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The Gorge Parish Council
The Gorge Parish Council, which covers the wards of Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, Jackfield, Coalport and a part of Lightmoor, has recently appointed a new Clerk. She is Jayne Madeley. Jayne is more than willing to hear from anyone who feels the Parish Council can help them with any problems they have. She can be contacted on Telephone/fax 01746 785571. The Gorge Parish Council also has an email address thegorgepc@btopenworld.com.
Severn Gorge Countryside Trust
For the past thirteen years, the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust has managed most of the woodlands that form the backdrop to the World Heritage Site. Scattered throughout the Severn Gorge, there are a large number of important areas of heath and hay meadow that are also managed by the Trust. These all require careful and sensitive management.
Wherever possible, the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust consults and involves local people in all aspects of its work. Through careful consultation and planning of work with local residents, we aim to minimise disturbance and inconvenience. The Trust also seeks out people’s views on initiatives such as the alignment of new paths or on more complex projects such as the Woodside Gateway Project. Here, local community groups designed and helped build a series of seats in Trust woodland.
The Trust’s woodlands, heaths and meadows are all of very high nature conservation value. From rare plants such as the bee orchid through to great-crested newts, glow-worms and the pied flycatcher, the Trust’s land supports important populations of rare and unusual plants and animals. Maintaining and enhancing these is a challenging objective but recent work has shown that many of the key species and habitats are thriving on land that is under the Trust’s stewardship.
The Severn Gorge Countryside Trust manages its woods, meadows and heaths under a 999 year lease. It is the Trust’s aspiration that the high standards of management already achieved will be sustained for the remaining 986 years of its lease.
Walk the Gorge – Information Boards and Local Leaflets
Thanks to support from local traders there are now a series of superb information boards in place in the World Heritage Site. The boards placed in the main car parks show a map of the area with the principal attractions and suggestions for walks and cycle rides. The Gorge Connect shuttle bus service is promoted and a list of participating retail outlets gives our visitors a preview of the hotels, B&Bs, teashops, restaurants, gift shops, museums and all the other attractions of the Ironbridge area.
Two boards along the Severn Valley Way are positioned opposite the Bedlam Furnaces and the Coalport China Museum. These give walkers and cyclists a feel for the old days along the river and the flora and fauna to be seen today.
The boards and an accompanying leaflet – Walk the Gorge – were funded in part by a grant from the Countryside Agency, with the aim of encouraging more visitors to explore on foot or bike and patronise local businesses.
The Walk the Gorge leaflet is available from the Toll House Information point and participating businesses.
The Gorge Connect
The Gorge Connect has now been operating every weekend and Bank Holiday Monday since April 2003. The scheme was implemented through funding from the Countryside Agency to provide transport in an area where weekend services were extremely limited. The service is aimed at encouraging both residents and tourists not to use their cars in and around the stunning World Heritage Site. The Gorge Connect WH1 makes a number of journeys to Telford Central Railway Station allowing visitors to arrive by train. The service also connects with the Amberline 11/22 bus service at Madeley Bus Station and at Legges Way Car Park giving people the opportunity to park their car and spend the day travelling around by bus. Visitors are able to travel around between the Ironbridge Gorge Museum sites and also to travel further afield. The Gorge Connect WH2, as well as serving some of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums, travels to Broseley, Buildwas Abbey, Benthall Hall and Much Wenlock where it connects to the Wenlock Wanderer, Shropshire Hills Shuttle to explore Shropshire further. New for 2004 is The Gorge Connect WH3 which enables people in and around the Wolverhampton area to access the Gorge and beyond. All these services can be enjoyed for a whole day when a Day Rover Ticket is Purchased. At just £3.00 for adults, it provides excellent value and gives the freedom to hop on and off the buses at your leisure all day long.
Madeley HERS
The Madeley Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme (HERS) will be operating in parts of Madeley Conservation Area until 2006. The aim of the scheme is to encourage the regeneration of the commercial heart of Madeley by providing grant aid to commercial, community and residential properties within the Conservation Area boundary. The project is partnership funded by the Borough of Telford & Wrekin, English Heritage and Madeley Parish Council.
The Project is, therefore, particularly keen to target commercial properties and buildings with community space. We can provide grant support and advice to businesses and charities to restore original shop/property frontages and traditional hand painted signs to replace modern signage. Private residential properties are equally welcome to apply and we are particularly keen to encourage applications for windows and doors.
If you would like more information on the HERS project in Madeley or to find out what works are eligible, please contact the HERS Project Officer, Stella Jamieson on 01952 202332, pick up a leaflet at Jubilee House or drop into the CHEC Centre, High Street, Madeley on Wednesday or Thursdays mornings to speak to Stella.
Madeley Living History
The aim of the Madeley Living History project is to bring together people and sections of the community to research and celebrate aspects of Madeley Parish and foster interest and pride in the area. A number of projects have been completed e.g. the Madeley Quilt which now hangs in Jubilee House and several exhibitions which have been on general public view and loaned out to local schools. The restoration and interpretation of the grave of the ‘Nine Men of Madeley’ was undertaken by the project. The onsite work was completed in October 2003 and two information leaflets (one for the general public and one for schools) have been produced during summer 2004.
Ongoing projects include a complete survey of St. Michael’s graveyard which will result in a published ‘trail’ covering the history and ecology of the graveyard and the story of the church and its monuments. A full record of the graveyard memorials will be available in hard copy or digitally. The production of a comprehensive Town Trail is another long-term objective.
The project also works extensively with Madeley schools to encourage awareness and appreciation of local distinctiveness. We will also be participating, for the first time, in the Civic Trust Heritage Open Days (HODS) during the weekend of 10th –11th September. Many local buildings of historical and/or architectural interest will be opening their doors to the public and there will be guided walks and an illustrated talk on the history of Madeley, at Jubilee House, on the evening of Saturday 10th September. Towards the end of October Madeley Parish holds its annual Green Festival (Saturday 23rd October) when a wide range of events will be taking place at Madeley Park (off Legges Way).
For further information about the project and its activities please contact Shelagh Lewis, Project Manager, Madeley Living History Project, c/o Madeley Library, Russell Square, Madeley, Telford, TF7 5BB. Tel: 01952 680278.
Email: lhp@mparish.fsnet.co.uk
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