Ketley Parish

Our History

Ketley is a very old is known to have had residents in the 12th Century and grew rapidly with the need for mining and at the time of the Industrial Revolution. It was at this time that the Ketley Canal was built with its famous inclined plane - the first in Britain! (Featured in our logo too!)

Remnants of this canal, complete with water, can still be seen in Paddock Mound and a dry section in Red Lees near where the head of the Inclined Plane would have been sited. By the mid-19th Century it had a population of about 2,500 but was a larger area than what is known now as Ketley. You can find out more about the history of Ketley at the Birtish History Online web site.

Location

Ketley Parish is part of Telford and is bordered to the north by the Oakengates to Wellington railway line, to the east by Wombridge Way, to the South by the M54 and to the west by Whitchurch Drive. The area is, on the face of it, mainly residential with distinct communities created by land form and slow piecemeal development over hundreds of years and latterly the new Millenium Community of The Village – one of only seven such developments in the country with state of the art housing. Within the Parish boundary lies many different forms of open space.

From the wild almost rural Paddock Mound, the wild Shrubbery Piece, Ketley Playing Field donated by past residents for recreational pursuits, the ecology areas around The Village with rare acid grassland and heathland, woods, ponds and streams, Riddings Close with fields, woods and ponds, Ketley Brook with its reservoir and mature hawthorns. In addition there is also an historic house at Ketley Hall, the listed Victorian School Buildings now used as community facilities, many picturesque old cottages or grand houses particularly around the Red Lake Church and many turn of the century houses throughout the parish.

Business

There is also much employment within our area, with Saint Gobain (formerly Glynwed), the world famous AGA, Shropshire Star Printing, Pink Skips and over thirty other local businesses providing local work and income. Lastly there are six eating or drinking venues within Ketley providing a range of facilities within walking distance of most residents.

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