Telford bridge renamed to mark 200th anniversary of Cinderloo
To mark today's 200th anniversary of the battle of Cinderloo, Telford and Wrekin Council has agreed to rename the bridge which crosses the railway line at Central Park the Cinderloo Bridge.
The naming follows a campaign by the Cinderloo 1821 community project to commemorate the events when 3,000 miners, women and children marched from many parts of what is now Telford in protest at proposed pay cuts and increasing poverty.
They gathered at the cinderhills of Old Park (now the Forge retail park), where the march culminated in a pitched battle with the Shropshire Yeomanry. Two men were shot dead with many injured. One-man Tom Palin was hanged that April for ‘Felonious riot’.
The bridge is owned by Network Rail and sited close to where Tom Palin lived which was a small community called Hollinswood now covered by the M54. The path that the bridge follows was at the heart of the coal and iron industry between Dawley and Oakengates and was a significant route that workers took over many hundreds of years up until the 1970’s.
It is now part of the local cycle network and located on the Silkin Way joining north and south Telford. Cinderloo 1821 plan to work with the council over the next 12 months to create a local landmark and make the bridge a memorial to the lost communities of Telford and the men and woman who fought for social justice 200 years ago. As there no plans to alter the structure of the bridge Network Rail have no objection to the renaming.
Cllr Carolyn Healy, Telford & Wrekin Council Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Historic & Natural Environment and Climate Change said “We are really pleased to find a way of marking these events 200 years ago, the battle of Cinderloo is part of the area’s history. It reminds us of the harsh times faced by our ancestors and the industries that helped build the communities that now make up Telford. It will also create a milestone for our growing number of cycle and footpaths which is a key priority for us”
Pete Jackson spokesman for Cinderloo 1821 said “The Cinderloo story has largely been hidden for the last 200 years but it gives an insight into the conditions and lives that people faced and the strength of communities built around the industries in the area. We are pleased to be working with the Council on this project and creating what we think will be a small tribute to people who have fought over the last 200 years for social justice and to make the town what it is today”.
More information about this historic event can be found at https://cinderloo.com.
