Jackfield Gates renovation gathers pace
Renovation of the iconic Jackfield crossing gates continues apace, with the first 38ft railway gate and pedestrian gate completed and the second railway gate now well underway.
Under the care and guidance of one local craftsman, the mammoth gates have so far taken a team of dedicated helpers over 1,000 hours to build.
The gates date back to 1862 when they were installed as part of the Severn Valley Railway which ran from Shrewsbury to Hartlebury. In their heyday, they were worked hard and would have been opened and closed several times a day.
Although the line has been disused for many years, the gates remained in situ and became a much-loved, but sadly neglected local feature. It is understood that the last time the gates were removed and repaired was in the 1980s.
After setting aside funding to restore them last year, Telford & Wrekin Council arranged for the gates to be taken down for restoration by Coalbrookdale-based Small Woods Association in April.
Over the summer the gates dried out on a purpose-built frame at Small Woods’ headquarters. Engineers and craftspeople used the drying time to properly inspect them and found that much of the wood was neither original nor in good condition. It was also apparent that the removal and subsequent repairs in the 1980s, and intervening years, had compromised the structural integrity of the gates and that the timber was beyond repair. Also, apart from the metalwork, few of the original features remained.
With restoration not an option, the team from Small Woods and engineers from the Council set about liaising with a Council conservation officer to draw up plans to create a replacement set of gates.
Historical photographs taken circa 1960s/70s became the blueprint for the new gates which are now nearing completion.
Cllr Rae Evans, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for people services, visitor economy and partnerships, visited the Green Wood Centre today to see how work is progressing and meet some of the team working on the gates.
Neill Mapes, Small Woods Heritage Craft Officer overseeing the renovation, said: “The gates have been a labour of love. As well as putting my skills to good use, we have used the project as an opportunity to teach others new skills.
“Our trainee, Teresa, has put in almost as many hours as me on the project. Although I have been teaching and guiding her, I am proud to say that the pedestrian gate was mostly down to her. We’ve also had a great group of volunteers working on the gates, many of them hadn’t even picked up a hand plane before they started. Helping them to learn new skills and seeing how they have come on is probably what I am most proud of.”
Cllr Evans said: “The traditional skills and techniques being used to create the gates are quite something. Watching Neill working with Teresa and the volunteers and seeing the gates progress has been a joy. Jackfield gates are a piece of Ironbridge’s history and I am looking forward to seeing them back where they belong.”
Work on the remaining gate is expected to take around eight weeks to complete. An application for Listed Building Consent to reinstate the gates has also been lodged and a decision is expected in April. Once finished, the gates will go home to Jackfield.
