Madeley, Shropshire
Encyclopedia
Madeley is a town
and civil parish
in Shropshire
, England
, now part of the new town
of Telford
. The parish
had a population of 17,935 at the 2001 census.
Madeley is recorded in the Domesday Book
, having been founded before the 8th century. Historically, Madeley's industrial activity has largely been in mining, and later, manufacturing, which is still a large employer in the town, along with service industries. Parts of the parish fall within the UNESCO
World Heritage Site
of Ironbridge Gorge
, the site of The Iron Bridge
, and a key area in the development of Industry
.
. The town was founded prior to the 8th century, and subsequently became a market town in the 13th century. Mining of coal began before 1322, and the extraction of ironstone had begun by 1540.
The town played a role in the English Civil War
, as it was home to a garrison of Royalist soldiers in 1645, although this post was abandoned after the fall of Shrewsbury
. Two months later, Paliamentary forces occupied the parish church. Madeley is also home to a barn in which King Charles II
hid after the Battle of Worcester
in 1651.
In the 17th century, Madeley was a small market town, but local tradesmen began to specialise, working in the river trade and in mining. In the 18th century, The Iron Bridge
was built between Madeley Wood and Coalbrookdale
and the settlement of Ironbridge
grew by it, which took some of the commercial trade away from the old town of Madeley, including its market.
In the 1970s, significant construction of new housing and recreation areas was undertaken by the Dawley Development Corporation, later known as the Telford Development Corporation, as part of the development of Telford New Town.
Several of Madeley's historical sites of interest are waypoints on the South Telford Heritage Trail
including: Madeley Court, Madeley High Street, Jubilee House, St. Michaels Church, Madeley Windmill and the Madeley Salop Railway Station.
constituency, which is currently represented by Labour
MP
David Wright
. In terms of local government, the town has representation in the local parish council, with five councillors representing the town, and the town is administered on the borough
level by Telford and Wrekin
unitary authority
. The parish of Madeley formerly incorporated Ironbridge
, which has since become part of the new parish of The Gorge.
Madeley is situated in the southern part of the new town of Telford, to the north of Ironbridge
and the River Severn
. Coalport, a part of the parish of Madeley can be found to the west of the town, and the modern Telford Town Centre is north of the settlement. The local area has reserves of coal and ironstone
.
Part of the UNESCO
World Heritage Site
of the Ironbridge Gorge
falls within the Parish of Madeley. The majority of the site is within the parish of The Gorge, named for the Ironbridge Gorge
, which is bridged by The Iron Bridge
.
. The ethnicity of the population was as follows: 96% of the population was found to be White
, and 1.9% Asian
, or Asian British. 1.3% of the population was mixed race, 0.6% Black
or Black British
and a further 0.2% Chinese
.
In terms of religion: 77% of the population are Christian
, and 14.4% are of no religion
. 0.7% of the population are Muslim
, 0.5% are Sikh
, 0.3% are Hindu
, and 0.1% are Buddhist.
. As of 2001, manufacturing
is still a large employer in the town, with 33.1% of parish residents employed in that area. 20.7% are employed in wholesale
, retail
and hotel
s, and 11.8% in finance
and business services. 5.3% of residents were found to be unemployed by the 2001 census.
, which connects Telford to the West Midlands conurbation
and the rest of the motorway network. Town bus services are provided by Arriva
, and a community bus service is provided.
Near Madeley is Madeley Junction
, a railway junction and its accompanying signal box. The line from this junction runs to Lightmoor Junction
, and is used to carry coal to Ironbridge Power Station
. The nearest National Rail
station to the town is Telford Central.
s: Abraham Darby Academy, which specialises in the performing arts and business enterprise; and Madeley Academy, a specialist sports college. Haughton School, a special school for students aged five to eleven is located in the town.
church, which was designed by Thomas Telford; Madeley Baptist Church; and St. Mary's Roman Catholic church, part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury
. The Fletcher Methodist Centre can be found in the town, and on the Tweedale Industrial Estate near Madeley is the Springfield Christian Fellowship.
of Madeley Court, who was instrumental in the Industrial Revolution
. He was born in the local manor (which he later inherited) in 1576. His grandfather, Robert Brooke, was a former speaker of the House of Commons. Major Charles Allix Lavington Yate
VC
, is another former resident of the town, who earned the Victoria Cross in the First World War.
Billy Wright, the former captain of Wolves
and the England
football team, attended Madeley Senior School (which is now the Abraham Darby Academy). John William Fletcher
, an English divine, originally from Switzerland
, was the vicar of the parish of Madeley in the 18th century.
Rob Edwards a current Wolves and Wales
full-back, was born in the town, in 1982.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in Shropshire
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...
, now part of the new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
of Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
. The parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
had a population of 17,935 at the 2001 census.
Madeley is recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, having been founded before the 8th century. Historically, Madeley's industrial activity has largely been in mining, and later, manufacturing, which is still a large employer in the town, along with service industries. Parts of the parish fall within the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
of 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...
, the site of The Iron Bridge
The 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...
, and a key area in the development of Industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
.
History
The settlement of Madeley is recorded as far back as the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. The town was founded prior to the 8th century, and subsequently became a market town in the 13th century. Mining of coal began before 1322, and the extraction of ironstone had begun by 1540.
The town played a role in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, as it was home to a garrison of Royalist soldiers in 1645, although this post was abandoned after the fall of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
. Two months later, Paliamentary forces occupied the parish church. Madeley is also home to a barn in which King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
hid after the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
in 1651.
In the 17th century, Madeley was a small market town, but local tradesmen began to specialise, working in the river trade and in mining. In the 18th century, The Iron Bridge
The 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...
was built between Madeley Wood and Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale is a village in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England, containing a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. This is where iron ore was first smelted by Abraham Darby using easily mined "coking coal". The coal was drawn from drift mines in the sides...
and the settlement of Ironbridge
Ironbridge
Ironbridge is a settlement on the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge, in Shropshire, England. It lies in the civil parish of The Gorge, in the borough of Telford and Wrekin...
grew by it, which took some of the commercial trade away from the old town of Madeley, including its market.
In the 1970s, significant construction of new housing and recreation areas was undertaken by the Dawley Development Corporation, later known as the Telford Development Corporation, as part of the development of Telford New Town.
Several of Madeley's historical sites of interest are 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...
including: Madeley Court, Madeley High Street, Jubilee House, St. Michaels Church, Madeley Windmill and the Madeley Salop Railway Station.
Governance
Madeley is located within the civil parish and ward of the same name. The ward is within the TelfordTelford (UK Parliament constituency)
Telford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
constituency, which is currently represented by Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
David Wright
David Wright (politician)
David Wright is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Telford since 2001. He was an assistant government whip from June 2009 to May 2010.-Early and personal life:...
. In terms of local government, the town has representation in the local parish council, with five councillors representing the town, and the town is administered on the borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
level by 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...
unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
. The parish of Madeley formerly incorporated Ironbridge
Ironbridge
Ironbridge is a settlement on the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge, in Shropshire, England. It lies in the civil parish of The Gorge, in the borough of Telford and Wrekin...
, which has since become part of the new parish of The Gorge.
Geography
Ironbridge
Ironbridge is a settlement on the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge, in Shropshire, England. It lies in the civil parish of The Gorge, in the borough of Telford and Wrekin...
and the River Severn
River 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...
. Coalport, a part of the parish of Madeley can be found to the west of the town, and the modern Telford Town Centre is north of the settlement. The local area has reserves of coal and ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
.
Part of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
of 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...
falls within the Parish of Madeley. The majority of the site is within the parish of The Gorge, named for 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...
, which is bridged by The Iron Bridge
The 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...
.
Demography
At the 2001 census, the population of the parish of Madeley was 17,935. Of this number, 8,190 were economically active, and of them, 7,477 were in employmentEmployment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
. The ethnicity of the population was as follows: 96% of the population was found to be White
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, and 1.9% Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, or Asian British. 1.3% of the population was mixed race, 0.6% Black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
or Black British
Black British
Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and...
and a further 0.2% Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
.
In terms of religion: 77% of the population are Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, and 14.4% are of no religion
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
. 0.7% of the population are Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, 0.5% are Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
, 0.3% are Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, and 0.1% are Buddhist.
Economy
Historically, Madeley was a mining town serving the now defunct Kemberton Colliery. It was also home to the Madeley Wood CompanyMadeley Wood Company
The Madeley Wood Company was formed in 1756 when the Madley Wood Furnaces, also called Bedlam Furnaces, were built beside the River Severn, one mile west of Blists Hill....
. As of 2001, manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
is still a large employer in the town, with 33.1% of parish residents employed in that area. 20.7% are employed in wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
, retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, and 11.8% in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
and business services. 5.3% of residents were found to be unemployed by the 2001 census.
Transport
The B4373 runs through the town, and the A4169 runs along its northern edge. The nearest motorway is the M54M54 motorway
The M54 is a 23 mile east-west motorway in the English counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire. It is also referred to as the Telford Motorway, after the road's primary westbound destination, the new town of Telford...
, which connects Telford to the West Midlands conurbation
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
and the rest of the motorway network. Town bus services are provided by Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
, and a community bus service is provided.
Near Madeley is Madeley Junction
Madeley Junction
Madeley Junction is a railway junction situated between Shifnal and Telford Central on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line in Shropshire, England....
, a railway junction and its accompanying signal box. The line from this junction runs to Lightmoor Junction
Lightmoor junction
Lightmoor Junction was a railway junction situated between Ironbridge Power Station at Buildwas and Madeley Junction in Shropshire, England.It was from Lightmoor Junction that a line once ran towards Wellington via Doseley and Horsehay...
, and is used to carry coal to Ironbridge Power Station
Ironbridge Power Station
The Ironbridge power stations refers to a series of two coal-fired power stations which have occupied a site on the banks of the River Severn at Buildwas in Shropshire, England. The current Ironbridge B power station is operated by E.ON UK...
. The nearest National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
station to the town is Telford Central.
Education
There are a number of nurseries and primary schools in Madeley, and two secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s: Abraham Darby Academy, which specialises in the performing arts and business enterprise; and Madeley Academy, a specialist sports college. Haughton School, a special school for students aged five to eleven is located in the town.
Religious sites
There are three churches in the centre of Madeley: St. Michael's, a Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church, which was designed by Thomas Telford; Madeley Baptist Church; and St. Mary's Roman Catholic church, part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury
Diocese of Shrewsbury
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese in England. The diocese encompasses parts of the North West of England and parts of the West Midlands...
. The Fletcher Methodist Centre can be found in the town, and on the Tweedale Industrial Estate near Madeley is the Springfield Christian Fellowship.
Notable people
Residents of the town of Madeley have included Sir Basil BrookeBasil Brooke (metallurgist)
Sir Basil Brooke , English metallurgist and recusant, inherited the manor of Madeley from his father. This contained iron and steel works and coal mines...
of Madeley Court, who was instrumental in the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. He was born in the local manor (which he later inherited) in 1576. His grandfather, Robert Brooke, was a former speaker of the House of Commons. Major Charles Allix Lavington Yate
Charles Allix Lavington Yate
Major Charles Allix Lavington Yate VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, is another former resident of the town, who earned the Victoria Cross in the First World War.
Billy Wright, the former captain of Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and the 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...
football team, attended Madeley Senior School (which is now the Abraham Darby Academy). John William Fletcher
John William Fletcher
John William Fletcher , English divine, was born at Nyon in Switzerland, his original name being de la Fléchère....
, an English divine, originally from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, was the vicar of the parish of Madeley in the 18th century.
Rob Edwards a current Wolves and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
full-back, was born in the town, in 1982.
External links
- Madeley Parish Council has information about local history, events, etc.