquired almost half of the area and profited from coal and ironstone mines and iron smithies on their estates. The area was the site of the 1821 Cinderloo Uprising , which saw 3,000 people protest against the lowering of wages for those working in the local coal industry. The protests resulted in the deaths of three striking colliers. The New Town
3901-727: The blue office towers ( Telford Plaza ), and the Windsor Life building. The Forge retail park and a large Odeon Cinema are also located in the area. Telford also houses one of the Midlands' few ice skating rinks near the Telford International Centre (TIC). The TIC comprises a number of exhibition halls and event spaces. It holds parties, conferences, concerts and was formerly the venue of the UK Snooker Championship. A major Shropshire landmark, also now part of Telford,
3984-683: The early 1990s when the Development Corporation was wound up to be replaced by the Commission for New Towns , later English Partnerships, and most of the property was handed over to the then Wrekin District Council. Telford was now 25 years old and was firmly established as one of the most important towns in the region. There is a Retail Park called Wrekin Retail Park in Wellington. In 1983, after fierce opposition and three public enquiries,
4067-418: The end of the decade, only for it to rise to a similarly high figure again by 1992 as a result of the early 1990s recession . In recent years the local economy has matured, the median gross weekly earnings for full-time workers who work in Telford and Wrekin was £563 in 2019 (West Midlands £552.50 and England £591.40 ). Telford has attracted several large IT services companies, including EDS who support
4150-507: The expansion is that the original 'centre' was only ever a shopping place with no real heart. As the 'centre' closed early in the evening there was no nightlife at all in the area, the only major local entertainment areas being in Oakengates and Wellington. The first phase of the town-centre development, named Southwater, was completed in 2014. The official opening ceremony, on 18 October 2014, included live music and fireworks. The area includes
4233-530: The following years. On 16 July 2010 the Shropshire Star published a video interview with Regeneration chief Councillor Eric Carter of Telford and Wrekin Council, in which he discussed proposals by Telford Steam Railway to operate to the site of Ironbridge Power Station after its scheduled closure in 2015. In 2016, the Telford Steam Railway started their now flagship event of the year, The Polar Express , which
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#17328553879704316-421: The former W&SJR , with a third built in preservation, this being Spring Village) Horsehay & Dawley platform sits on a north–south through line, beneath Bridge Road. 150 yards (140 m) to the west, Spring Village platform is at the end of a short spur off the running line. In between the two station platforms are the sidings and yard used for storing the railway's stock. Beyond Spring Village platform
4399-566: The last change the up direction is now completely intuitive. Passenger services between Buildwas and Wellington ended on 23 July 1962, pre-dating the publication of the ' Beeching Report ' in March 1963. Freight traffic lasted until 1983 when the line from Lightmoor Junction to Lawley was closed by BR. THST was formed in 1974. An extension through Heath Hill Tunnel to Lawley Village was completed in 2015. The preserved railway operates between two stations (Horsehay & Dawley and Lawley Village) of
4482-532: The later 1970s, Telford began to attract high-technology firms and to diversify its industry, and the promotion of the Service industry also began to prosper, in the Telford Town Centre area. However, a deepening national recession meant that, despite the creation of new jobs, there were net job losses from 1979. Unemployment grew from 3.4 per cent in 1969 to over 8 per cent in 1972 and 22.3 per cent (almost double
4565-518: The level of statutorily homeless households in 2004/05 was above average for England. The Telford and Wrekin area is a popular commuter zone, containing some relatively rural areas in the North and West of the borough. These are popular with commuters to the West Midlands conurbation , due to the good transport links provided by the A5 / M54 . In 2011, the town was 91.9% white (88.5% White British), 4.7% Asian, 1.2% Black, 1.9% Mixed race and 0.2% other. At
4648-458: The locals. As of midday on 8 June, over 1000 people had joined a Facebook group showing support for the sign, acknowledging the efforts of its creators, and in protest against the controversial redevelopment of the mount to move the Phoenix Academy (now the Telford Langley School ) there. Dawley is known for its dialect, which includes some quite unique words, including "bist", presumably from
4731-399: The locals. There is still a local clay-pipe factory in the adjacent Doseley village; grey clay predominates on the immediate outskirts of Dawley. The adjacent village of Horsehay was the site of a bridge and later a crane fabrication factory that exported around the world. The Victoria Falls Bridge is wrongly claimed to have been built there. Telford Steam Railway trust is located across
4814-418: The national average) in 1983; long-term unemployment rose even faster. Nevertheless, the rate of increase in unemployment was slowing down by 1983 and was making some progress against national and regional trends. Unemployment in Telford was still around the 20% mark – nearly double the national average at the time – as late as 1986. The Lawson Boom of the next three years saw that figure fall dramatically by
4897-427: The new town is named after Thomas Telford , a civil engineer on many road, canal and rail projects in the county. It was originally designated under the name Dawley New Town , Dawley being to the south of new-town's centre. As well as multiple villages and Dawley, the other constituent towns are Wellington , Madeley and Oakengates . Early settlement in the area was thought to be on the land that sloped up from
4980-675: The northern edge of Dawley is Malinslee where St. Leonards church stands. The design of St. Leonards, a slightly irregular octagon, is said to have been influenced by Thomas Telford. Other churches supposedly influenced by Thomas Telford during his work in Shropshire are at nearby Madeley and Bridgnorth . There are seven primary schools in the Dawley area, and a comprehensive secondary school, Telford Langley School . There are two special schools in Dawley: Queensway South campus (formerly Mount Gilbert School) and Southall School. Samuel Peploe (1667-1752), later Bishop of Chester ,
5063-494: The original double track width brick arch with single track width concrete section. In October 2006, with the abolition of Lightmoor Junction , Network Rail took the uphill line out of use; the former downhill line becoming a bi-directional extension of the existing single line from Madeley Junction. TSR plans to use the uphill line as its route into the Ironbridge Gorge including extension over Coalbrookdale Viaduct and across
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#17328553879705146-472: The parish had a population of 9558. On 1 April 1988 a parish called "Great Dawley" was formed. The nearest railway station is Telford Central . Historically, the Great Western Railway maintained a line that passed through the parish, going through the tunnel at Heath Hill. This tunnel is still used and is currently part of Telford Steam Railway 's expansion project. It was also served by the single platformed station at Dawley and Stirchley railway station on
5229-458: The platforms to take the longer 4 coach train along with a new station building being erected on Horsehay and Dawley platform, this will also help with train lengths when the trains run through from Lawley to Ironbridge which are foreseen to consist of a locomotive and 4 coaches. As of the beginning of 2019, the track between Horsehay and Dawley and the level crossing at Doseley was removed prior to relaying at passenger carrying standards. In 2019,
5312-510: The power station site at Buildwas . South of Doseley, half a mile (0.8 km) of trackbed and two missing level crossings separate TSR's current railhead from the A4169 and Lightmoor Junction . Permission was given in June 2014 by Telford and Wrekin Council for trains to operate south to Doseley once all trackworks and building works have been completed. It was expected for work to commence south from Horsehay & Dawley station to Doseley Halt in
5395-416: The road from the former factory site. Dawley Town Hall opened as a temperance hall, in 1873. On 7 June 2010, Dawley had become subject to a lot of media attention because some locals had recreated the 'Hollywood' sign on a noticeable bank on Paddock Mount but with Dawley instead of Hollywood . The Shropshire Star had a full-page spread article on that day's evening edition to honour the effort made by
5478-569: The rural districts of Shifnal and Wellington". The Order also renamed the new town Telford, after the Scottish-born civil engineer Thomas Telford , who in 1787 became Surveyor of Public Works for Shropshire. Other suggested names at the time were Dawelloak and Wrekin Forest City. Most of the infrastructure was constructed from the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, with the major housing and commercial development occurring over three decades up to
5561-412: The same census the population of the town was 142,723 and had an area of 46.2 kilometers with the population estimated to be 147,105 in 2016. During the economic crisis of the late 1960s (with unemployment doubling nationally during the second half of the decade), unemployment in the then-new town was initially high. However, in 1967 Halesfield Industrial Estate was founded on the south-eastern edge of
5644-597: The same line. All three stations are serviced by trains from Transport for Wales Rail , West Midlands Railway , and Avanti West Coast . In May 1998, Virgin Trains West Coast introduced a service from Shrewsbury to London Euston . It was withdrawn in 2000. A service to Walsall was introduced from Wellington via Wolverhampton but proved to be unprofitable and was withdrawn by London Midland in December 2008. A new service from Wrexham General to London Marylebone
5727-471: The south such as a part of Ironbridge and Broseley , while part of the Telford Urban Area, are administered by Shropshire Council . Telford is the only settlement within the Telford parliamentary constituency , which was held by Labour from its creation in 1997 until the 2015 general election . It was then held by Lucy Allen who stood down ahead of the 2024 general election after defecting to
5810-407: The success story of Telford's economy had seen unemployment shrink to 3.3% – a fraction of its peak 15 years earlier. However, the subsequent recession meant that unemployment in the area had risen to 5% by February 2011, although this was still well below the national average. The Shropshire Star evening newspaper was based in Ketley. There is a free local paper the Telford Journal which
5893-407: The summer of 2015. Although from the road it appears the formation would have to be raised by a prohibitive amount to achieve the statutory headroom below the bridge over the A4169, surveying by THST confirmed that a modest increase in height will provide the necessary clearance without increasing the already steep gradient between Doseley station and Lightmoor Junction. Network Rail have donated
5976-536: The town called The Wrekin is part of the Shropshire Hills , an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . To the south of the town is the Ironbridge Gorge , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Places around the Ironbridge Gorge area, which were developed into the town itself, are internationally recognised as being "The Birthplace of Industry" being to a large extent constructed during the Industrial Revolution on
6059-429: The town is Telford Town Centre, located off Junction 5 of the M54 motorway , completed in the 1980s. It is home to the administrative headquarters of Telford & Wrekin Council, which are now based at Addenbrook House on Ironmasters Way, after moving from the old Civic Offices (dating from the mid-1970s) in December 2012. The large Telford Shopping Centre (and the accompanying Town Park ), various office blocks, such as
6142-499: The town – the first real answer to Telford's unemployment problems. Other large estates followed, in 1973 with Stafford Park just east of the town centre and in 1979 with Hortonwood , to the north, helping ease the unemployment crisis in a decade which saw an almost unbroken rise in unemployment. In total, half a million square metres of factory space were provided between 1968 and 1983, making Telford an attractive investment area. By 1976, Telford had begun to recruit industry from
6225-543: The workers in Dawley joined a larger group of protesters in what came to be known as the Cinderloo Uprising . In 1872, the Springwell Pit Disaster resulted in the deaths of eight men and boys. Prior to large-scale levelling as part of the development of Telford New Town, the area was covered by clay mounds and large clay pits that dominated the landscape, to the extent that they formed points of reference for
6308-565: Was 147,980 according to the 2011 census . At the 2001 census, the urban area had 138,241 people. The built-up area includes Broseley which lies outside the Borough of Telford and Wrekin and also includes the towns of Dawley , Oakengates , Wellington and Madeley . Telford has a younger than average population, and a higher rate of teenage pregnancy than the national average, as well as relatively high levels of income deprivation with 15% of residents living in low income households. In addition
6391-485: Was a native of Dawley Parva, where he was baptised. Thomas Botfield (1762-1843), metallurgist, geologist and inventor, was born at Dawley. William 'Billy' Ball (1795–1852), the 'Shropshire Giant' , was a nineteenth-century iron puddler and giant. John Poole Sandlands (1838-1915), clergyman, naturopath and vegetarian activist, was born in Dawley. Dawley was the birthplace in 1848 of Captain Matthew Webb who
6474-568: Was born at Dawley. Thomas (aka Tommy) Nicholls (1931-2021), boxer, lived at Brandlee, Dawley at time of his Olympic appearances in 1952 and 1956 . Eddie Garbett (born 1949), footballer for Shrewsbury Town , Barrow and Stockport County , was born at Dawley. Paul Hendy (born 1966), TV presenter, was born at Dawley. Danielle Jones , a fictional character in EastEnders during 2008–09 (played by Lauren Crace ) came from Dawley. Dalian Atkinson (1968-2016), former Aston Villa striker
6557-599: Was first designated on 16 January 1963 by the Conservative administration as Dawley New Town , covering 9,100 acres (37 km ) of Dawley , Wenlock , Oakengates , Wellington Rural District and Shifnal Rural District . Development started, guided by the Dawley New Town Development Corporation, with the first homes on the new Sutton Hill housing estate being occupied in 1967. Initial planning and design concepts for Dawley New Town were produced by
6640-409: Was intended to take 50,000 people from the West Midlands conurbation and so to grow to a town of 70,000 or more. By 1968 Telford was intended to take an additional 50,000 and grow to a town of 220,000 or more by 1991. By 1983, however, Telford's population was just under 108,000, and it was generally thought that it might not reach 120,000 by the late 1980s. The population of Telford's built-up area
6723-591: Was launched by Wrexham & Shropshire in 2008. The venture however proved unprofitable and ceased to operate on 28 January 2011, leaving Shropshire as the only English county without a direct train link to London. Virgin Trains re-launched a direct Shrewsbury to London Euston service in December 2014. In addition, there are three further stations isolated from the national network, Spring Village, Lawley and Horsehay & Dawley, at Telford Steam Railway , situated at Horsehay . Telford's rapidly growing population still has
6806-539: Was living in Little Dawley at the time of his death in 2016. Telford Telford ( / ˈ t ɛ l f ər d / ) is a town in Shropshire , England. It is the administrative centre of Telford and Wrekin borough , a unitary authority which covers the town, its suburbs and surrounding settlements. The town is close to the county's eastern boundary, and near the River Severn . The notable hill near
6889-781: Was the first man to swim the English Channel – his monument stands on the High Street. Legend suggests that a pig stood up against a wall to watch the parade in Webb's honour that was held on his return. Two roads in the town, Captain Webb Drive and Webb Crescent, are named after him, as is the Captain Webb Primary School. Albert Stanley (1863-1915), Liberal , later Labour politician, was born in Dark Lane, Dawley. William Foulke ,
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