Telford Town Park Visitor Centre is celebrating a special anniversary this week.
On Friday 8 April the Visitor Centre at Telford Town Park is officially ten years old! Over the years it has welcomed thousands of visitors including local residents and tourists to the area.
When the building was being designed it was important to showcase the principles of Telford Town Park through a sustainable design and to reflect the park it sits in. The glass on the building reflects the pools within the park, the shape of the building represents a bird, and the wood cladding is there to reflect the trees and the outdoor gabion baskets house stone that was taken from a folly that was once situated on the site.
The Visitor Centre is gearing up for a busy Easter holiday period where the play areas, disc golf, adventure golf and Sky Reach will be open for young and old alike.
Families and cycling enthusiasts are also in for a treat on the weekend of 9 and 10 April as the Big Biking Weekend celebrates the relaunch of Telford & Wrekin Council’s popular Bike Hub, which reopens on Saturday 9 April located behind the Visitor Centre. Find out more about the activities taking place here where you can also book on to sessions such as tandem riding, adult and child learn to ride, guided bike rides and more.
The Visitor Centre sits within the award- winning urban park, one of the most outstanding and acclaimed outdoor, wellbeing and heritage attractions in the Midlands. At over 450 acres, the park stretches from the contemporary landscapes of Telford Town to the world famous UNESCO Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site via the Silkin Trail, a 14 mile traffic-free walking and cycling trail. The unique diversity of the park as well as its accessibility spaces and places ensures a special place for all. The park has a range of indoor and outdoor attractions and experiences from heritage woods, nature reserves to industrial heritage architecture trails, adrenalin activities and sports, family attractions, cycling and walking routes, sensory gardens, a 10,000 capacity festival and event arena and nature programmes.
Telford & Wrekin Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment and Cultural Services, Cllr Carolyn Healy (Labour), said: “It’s fantastic to mark the 10th anniversary of the Visitor Centre, to remember the design principles that went in to the building and look forward to ensuring we remain as a sustainable and leading attraction in the area. Telford Town Park (TTP) was established in the 1970s, the epicentre of the new town of Telford. Today Telford is a leading light in sustainable communities with an estimated 15 million trees exceeding the UK target by 9% with TTP as the hub of a clean air zone for all. The park is a jewel in the crown of Telford’s esteemed tourism offer, attracting over 1million visitors per annum and creating a direct economic impact of over £100million to the local economy as a key dispersal to other attractions, hospitality and retail business in the destination. Owned and managed by Telford & Wrekin Council it is a park for the people - visitors and locals alike. The sheer diversity of offer means that it welcomes a broad range of audiences serving needs, aspirations and wellbeing. It is a year round attraction with a calendar of events and festivals from the popular colour run attracting over 20,000 to headline music concerts in the QEII arena, attracting over 10,000 to Big Top cultural and sporting events. The range of experiences, activity and spaces on offer ensure the needs are met for a range of audiences now and in the future including; for family and multi-generational audiences, active retired and outdoor adventure seekers as well as a nurturing space for people with disabilities, autism and dementia. TTP evolves thanks to the amazing collaboration between Friends of Telford Town Park and Telford & Wrekin Council - a microcosm of the vision of Telford.”
