Jackfield
Encyclopedia
Jackfield is a village in Shropshire
, England
, bordering the small town of Broseley
.
, in the Ironbridge Gorge
, and opposite the village of Coalport
. Jackfield is in both the Telford and Wrekin
Council area and the Shropshire Council
area of Shropshire — the border runs through the settlement.
In older times, Jackfield village was a group of 5 smaller settlements: Preens Eddy
, The Werps
, The Tuckies
, Salthouses and Jackfield itself.
The central portion of the village was constructed on a particularly unstable part of the Ironbridge Gorge, where several landslips have been recorded. The landslip of 1952 devastated the core of Jackfield. Flooding also badly affects the part of Jackfield by the river from time-to-time.
The Severn Valley railway line
ran through the area and there was a halt for Jackfield which boasted the largest level crossing gate in England.
. In Jackfield itself, there is the Jackfield Tile Museum
, housed within the former Craven Dunnill
factory. In fact tile manufacturing still takes place there today, by the same company albeit on a smaller scale. Today, Craven Dunnill Jackfield manufacture hand made wall and floor tiles in true Victorian
fashion.
Half a mile below the Iron bridge is Jackfield Free Bridge. The old Jackfield free bridge was built in 1921 by local subscription to avoid tolls on the Iron bridge and Coalport bridge. It gave trouble in the 1930’s and required repeated repairs until in 1993 beyond repair it was knocked down and replaced with the present bridge. The new Jackfield Free Bridge is a striking structure.
The Memorial Bridge is a footbridge spanning the River Severn, linking Jackfield with Coalport
.
Three quarters of a mile further downriver are the Jackfield rapids. These are popular with canoe
ists which grade rapids according to how difficult they are to navigate. Those here used to be grade 2, but following bank stabilisation work on the south bank in 2001 has become more difficult and are now grade 3 or 4 in some levels. There is now a stopper and a difficult wave train for the less experienced.http://www.igreens.org.uk/canoe_touring_on_the_river_sever.htm
A number of historical sites in Jackfield comprise waypoints on the South Telford Heritage Trail
.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, bordering the small town of Broseley
Broseley
Broseley is a small town in Shropshire, England with a population of 4,912 . The River Severn flows to the north and east of the town. Broseley has a town council and is part of the area controlled by Shropshire Council. The first iron bridge in the world was built in 1779 to link Broseley with...
.
Location
It lies on the south bank of the River SevernRiver Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, in the Ironbridge Gorge
Ironbridge Gorge
The Ironbridge Gorge is a deep gorge formed by the River Severn in Shropshire, England.Originally called the Severn Gorge, the gorge now takes its name from its famous Iron Bridge, the first iron bridge of its kind in the world, and a monument to the industry that began there...
, and opposite the village of Coalport
Coalport
Coalport is a village in Shropshire, now part of the new town of Telford. It is located on the River Severn at , a mile downstream of Ironbridge...
. Jackfield is in both the Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin is a unitary district with borough status in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. The district was created in 1974 as The...
Council area and the Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is a unitary authority in Shropshire, United Kingdom.It replaced the former two-tier local government structure in the non-metropolitan county of Shropshire on 1 April 2009, which involved its immediate predecessor, Shropshire County Council, and five non-metropolitan districts -...
area of Shropshire — the border runs through the settlement.
In older times, Jackfield village was a group of 5 smaller settlements: Preens Eddy
Preens Eddy
- Location & Remains of the Settlement Today :Preens Eddy is a settlement which lies on the south bank of the River Severn between The Woodbridge Inn, just next to Coalport road bridge, and the settlement of The Tuckies on the eastern edge of Jackfield where the Coalport Memorial Footbridge crosses...
, The Werps
The Werps, Jackfield, Shropshire
The lost village of Werps was one of a group of small settlements which later became collectively known as Jackfield in the Broseley Parish in Shropshire...
, The Tuckies
The Tuckies, Jackfield, Shropshire
The Tuckies is a hamlet in the eastern part of Jackfield, lying on the south bank of the River Severn, in the Ironbridge Gorge, and opposite the village of Coalport. The purpose of this article is to capture its historical importance during the industrial revolution and provide links to the people...
, Salthouses and Jackfield itself.
The central portion of the village was constructed on a particularly unstable part of the Ironbridge Gorge, where several landslips have been recorded. The landslip of 1952 devastated the core of Jackfield. Flooding also badly affects the part of Jackfield by the river from time-to-time.
The Severn Valley railway line
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
ran through the area and there was a halt for Jackfield which boasted the largest level crossing gate in England.
Attractions
Less than a mile upstream is the world famous Iron BridgeThe Iron Bridge
The Iron Bridge crosses the River Severn at the Ironbridge Gorge, by the village of Ironbridge, in Shropshire, England. It was the first arch bridge in the world to be made out of cast iron, a material which was previously far too expensive to use for large structures...
. In Jackfield itself, there is the Jackfield Tile Museum
Jackfield Tile Museum
The Jackfield Tile Museum is one of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums based in the village of Jackfield on the south bank of the River Severn in the Ironbridge Gorge, in Shropshire, England...
, housed within the former Craven Dunnill
Craven Dunnill
Craven Dunnill & Co. Ltd. was formed on 9 February 1872, by Yorkshire businessman Henry Powell Dunnill , at Jackfield, Shropshire, England...
factory. In fact tile manufacturing still takes place there today, by the same company albeit on a smaller scale. Today, Craven Dunnill Jackfield manufacture hand made wall and floor tiles in true Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
fashion.
Half a mile below the Iron bridge is Jackfield Free Bridge. The old Jackfield free bridge was built in 1921 by local subscription to avoid tolls on the Iron bridge and Coalport bridge. It gave trouble in the 1930’s and required repeated repairs until in 1993 beyond repair it was knocked down and replaced with the present bridge. The new Jackfield Free Bridge is a striking structure.
The Memorial Bridge is a footbridge spanning the River Severn, linking Jackfield with Coalport
Coalport
Coalport is a village in Shropshire, now part of the new town of Telford. It is located on the River Severn at , a mile downstream of Ironbridge...
.
Three quarters of a mile further downriver are the Jackfield rapids. These are popular with canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ists which grade rapids according to how difficult they are to navigate. Those here used to be grade 2, but following bank stabilisation work on the south bank in 2001 has become more difficult and are now grade 3 or 4 in some levels. There is now a stopper and a difficult wave train for the less experienced.http://www.igreens.org.uk/canoe_touring_on_the_river_sever.htm
A number of historical sites in Jackfield comprise waypoints on the South Telford Heritage Trail
South Telford Heritage Trail
The South Telford Heritage Trail is a circular, waymarked walking route that passes by forty-nine heritage sites in the English town of Telford.-Total Distance:The approximate distance of the trail is 12.2 miles...
.