Thomas Telford sculpture and Telford Square spruced up as part of birthday celebrations
The iconic sculpture of Thomas Telford and Telford Square are being spruced up as part of the town’s 50th birthday celebrations.
Thomas Telford (1757-1834), who the town is named after, was one of the key figures in the British industrial revolution. In 1787, he was appointed the Surveyor of Public Works for Shropshire and had a huge impact on the county’s infrastructure and architecture.
In April 1988, a 3m high and 8m wide sculpture of the great man was unveiled in Telford Square as a tribute to the town’s namesake. Cast in bronze and iron, the sculpture by Andre Wallace shows the figure of Thomas Telford in waistcoat, shirt and trousers learning over the letter ‘o’ in Telford, holding a top hat in his hands, with his coat hanging on the letter ‘d’.
2018 is both the 50th anniversary of the town and the 30th anniversary of the sculpture’s unveiling. One of the most important parts of the 50th celebrations is the investment in legacy projects that improve the borough for residents and visitors. The work on Telford Square is being funded from the Council’s £2m Telford 50 Legacy Fund which is supporting a range of schemes across the borough.
Last summer, Telford & Wrekin Council asked people what legacy projects they would like to see happen during the anniversary year. Almost 1,400 people took part in the consultation and the most popular themes to emerge were heritage and tourism, arts and culture, and recreation. People were also keen to see the funding allocated to support community events and projects. Many also said they would like to see Telford Square spruced up as the area was looking tired and the statue a little weather-worn. Part of the issue with looking after the area has been that it has a number of different landowners.
As the square provides an oasis away from the hubbub of the town centre and the much loved sculpture is part of the town’s heritage, Telford 50 legacy funding in the region of £100k has been set aside to improve the area and clean up the sculpture.
Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet lead for conservation and heritage, said: “The sculpture is Telford. Wherever you see Telford mentioned, you are likely to see the sculpture of Thomas Telford. Sadly though, the area around the sculpture is looking a little tired and neglected. We have been talking to the various stakeholders to see if they can chip in with the costs to fund the work that needs doing. We are still in talks with them, but have set aside funding to make a start.
“This is such a great community space with fantastic features that mean a lot to us all. I for one am really happy to see this work being started as part of the Telford 50 celebrations; it will be a fitting birthday gift to the town.”
The work starts later this month and will include bringing the water features back to life, cleaning the sculpture, refurbishing the benches and bins, improving street lighting, weeding and fixing the brick paving as well as some general landscaping.
The whole project is expected to take up to eight weeks to complete.
The £2m Telford 50 Legacy Fund supports a mix of physical schemes as well as other projects that help tackle key social issues in the borough and reduce demand on Council services. For more information about Telford 50 visit www.telford50.co.uk and for details of legacy projects visit www.telford50.co.uk/legacy.
