Dawley

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Town in Shropshire, England

title: "Dawley" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["market-towns-in-shropshire", "towns-in-shropshire", "great-dawley"] description: "Town in Shropshire, England" topic_path: "general/market-towns-in-shropshire" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawley" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in Shropshire, England ::

::data[format=table title="infobox UK place"]

FieldValue
countryEngland
coordinates
official_nameDawley
static_image_name{{multiple images
perrow1 2 2 1
image1Dawley Town Hall.png
image2High Street, Dawley (geograph 4897570).jpg
image3Holy Trinity Church, Dawley.jpg
image4Dawley and Stirchley platform in 2018, now part of the Silkin Way.jpg
image55619 at Horsehay & Dawley.jpg
static_image_captionFrom the top clockwise: Dawley Town Hall, Holy Trinity Church, Horsehay and Dawley station on the Telford Steam Railway, Dawley and Stirchley Platform on the Silkin Way and High Street
websiteOfficial website
population11,399
civil_parishGreat Dawley
unitary_englandTelford and Wrekin
lieutenancy_englandShropshire
regionWest Midlands
constituency_westminsterTelford
post_townTELFORD
postcode_districtTF4
postcode_areaTF
dial_code01952
os_grid_referenceSJ686068
typeTown and civil parish
parts_typeAreas of the town
p1Dawley Bank (Part)
p2Little Dawley (Part)
p3Malinslee (Part)
::

|country = England |coordinates = |official_name= Dawley | static_image_name = {{multiple images |perrow=1 2 2 1|total_width=280px|align=center|border=infobox | image1 = Dawley Town Hall.png | image2 = High Street, Dawley (geograph 4897570).jpg | image3 = Holy Trinity Church, Dawley.jpg | image4 = Dawley and Stirchley platform in 2018, now part of the Silkin Way.jpg | image5 = 5619 at Horsehay & Dawley.jpg | static_image_caption = From the top clockwise: Dawley Town Hall, Holy Trinity Church, Horsehay and Dawley station on the Telford Steam Railway, Dawley and Stirchley Platform on the Silkin Way and High Street | website = Official website |population = 11,399 |population_ref = |civil_parish = Great Dawley |unitary_england= Telford and Wrekin |lieutenancy_england= Shropshire |region= West Midlands |constituency_westminster= Telford |post_town= TELFORD |postcode_district = TF4 |postcode_area= TF |dial_code= 01952 |os_grid_reference= SJ686068 |type = Town and civil parish | parts_type = Areas of the town | p1 = Dawley Bank (Part) | p2 = Little Dawley (Part) | p3 = Malinslee (Part) Dawley ( ) is a former mining town and civil parish in the borough of Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, England. It was originally proposed to be the main centre of the 'Dawley New Town' plan in 1963, however it was decided in 1968 to name the new town as 'Telford', after the engineer and road-builder Thomas Telford. 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).

Etymology

The name Dawley comes from Old English meaning woodland clearing associated with a man called Dealla.

Local government

The town's main civil parish 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 the parish had a population of 9558. On 1 April 1988 a parish called "Great Dawley" was formed.

Railways

Unlike the other towns in Telford and Wrekin, Dawley never had its own railway station to serve the town itself. Two railway stations served the town despite being some distance from Dawley itself. The nearest station to the town was Dawley and Stirchley, located roughly 1 mile to the southeast of the town under Stirchley Lane and also served the neighboring village of Stirchley. It opened in 1860 on the Coalport branch line but closed in 1952 along with the line. The trackbed including the platform now form part of the Silkin Way. The other station is in nearby Horsehay, located 1 mile to the southwest of the town. It is on the former Wellington to Craven Arms Line and originally closed in 1962, before being reopened by the Telford Steam Railway. It now serves as a heritage railway station. The nearest mainline station for the town is Telford Central.

History

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 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 is a short distance away.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/J._C._Hulse_manhole_cover,Birmingham-2021-02-01-_Andy_Mabbett.jpg" caption="Cast iron [[manhole cover]] in [[Birmingham]], made by J. C. Hulse of Dawley, who were in business there from 1947 to 1976"] ::

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 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 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 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 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 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 a big black pig!"

Geography

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/TelfordMap.jpg" caption="Stirchley]] shown within [[Telford]] in Grey."] ::

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 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.

Education

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.

Notable people

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Captain_Matthew_Webb.jpg" caption="Captain [[Matthew Webb]], 1883"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Ellis_Peters.jpg" caption="[[Ellis Peters]], 1995"] ::

Sport

References

References

  1. (2011). "A Dictionary of British Place Names". Oxford University Press.
  2. "Relationships and changes Dawley UD through time". A Vision of Britain through Time.
  3. "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972". [[legislation.gov.uk]].
  4. "Wellington Registration District". UKBMD.
  5. "Population statistics Dawley Magna CP/Ch through time". A Vision of Britain through Time.
  6. "Wrekin Registration District". UKBMD.
  7. "Silkin Way – cycling and walking route". Telford and Wrekin Council.
  8. Mercer, A. C. B. (January 1966). "Cinderloo Affair". Shropshire Magazine.
  9. (1985). "A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 11, Telford". Victoria County History.
  10. (14 August 2010). "Work starts to pave way for Dawley sports site". Shropshire Star.
  11. "Dawley Dialect".
  12. "UK Schools & Colleges Database". Schools Web Directory.
  13. "Edith Pargeter – creator of the crimefighting monk". BBC Shropshire.
  14. (27 December 2021). "Great Lives: From working class roots to literary fame". Shropshire Star.
  15. "Series 15, Episode 10".
  16. "Captain Matthew Webb". Shropshire Mining.
  17. (18 November 2024). "Obituary: Graham Bailey". Huddersfield Town F.C..
  18. (12 June 2019). "Huddersfield Town: All the players in Where Are They Now?". YorkshireLive.
  19. Kent, Jeff. (1996). "Port Vale Personalities". Witan Books.
  20. (9 August 2021). "Tributes as Olympic boxing legend Tommy dies, aged 89". Shropshire Star.
  21. {{Hugman. 7014. Eddie Garbett
  22. (21 November 2016). ""Charismatic Dalian enriched our lives"". Shropshire Star.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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