Jackfiield photo

Broseley Local History Society
Incorporating the Wilkinson Society

Photos of Jackfield -
Jackfield stretches along the river Severn from the Ironbridge to the Coalport Bridge a distance of four or so miles. It was from the wharfs at Jackfield that coal and iron were loaded and shipped down the Severn. Later it became the centre for Brick and Tile making in Broseley. Until the 1960's Jackfield was an integral part of Broseley. All these pictures show Jackfield before it was absorbed into Telford.

Salthouses

This was the centre of village of Jackfield being situated by the river just to the south of the Calcutt Ironworks and Jackfield Wharf.

Most of the houses were destroyed in the landslip in the 1950's

The 1952 Landslip
The following photographs and captions are from the Newspapers published at the time of the landslip in 1952. By the late 1950's most of the centre of the village, an area called Salthouses, had been demolished. A further landslip occurred in this area in the 1980's destroying the road which had been built to replace that lost in the 1950's. The area is still unstable and the ground is continually moving.

Jackfield Halt

The Seven Valley Railway was affected with a 5mph speed restriction being introduced.

Here gangers are re-aligning the track at the old Jackfield Halt on 8th April 1952. the halt was later moved approximately 1/2 mile to the south.

Photo: 8^th April 1952
Article: 10^th April 1952

This is one of the houses- now unoccupied-which is leaning at a crazy angle. Just near the right-hand window a long crack in the front wall can be seen.

This shows Pear Tree cottage which was demolished in August

Photo: 8^th April 1952 -
Article 10^th April 1952

The enormous crack in the wall of the house shown in this picture illustrates the extent of the damage being caused to houses at Jackfield. This house is being literally torn apart by the subsidence.

Photo 13^th August 1952
Article 14^th August 1952
(also 12 July 1968 ?)

Jackfield, the tiny Shropshire village almost cut off from the world since its main road began to slide into the River Severn is doomed. The inhabitants have started to evacuate their homes before the danger of subsidence becomes worse. The post office (left) is to be evacuated before winter comes.

This shows the Jackfield Post office at Salthouses. SD

14^th August 1952

The occupant of this now derelict house (sic)

This shows Pear Tree cottage being demolished. The two boys in the above picture of the Post Office now appear to be helping to demolish the house ! This appears to be the same house as shown in the 8^th April 1952 shot.

29^th December 1952

Despite the slide of top-soil into the River Severn, taking the village of Jackfield with it, life still follows a normal course, and washday is still washday even if your garden is in the river.

Dated 10^th July 1954

This is the lower road at Jackfield that Broseley district committee of Wenlock Borough Council has decided to abandon. Due to continual slipping towards the River Severn, the road cannot be improved.

14^th April 1964

Caption: Mr. Sam Bradley, 76 and his wife Edith, in the garden of their home in Jackfield.

Article:
The steady-but-sure death and disintegration of a Shropshire village has angered its dwindling residents.

Furious at having been led up the garden path, one woman villager at Jackfield, near Ironbridge, declared: Im thinking of writing to the. Prime Minister about it.
And another, a publicans wife, said bluntly: Instead of a dozen or perhaps two dozen customers in the evening, I get about six. Its not worth the fighting.
Mrs. Ivy Downing, who with her husband, Ellis, keeps a general store in Ferry-road, sat in the lounge of their home behind their shop,
The couple sank their savings into the business when they opened up in Lower Jackfield nearly six years ago.
"We settled on Jackfield because we thought it was quite a decent proposition; which, of course, it was.
We didnt know anything about he village, so we had a solicitor make inquiries.
Part of Article by Keith Parker.

Photo 8^th February 1965 Article 9^th February 1965

A relic of the Industrial Revolution- thats Jackfield. Deserted , crumbling cottages are nearly all that remains of a once proud village.
Subsidence has formed the buildings into crazy shapes.
This has been caused by the River Severn which flows cheek by jowl with the village.
The Severn Gorge has been designated a special amenity area by the Dawley Development Corporation and the whole valley is to be given a face lift.