Stirchley Chimney facts for kids
The Stirchley Chimney is a tall, old chimney found in Telford Town Park. It's also an important landmark on the South Telford Heritage Trail. This chimney stands about 209 feet high. It was finished being built in the year 1873.
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History of Stirchley Chimney
The story of the Stirchley Chimney begins long before it was built. In 1790, a man named Thomas Botfield started building a big industrial site here. This site was an ironworks, a place where iron was made.
Early Ironworks and Brick Production
The ironworks had two blast furnaces. These furnaces were huge ovens used to melt iron ore. There was also a forge, which is a workshop where metal is shaped using heat. A mill was also part of the site.
This industrial area officially opened in 1828. Later, in 1838, it grew even bigger. They started making bricks at the site too.
New Owners and the Chimney's Construction
In 1856, a company called the Old Park Iron Company took over the site. They ran the ironworks for a while. After them, the Wellington Iron & Coal Company leased the blast furnaces.
It was during this time, when the Wellington Iron & Coal Company was in charge, that the Stirchley Chimney was built. The company, however, didn't last long and closed down in 1877.
From Iron to Chemicals
Even after the Wellington Iron & Coal Company closed, the blast furnaces kept working until 1885. Then, in 1886, a new company called Wrekin Chemical Works took over. They changed the plant to make different products.
Instead of iron, they started making chemicals like tar and sulphur. They also produced lime salt, wood naphtha, and charcoal. This chemical production continued until 1932, when the site finally stopped working.
Slag Mounds and Road Building
From 1923 to 1935, a company called Tarslag bought the large piles of waste material. These piles were called slag mounds. Slag is a leftover material from making iron. Tarslag used this waste to build roads.
Another company, Tarmac, continued to remove slag from the site for road building. They kept doing this until 1964.
Restoring the Stirchley Chimney
In 1969, the new town of Telford was created. The New Town Development Corporation bought the old industrial site. They decided to keep the Stirchley Chimney. It was important to save it as a reminder of the area's industrial past.
Chimney Refurbishment and Information
After many years of being neglected, the chimney and the area around it were fixed up. Now, the chimney has special information boards. These boards tell visitors all about its interesting history.
Kestrels Make a Home
In 2020, work began to repair the chimney's brickwork. This process is called "repointing with lime mortar." It means replacing the old, worn-out mortar between the bricks. However, the work had to stop because of the UK Coronavirus lockdown.
When the repairs started again in May 2020, workers made an exciting discovery. A family of kestrels, which are small birds of prey, had made a nest inside the chimney!
