Cinderloo1821 is delighted to announce that it will be working in partnership with the Wrekin Housing Trust, the Telford Memories Facebook page and local history groups of the Wrekin Local Studies Forum to identify and celebrate the communities through which the protesting colliers would have passed 200 years ago on the way to the battle site.
The men and women would have been drawn from places that still make up parts of Telford, but the communities are unrecognisable today compared to what existed in 1821. We are looking for images and comments from people who would like to celebrate the communities that rallied behind the cause of the iron and mine workers who were protesting about having their wages cut and were confronted by the Shropshire Yeomanry protecting the interests of the mine and iron foundry owners.
Local artist Amanda Hillier is working with the project and would love to hear about the spirit and community solidarity that would have existed in 1821 and also the housing conditions of the period that the workers and their families would have lived in.
We are creating a map of the route which will describe these lost communities and highlight to current and future generations what Telford was built upon.
The resources created will be used with local schools to involve children in learning about the story and also to encourage local people to explore the history that is literally right under our feet. There will also be workshops arranged to that people can attend to help build up the picture and take part in printmaking, collage and creative writing activities. Further details of these will be announced on the Events page.
Selected contributions to the mapping project will also be included in the Out of the Dark zine which further documents community responses to the Cinderloo story.
Thanks to Marcus Keene for supporting us through the Facebook site Telford Memoriesto spread the word and we would like to invite anyone with memories about the old communities and works to get in touch.
We would particularly like to hear about the communities of Ketley, Wombridge, Donnington Wood, St Georges, Oakengates, Priorslee, Ketley Bank, Dark Lane, Hinkshay, Stirchley, Dawley, Dawley Castle, Holywell Lane, Lightmoor, Coalbrookdale, Horsehay, Dawley Bank, Newdale , Lawley and Old Park itself.
You can contact the project directly on cinderloo1821@gmail.com but please promote discussion and sharing on any of the local Facebook sites. Keep revisiting the project page on this website to follow how the map develops!
Cinderloo 1821 Remembered 
What a great idea.
LikeLike
Thanks John! Hope you can get involved
LikeLike
Although I commend the idea and its intention – and I’m sure Lawley and Overdale Group will be happy to contribute to put Newdale, Lawley, Dawley Bank, Lawley Bank and Old Park on the map especially with our Group’s intent to aid our Parish Council to update our own 7 mile History Trail which passes through the Forge Retail site, the focus of your own project, I think due recognition must not be lost to any existing history groups to their own ongoing work and contributions long before C1821 was founded – as such I hope Cinderloo 1821 will ensure any such input is duly recognised and not placed under their collective banner and that together we can all ensure this story is archived and recognised for all.
LikeLike
Thanks Darren, of course we will recognise history group members of the Wrekin Local Studies Forum. I’ve updated the post and webpages accordingly. The map will incorporate or refer to the heritage walking trails too. The theme of the project is about unity, and it is as much about collecting responses from current members of the community and their thoughts on what their community means to them now, as historical information researched by members of the WLSF. It should be interesting to bring these elements together.
LikeLike