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The Iron BridgeThe Iron Bridge · Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0
B−History Grade
History of Telford · Historic England

Telford is home to a World Heritage Site: Ironbridge Gorge

Historic England lists 394 buildings inside Telford’s built-up area, 25 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 9 scheduled monuments. 6.2% of its homes were built before 1919. We have photos of 25 of its listed buildings. Telford grades B− for history: #14 of 19 in Shropshire.

4Grade I24Grade II*9scheduled monuments16on The Wharfage
Listed buildings
394
25 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
4
exceptional interest
Grade II*
24
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
9
nationally important sites
Homes built before 1919
6.2%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures

Telford in 29 photos

Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.

Church of St JamesChurch of St JamesGrade I listedThe Old Furnace at Coalbrookdale IronworksThe Old Furnace at Coalbrookdale IronworksGrade I listedCludde AlmshousesCludde AlmshousesGrade II listedBulls Head Public HouseBulls Head Public HouseGrade II listedAnstice Memorial InstituteAnstice Memorial InstituteGrade II listed+24See all photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.

The map

Where Telford’s history is

Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.

Bedlam Furnaces, scheduled monumentBlists Hill Iron Furnaces, scheduled monumentChurchyard of St James's Church, scheduled monumentCoalport Inclined Plane, scheduled monumentDarby Ironworks, Coalbrookdale (furnaces, forehearths and blowing house areas), scheduled monumentHeadgear at Grange colliery, 240m north west of Watling Street Grange, scheduled monumentLilleshall Beam Blowing Engines, scheduled monumentSt Leonard's Priory immediately adjacent to the Church of St Mary and St Leonard, Wombridge, scheduled monumentThe Iron Bridge, scheduled monumentArleston Manor House, Grade II*Church of All Saints, Grade II*Church of Holy Trinty, Grade II*Church of St Leonard, Grade II*Church of St Michael, Grade II*Coalbrookdale Institute (Premises of Yha), Grade II*Former Water Mill South of Madeley Court, Grade II*Gatepiers West of the Old Vicarage, Grade II*Jackfield Tile Museum Front Block, Grade II*Madeley Court, Grade II*Rose Cottage, Grade II*Rosehill House, Grade II*Severn Wharf Building (Premises of Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust), Grade II*Snapper Furnace, Grade II*Stables at Apley Castle, Grade II*Sundial Immediately West of Madeley Court, Grade II*The Market Buildings, Grade II*The Old Hall, Grade II*The Old Vicarage, Grade II*The Tontine Hotel, Grade II*The Valley Hotel, Grade II*Various Workshop Buildings Attached to East Side of Front Block at Jackfield Tile Museum, Grade II*Warehouse with Clock Tower, Grade II*Wrockwardine Hall, Grade II*Church of St James, Grade IChurch of St Peter, Grade IGatehouse South West of Madeley Court, Grade IThe Old Furnace at Coalbrookdale Ironworks, Grade I
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monument
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
2 of 102neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 57% were built before 1919.

Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.

394 listed buildings by grade
4 Grade I24 Grade II*366 Grade II

Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.

Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).

Grade I

The 4 Grade I listed buildings in Telford

Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings. Every one is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.

Grade II*

The 24 Grade II* listed buildings in Telford

Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 18 are photographed.

Church · listed 1983Church of All SaintsPhoto: Nabokov. Required citation is: "Photo by Tom Oates, 2009 · CC BY-SA 3.0
House · listed 1968Coalbrookdale InstituteOn the list as Coalbrookdale Institute (Premises of Yha)Photo: Burgess Von Thunen · CC BY-SA 2.0
Public · listed 1968Severn Wharf BuildingOn the list as Severn Wharf Building (Premises of Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust)Photo: John Carver · CC BY-SA 2.0
Show the other 12
Historic streets

The Wharfage has the most listed buildings

Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.

The Wharfage16 listed
Wellington Road12 listed
High Street11 listed
Darby Road10 listed
Tontine Hill7 listed
Church Hill6 listed
Market Square6 listed
Church Street5 listed
Ladywood4 listed
New Street4 listed
Park Street4 listed
Station Road4 listed

Of the 394 entries, 127 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.

What’s protected

Most of Telford’s listed buildings are homes

Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.

Houses, terraces & villas236
Public & civic buildings55
Inns, shops & warehouses33
Churches, chapels & priories30
Walls, gates & bridges28
Memorials, crosses & tombs6
Street furniture6

236 entries (60%) are houses, terraces and villas. 30 are churches, chapels and priories, including 2 of the 4 Grade I buildings.

Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.

Grade II

366 Grade II listed buildings

Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.

The first 150 of 366 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
Admaston Farm FarmhouseAdmaston SpaAll Nations InnAnstice Memorial InstituteBank HouseBarn North West of the Old HallBarn South West of Old HallBarn and Stable Range to West of Church FarmhouseBarn, Stables and Cart Shed Range East of Wrockwardine HallBelmont EdgmontBraesideBratton FarmhouseBridge HouseBrook HouseBulls Head Public HouseCalcutts HouseCharlton Arms HotelChrist ChurchChurch FarmhouseChurch of England SchoolChurch of St GeorgeChurch of St JohnChurch of St LukeChurch of St MaryChurch of St Mary the VirginChurch of St MatthewChurch of St PeterChurchyard Boundary WallChurchyard Boundary Wall North of Church of St MichaelChurchyard Railings Immediately South East of St Lukes ChurchChurchyard Wall, Railings and Gates to North of Holy Trinity ChurchCludde AlmshousesCoach House and Barn North West of Upper HouseCoach House and Stables North of the Old HallCoach House and Stables immediately north of New Row CottagesCoach House north north west of Rosehill HouseCoalport Inclined Plane the Hay Inclined PlaneCock HotelConservation Workshop to South of Tile Press Shop at Jackfield Tile MuseumConservatory at SunnycroftCrown Inn Including Outbuildings Adjoining South WestDale End House (Former Police Station)Dale HouseDisused Workshop Immediately to South of Kiln House at Jackfield Tile MuseumDonnerville HallDothill HouseDovecote Approximately 2 Metres North East of Former Garden Walls to North West of Stables at Apley CastleDovecote North East of Wrockwardine HallDovecote at Priorslee Hall FarmDun Cow Public HouseEastgate HouseElephant and Castle Public HouseEngine RowErecting Shop and Assembly Shops, Coalbrookdale IronworksFletcher Methodist ChurchForecourt railings and piers, immediately north east of Rosehill HouseFormer Butter MarketFormer Canal Bridge About 130 Metres South of Methodist ChapelFormer Coach House of Dale HouseFormer George and Dragon InnFormer Girls' High SchoolFormer Grove InnFormer Kitchen Garden Walls and Attached Barn and Outbuildings to North West of Stables at Apley CastleFormer Kitchen Garden Walls to West of Stables at Apley CastleFormer National SchoolFormer Police Station and Court RoomFormer School and School Master's HouseFormer Talbot Inn and adjoining warehouseFormer Toll House of the Iron Bridge (Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust Information Centre)Former Wesleyan ChapelFront Garden Area Railings to South West of Muxton HouseGarden Boundary Wall East of the Old HallGarden Boundary Wall Immediately North East of Upper HouseGarden Boundary Wall South West of the Old HallGarden Boundary Wall to North and West of Wrockwardine HallGarden Wall Immediately North East of Wrockwardine FarmhouseGarden Walls Adjoining North West and South East of the Old VicarageGarden Walls South East of Madeley CourtGate Piers, Steps, Walls and War Memorial LychgateGazebo South South East of the Old HallGolf Club Shop and Changing Rooms North of Hay House FarmhouseGower Street School (Former Cottage Hospital), TelfordGrange Farm FarmhouseGreen Bank FarmhouseHadley Park HouseHadley Park WindmillHadley War MemorialHall CottagesHawthornsHay House FarmhouseHoly Trinity ChurchHoly Trinity ChurchHoly Trinity ChurchHorsehay Works OfficesInfant SchoolIronbridge War MemorialIvy FarmhouseK6 Telephone Kiosk Outside 3, Belmont RoadKetley HallKings Head Public HouseLadywood CottageLamp Post at Dale End/the Wharfage Road JunctionLamp Post at Wellington Road Works Entrance West of Weslyan ChapelLeegomery MillLincoln Grange, Formerly Madeley Union WorkhouseLincoln HouseLodge RowLong Warehouse, Coalbrookdale IronworksMadeley War MemorialMadeley Wood Methodist ChapelMadley Wood Methodist School Former ChapelMile Post South South East of Wrekin HospitalMilepost Approximately 300 Yards East South East of Football GroundMill CottageMill House CottagesMonument to Captain WebbMuxton HouseMuxton ManorNew Row CottagesNo. 1, Market SquareNo. 8, Station RoadNorthern Wash House Approximately 3 Metres West of Numbers 3 and 5Number 26 with Garden Gates and PiersNumber 41 Including Railings Immediately South WestOak BeamsOffice Range Immediately South of Clock Tower WarehouseOld RectoryOld Row CottagesOld School HouseOld School HouseOrchard HouseOswald HouseOutbuilding Immediately North East of Number 7Paradise HouseParadise Villa the VillaParish Room (former School)Park HotelParville HousePortway HousePremises Occupied by Jc Lloyd (Grocery and Off Licence)Presbytery of Roman Catholic Church of St MaryPriorslee HallProspect HouseProspect HouseProspect HouseQuaker Burial GroundRailings Gates and War Memorial West of the Coalbrookdale InstituteRailings and Gate Immediately North West of ChurchRailway Bridge West of Cheshire Cheese Public HouseRailway Level Crossing Gates North North West of Calcutts House

Search the rest on Historic England’s list →

Conservation areas

5 conservation areas cover 4% of Telford

Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.

Severn Gorge 1971164 ha
Horsehay and Spring Village21 ha
Wrockwardine13 ha
Wellington13 ha
Severn Gorge 19718 ha
219 hain conservation areas, of 5,515 ha inside the built-up area.

The first, Severn Gorge and Severn Gorge, were designated in 1971; the newest, Severn Gorge, in 1971. 292 of the 394 listed buildings stand in one.

Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.

How the list grew

More than half of Telford’s listed buildings were added in one year, 1983

The year each building now on the list was first listed.

1983 · 2091974 · 121
19501960197019801990200020102020

The first 2 entries were listed in 1959, 1 of the 4 Grade I buildings among them. 209 came in 1983, in the national resurvey of the 1970s and 80s. Only 6 have been added in the last 15 years.

Monuments & landscapes

Monuments, parks and gardens

Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.

World Heritage

Ironbridge GorgeUNESCO World Heritage Site, partly or wholly inside the town

9 scheduled monuments

Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.

Bedlam Furnaces
Blists Hill Iron Furnaces
Churchyard of St James's Church
Coalport Inclined Plane
The Iron Bridge
History Grade

Telford grades B− for history

Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.

Protected heritage, for its size and in all (444 points, 28 per 10,000 residents)More than 70% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (6.2%)More than 13% of UK towns

Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.

Homes by age

6.2% of Telford’s homes were built before 1919

Every home by when it was built, from council tax records, against England & Wales (the dark tick).

5.3%
Before 1900
0.9%
1900–18
1%
1919–29
3.4%
1930s
4.9%
1945–54
10%
1955–64
11%
1965–72
16%
1973–82
11%
1983–92
9.9%
1993–99
5.7%
2000–08
7.5%
2009–15
12%
2016–25
TelfordEngland & Wales

5.3% of homes are Victorian or older, against 16% across England and Wales. The busiest period since was 1973–82, which added 16% of today’s homes.

Valuation Office Agency, council tax stock of properties by build period, 31 March 2025, for the neighbourhoods (LSOAs) that make up the town, split by where their residents live. Homes with no recorded build period (403 here) are left out; 1939–44 is not a period in the data.

Born here

35 notable people born in Telford before 1900

The 20 best known on one timeline, earliest first.

Abraham Darby II
William Withering
Abraham Darby III
Henry Gauntlett
Robert Richard Anstice
Hesba Stretton
Wyke Bayliss
Enoch Tranter
Thomas Parker
Matthew Webb
Albert Mumford
George Swift
Mark Nicholson
William Foulke
Joe Butler
Walter Corbett
Richard Guy
Kenneth Thompson
Harry Hampton
Jack Elkes
170017501800185019001950
William Withering
William Withering1741–1799 · English scientist (1741-1799)
William Foulke
William Foulke1874–1916 · English footballer (1874-1916)
Matthew Webb
Matthew Webb1848–1883 · English steamship captain and Channel swimmer (1848–1883)
Walter Corbett
Walter Corbett1880–1960 · English footballer (1880–1960)
Harry Hampton
Harry Hampton1885–1963 · England footballer (1885-1963)
Hesba Stretton
Hesba Stretton1832–1911 · British writer (1832–1911)
AI
Abraham Darby II1711–1763 · English Quaker ironmaster at Coalbrookdale (1711-1763)
Wyke Bayliss
Wyke Bayliss1835–1906 · British painter, author and poet (1835-1906)

Everyone born in Telford → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.

Neighbours

Listed buildings in the places around Telford

TownPeopleListedGrade IHistory
Telford156,8903944B−
Shifnal8,973481B−
Broseley5,596290B+
Edgmond1,560141B+
Newport14,1911170B
Much Wenlock1,766873A+
Albrighton6,983290B−
Bridgnorth12,1722381A
In brief

Telford in brief

Part of Ironbridge Gorge, a World Heritage Site, lies in Telford. All told, the list holds 394 listed buildings, 4 of them Grade I, including The Iron Bridge. Its older streets lie in 5 conservation areas, the first designated in 1971. Most entries on the list, 60%, are houses, terraces and villas.

William Withering (1741), William Foulke (1874) and Matthew Webb (1848) are among the 35 people born here before 1900. Its homes are mostly newer: 6.2% were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town. It also has 9 scheduled monuments, the archaeology and ruins the law protects. The rest is about typical: it has 4 Grade I buildings, about typical for a town its size (the middle one has 4); and per resident it sits near the middle of UK towns.

Questions about Telford’s history

How many listed buildings are there in Telford?

Historic England lists 394 buildings inside Telford’s built-up area: 4 Grade I, 24 Grade II* and 366 Grade II.

What are the Grade I listed buildings in Telford?

4, including Church of St James, Church of St Peter, Gatehouse South West of Madeley Court and The Old Furnace at Coalbrookdale Ironworks.

Which street in Telford has the most listed buildings?

The Wharfage (16), Wellington Road (12) and High Street (11) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.

Are there scheduled monuments in Telford?

Yes, 9 scheduled monuments, including Bedlam Furnaces, Blists Hill Iron Furnaces, Churchyard of St James's Church and Coalport Inclined Plane.

Is Telford a World Heritage Site?

Telford is home to part or all of Ironbridge Gorge, inscribed by UNESCO.

How many conservation areas are there in Telford?

5, covering about 219 hectares of the town. The largest are Severn Gorge and Horsehay and Spring Village.

When were Telford’s buildings listed?

The first in 1959; the most, 209, in 1983.

Who was born in Telford?

Among people born before 1900: William Withering (1741), William Foulke (1874), Matthew Webb (1848), Walter Corbett (1880) and Harry Hampton (1885).

How old are the homes in Telford?

6.2% of homes were built before 1919 and 11% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).

© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.

Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.