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| Broseley | |
|---|---|
 All Saints' Parish Church | |
  Broseley Location withinShropshire | |
| Population | 4,929 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SJ676015 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BROSELEY |
| Postcode district | TF12 |
| Dialling code | 01952 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Shropshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
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Broseley (/broʊzliː/) is amarket town inShropshire, England, with a population of 4,929 at the 2011 Census and an estimate of 5,022 in 2019.[2] TheRiver Severn flows to its north and east. The firstiron bridge in the world was built in 1779 across the Severn, linking Broseley withCoalbrookdale andMadeley. This contributed to theearly industrial development in theIronbridge Gorge, which is now part of aWorld Heritage Site.[3]
There was a settlement existing in 1086, listed as Bosle in theDomesday Book of that year, when it lay in the Hundred of Alnodestreu. That jurisdiction was dismembered in the time of KingHenry I, when Broseley andWilley were reassigned to theMunslow Hundred. Finally they were transferred to the Liberty of Wenlock on its creation in the time of KingRichard I. The place name appears asBurewardeslega in 1177, and in similar variants thereafter, indicating that it had anciently been Burgheard's (or Burgweard's) clearing, or grove.[4] In Broseley's manorial history, the medieval family of de Burwardesley was considered by the historianR.W. Eyton to have been acadet branch of the family ofFulk I FitzWarin ofWhittington, Shropshire andAlveston, Gloucestershire.[5]
The town lies on the south bank of the Ironbridge Gorge and so shares much of its history with its better known, more recent neighbour,Ironbridge.
In 1600, the town of Broseley consisted of only 27 houses and was part of the Shirlett Royal Forest.[6] The area was known for mining; some of the stone used to buildBuildwas Abbey was taken from Broseley and there is evidence that woodenwagonways existed there in 1605,[7] giving Broseley a serious claim to the oldest railways in Britain. The wagonways were almost certainly constructed for the transport of coal and clay and it was these resources that led to the huge expansion of the town during theIndustrial Revolution.
Many of the developments celebrated by theIronbridge Gorge Museum Trust's collection of preserved industrial heritage sites either started in Broseley or were connected with it. Broseley was a centre for iron-making, pottery and clay pipes; the earliest recorded pipe-maker was working there in 1590. TheBroseley Pipeworks is one of the trust's ten museums, another being theJackfield Tile Museum inJackfield, just north-east of the town.[8]
John Wilkinson constructed the world's first iron boat whilst living in the town. The plans for theIron Bridge were drawn up in Broseley.Abraham Darby I, who developed the process of smelting iron using coking coal, is buried there.
The area suffered economic decline in the latter half of the 19th century, as industries moved elsewhere. This left a legacy of uncapped mine shafts, derelict buildings, abandoned quarries, spoil heaps and pit mounds.
In the last thirty years of the 20th century Broseley underwent a modern revival, with the development ofTelford across theRiver Severn. New estates were built to the east of Broseley centre, whilst many older properties were developed or renovated. However, the town still has fewer inhabitants than it did 200 years ago, when population figures were over 5,000.[citation needed]
Broseley borders theIronbridge GorgeWorld Heritage Site and evidence of involvement in theIndustrial Revolution can be seen throughout the town, in the railways, mines, ironworks, brickworks, kilns, houses and fine buildings associated with the area's industrial past.
The jitties (lanes and paths) of Broseley Wood on the western boundary of Broseley are the remains of cottage settlements built for miners. At the other end of the social spectrum the town has many examples ofIronmaster houses, dating from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
There are two wildlife areas maintained by local groups. The Hay Cop[9] between Dark Lane and Ironbridge Road was the site of the town's water supply and was developed as a nature reserve in 2007. Penns Meadow[10] on the border between Broseley andBenthall is a five-acre ancient meadow and is also being managed to protect and develop wildlife diversity. Both projects have been supported by the Broseley/Barrow Local Joint Committee,[11] a Shropshire Council initiative to encourage devolution of decision-making to local people.
Broseley's amateur dramatics society, BroADS, puts on several plays a year. Every month, the Birchmeadow Centre is used by Broseley Cinema, to show well-rated films on its own large screen. There is a thriving arts and crafts community that forms a group known as the Broseley Artists.[12]
Since 2009, the Birchmeadow Centre, owned by the Town Council, has hosted live music events, presenting an array of UK and foreign artists, mainly in the folk, blues and ballad genres. They have included such figures asBill Caddick,Phil Beer,Brooks Williams,Tom Hingley andSteve Knightley. Across the town's pubs and clubs, too, the live music scene is slowly expanding.
Since 2015 residents have held an annual music festival in the town's High Street, usually over the second weekend in June. It features local bands and is supported solely by fundraising events held throughout the year.[citation needed]
The town has a number of historic pubs and eating places, most of them near the town centre. It also has a "Broadplace" facility, a small centre for community usage of laptop computers, help and guidance and free Internet access. Broseley Library, which also has computer access, is located to the south of the town centre, next door to the health centre.[13]
The type of bricks andtiles once produced in abundance in Broseley have become synonymous with any product of their type, regardless of where they were made. Broseley bricks are notable for their brown and red mottled nature, a sign of their cheap production, and Broseley tiles are of a strawberry red to light brown hue.
Thepipeworks in Broseley were responsible for producing millions ofclay pipes that were shipped worldwide. These are invaluable for dating archaeological sites, as they survive without decay and bear a maker's stamp that reveals their date of origin.
Works pioneered here and across the Ironbridge Gorge set the stage for mass production of iron products in the later Industrial Revolution that drove the expansion of theBritish Empire. This is due in part to the work of John Wilkinson and his construction of precision-engineeredsteam engines and weaponry.
Broseley is acivil parish with the status of a town and as such has atown council chaired by a town mayor. It is in the part of Shropshire administered byShropshire, aunitary authority; prior to 2009 it formed part of thedistrict of Bridgnorth.
There are two primary schools: BroseleyChurch of England or Dark Lane School and John Wilkinson School, named after the noted ironmaster who lived nearby. For secondary education, most pupils travel toWilliam Brookes School inMuch Wenlock or toAbraham Darby Academy inMadeley and elsewhere.
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC West Midlands andITV Central. Television signals are received from the nearbyWrekin TV transmitter.[14] Local radio stations areBBC Radio Shropshire,Hits Radio Black Country & Shropshire,Capital North West & Wales andGreatest Hits Radio Midlands. TheShropshire Star is the town's local weekly newspaper.[15]
In birth order:
The town's name passed toBroseley, Missouri, US, founded in 1915 byWilliam N. Barron and named in honour of his English wife's home town.[29]
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