Telford Town Park is currently 1.7 square kilometres (420 acres) of urban park, approximately 70.7 ha of which is is designated as a Local Nature Reserve. The Town, Park, which is situated in the centre of Telford with large conurbation surrounding it, attracts visitors from a very wide area. At the present time around 700,000people per year visit the park and Tripadvisor shows an average rating of 4.6 from over 500 reviews. The location of the park is shown on the Google map below and you will find an excellent interactive map of the park on the Telford and Wrekin site Here
During the 1970s Telford Development Corporation developed what is today Telford Town Park, the Corporations remit was to provide a ‘Green Lung’ for the people of the new town. In 1992 the park was transferred to the local Authourity to manage. The original concept of the park was to provide an area of green open space right in the heart of the new industrial town with a mix of service/manufacturing industries and urban settlements. The north of the park extends to the town centre and the recent Southwater development and the South stretches to areas such Stirchley, Dawley and Aquduct.
The northern park zone consists of horticultural landscape features; the Chelsea and Maxell Gardens. Park facilities include and extensive children’s play areas, an Events Arena- nominated a Fields in Trust Queen Elizabeth II green space-, Amphitheatre, Bandstand and new purpose built visitor information centre, cycle hire, table tennis and chess area, Wonderland, (a visitor attraction for young children), aerial ropes course and adventure golf .
The south of the park is of Ecological and Historical importance, hence its status as a Local Nature Reserve. The reserve contains heritage features, pools, pit mounds, heathland, woodlands, meadows and grasslands also the impressive Stirchley chimney picninc area. The diversity of habitats developed as a result of natural regeneration from the conditions that were left behind by industry. Today it provides informal recreation and is managed for its conservation and environmental education value. As well as providing links to the wider borough green network. There is a heritage and nature trail in place for people to explore and a variety of picnic areas along the way.
The Silkin Way, a long-distance cycle and walking route runs through the park and provides direct linkage to the Ironbridge Gorge to the South and other green space areas including Apley Castle, in the North.