Telford and Dawley
Telford is a town in the county of Shropshire in the West Midlands area of England. Dawley is a town in the same area which has basically been designated as being part of Telford since it was constructed as a New Town. Telford is the largest town in the county.
As with so many New Towns Telford was initially built in the 1960s-1970s. It was originally designed to be called Dawley New Town before the decision was made to change the name of the town to Telford after Thomas Telford the Civil Engineer. Thomas Telford had been the Surveyor of Public Works for Shropshire in the late 1700s and is responsible for much work and innovation in the area. The town of Telford was basically built to bring together the smaller towns and villages of Dawley, Madeley, Oakengates and Wellington.
The various industrial estates in Telford bring a lot of industries to the town. Many of these are service orientated but also include hi-tech, photography and related media, office equipment and IT companies. The town attracted initial investment from both within the UK and from foreign businesses and was also used as a site by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Telford as an area is thought to have been inhabited since ancient times. By the 10th century the area was primarily focused on the activities of three manors or estates in Lilleshall, Wellington and Wrockwardine. Much of the area in the next couple of centuries was governed by a variety of monasteries who owned, controlled and worked the local mines and related trades.
Visitors to Telford should make sure to visit the spectacular Ironbridge gorge which is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The bridge at this site is also famous and worth a look as it was the first bridge to be completely made from cast iron in the world.
The town/area of Dawley has older origins than much of Telford and was, for example, referred to in the Domesday Book. The town is often divided into Great Dawley and Little Dawley. Over the years Dawley became well known for its coal and ironstone mining activities. The local clay has also been an important part of the economy over the years. Dawley’s weekly Friday Market is worth a visit if you are in Telford. The area is also popular with walkers and hikers as it is close to both the Ironbridge Gorge and The Wrekin walk.