Local Views

Back to old photographs & postcards 
  

Click on photo for larger image

submitted by Gaile from Australia

This photograph was taken at the junction of the Coalbrookdale to Madeley road and the road to Broseley (via the Freebridge) at the bottom of Madeley Bank.
 
Thanks to John William Newport for sending us the following comments about the area after seeing this photograph on our website:
 
“The road from Coalbrookdale runs up the hill past the Iron Bridge and the old village square (where the War Memorial used to be until it was moved about thirty-odd years ago) and up to the junction you see in the photo.

Back in about 1949, I was stopped, at the junction, by the local bobby (who even went to tell my mother) because I cycled over the “Halt” sign without looking to my right – up Madeley Bank. The junction was never really busy, but we used to have at least one car through there every hour or so!!!! It was really at its busiest when two buses came along, every hour!

But at least the police, then, upheld the law. The old Police Station was situated not far from this sign, down the Broseley Road – I’ve just seen you have a picture of it. Well, the old photograph would have been taken with the photographer’s back to the police station. I don’t know when the round-about at the junction was put in but I would guess either late 1970s or early 1980s.

The shop with the ‘Trotfield’ sign, used to be “Wooley’s”- a clothing shop and haberdashery, back in the 1950s and 60s.
Church Hill, which is just out of camera view to the right, is where, back in the early 1950s, I used to have to walk up each day to deliver the newspapers –no mean feat as it’s very steep!
Also, to the right is what we knew as Beddoes, the old ironmongers shop(owned at one time by the Beddoes family), where you could get anything you
wanted – zinc baths, watering cans, oil lamps and their wicks, gas mantles, tap washers, nails, screws, washing-tub dollies, etc.

I used to live, from 1948 until 1962, at No. 11, the Wharfage, Ironbridge and my parents remained there for several years after.”

.

  

View of Coalbrookdale – posted 1912

 Private collection

Buildwas

Private collection

Benthall Edge & Ferry

Submitted by Gaile from Australia who is researching the Benbow family – please contact us if you have any information on the Benbow family and we will pass it on to her

Captain Webb Memorial – Dawley

Private collection

Free Bridge Jackfield

 

Looking across to Darby road circa 1860 local collector

Coke Hearth area of Coalbrookdale circa 1860

Coke Hearth almost 100 years later

Looking over to Darby Road donated by a local collector

 

A post card of Upper Coalbrookdale from a local collector

Coke Hearth circa 1860 local collection