Fact File

One charcoal fired blast furnace could consume up to 200 acres of coppiced timber in a year!

Madeley Tree Trail

The landscape of modern Madeley has been greatly shaped by the mining and iron making industries, the roots of which go back to the 13th century. By the 15th and 16th centuries the discovery of rich deposits of iron ore and limestone in the area led to the cutting down of most of the original forest

The rich variety of trees in the area are the result of a number of factors - some of the more exotic species are survivors from the extensive gardens of the many large houses which once belonged to the ironmasters and mine owners, whilst others are the result of natural recolonisation of old mine waste heaps. The large number of Scots Pines on the waste heaps are the legacy of the depression of the 1920's and 1930's - unemployed men were paid a few shillings a day to plant tree seedlings on the pit banks, to stabilise them and provide timber for the mining industry.

Despite the huge changes that took place in Madeley during the development of Telford New Town in the 1960's many old trees survive and many more were planted as part of landscaping schemes.

You can view the Tree Trail map by downloading the PDF file. If you do not have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you will need to download it first. View Tree Trail Map

The Tree Wardens

This Tree Trail has been devised by Madeley Parish Tree Warden Glenys Evans, together with Rachel Mullard with the help of Gareth Wilson, and funded by Madeley Parish Council.

The Tree Warden can be contacted at the offices of Madeley Parish Council, Jubilee House, 74 High Street, Madeley, Telford TF7 5AH

The Tree Council launched the Tree Warden Scheme in 1990 and since then a nation-wide network of locally-based volunteer tree enthusiasts has been developed. There are now more than 7,500 Tree Wardens in 115 networks covering a large part of the UK. Tree Wardens carry out worthwhile practical tree conservation tasks, co-ordinated by local authorities and backed by appropriate training, literature and advice.

Visit the Tree Council website at: www.treecouncil.org.uk