Dawley and Little Dawley

Begin at the junction of Doseley Road and Burton Street, a short walk away from the Station Road car park Walk down Burton Street, into and down High Street. Pass the Elephant and Castle pub, old Victorian Market Hall, now a series of shops, and The Crown Inn. Pass Captain Webb Memorial on the pavement at the corner. At the bottom of the High Street, turn right into King Street, then almost immediately turn left into Duce Drive. Continue past the Telford Langley Academy, keeping the school and its sports facilities to your right. After about 350m Duce Drive curves left, you leave the road to go straight on here along the footpath. Carry straight on, along the path towards some woodland directly in front of you. Ignore a tarmac path which descends to the right and other paths which curve to the left. Follow the path into a wooded area, it goes down some steps, and eventually after about 300m you emerge onto Hinkshay Road. Turn left into Hinkshay Road and cross over then turn right down a path to enter Telford Town Park Walk down the path to a cross-path and turn right to reach the Stirchley Pools Car Park. Cross the car park to walk between Stirchley Upper and Lower Pools. There is an information board here. At the T junction of paths at the end of the pools turn left, the path goes over a small footbridge, then bear left and eventually go over a small footbridge, across what used to be a canal, then turn right onto The Silkin Way, a broad tarmac track. In a few minutes you reach the restored platform of Dawley and Stirchley Station. The Silkin Way goes under the arched bridge of Stirchley Lane, about 100m further on turn right up some steps. Take the right hand path here, go straight on to a T-junction, turn right, then almost immediately left into a wooded area for about 0.5km, ignoring diversions right and left. You will pass to the left of some houses and Southall School. You finally exit onto the busy B4373, beware fast moving traffic. Turn left along the B4373, then cross over (care!) to take the first road on the right, it’s signed to Holy Trinity Church. After about 200m turn right into Hamilton Road. After about 150m you reach a T junction, cross straight over Old Vicarage Road to enter the grounds of Holy Trinity Church. Take the path to the left side of the church. Walk past the main entrance to the church and then turn left onto a path to walk about 100m down to exit onto Holly Road.
Cross straight over, continue down a tarmac footpath opposite with houses to your right and wooded pit mounds to your left. You come to the corner of Castle Pool where there is an information board. Continue straight on past the information board over 3 wooden footbridges between two pools. At the path T junction turn right. On your left are more pit mounds and rewilded woodlands. After about 300m you exit into a car park where there is another information board. Cross the car park to the path opposite which you take along the left hand edge of Wide Waters Pool. You are now back on Stage 1 of the Telford T50 50 Mile Trail and will be following its distinctive pink waymarks for a short while. At the end of the lake carry straight on into the woods, continue straight on ignoring a left fork where the T50 branches off. . Soon, pass under a distinctive old tub boat canal bridge. Lightmoor Road is just beyond this, cross straight over the road into a tarmacked area. Cross to the far side of the hard surface and follow a footpath from the righthand corner into the wood. Keep straight for on about 250m, until you reach Holly Road. Turn right, facing the traffic walk uphill along the narrow Holly Road for 150m to a junction. There is no footway so take care. At the junction, on the right, is the Little Dawley War Memorial. Turn left, then almost immediately take the narrow footpath on the left going up hill alongside the houses. After about 50m you come out into a small field of rough long grass. Walk the path diagonally left uphill to be rewarded by one of the best views in Telford Follow the line of the main path, ignore diversions right and left, this spot is close to the old Springwell Mine where the pit disaster happened. In about 250m you come to some playing fields, Little Dawley Triple Fields. Walk across the fields keeping close to the hedge in front of you. Keep straight on, on the path alongside the second field to join a track and turn left. Then about 50m further on turn right to follow the hedge that skirts the playing field. You are following part of The Ironbridge Way here. When you come out onto to the Pool Hill road cross straight over to walk up a narrow path between houses. It brings you out into Princess Anne Gardens. Follow the signed walkway ahead and slight right through the housing estate of Princess Anne Gardens, it will bring you to a T junction with a track where you turn left and bear left to go through the underpass of Springhill Road. to reach Quarry Place. Turn left and after about 50m enter Dawley Park on your right. Walk up through the park keeping the tennis court to your right and you will see ahead of you and to the right a children’s reading area. Just beyond this is the Dawley War Memorial. Exit the park into Doseley Road and turn right to walk uphill past Dawley Dental Clinic and you will arrive back at Station Road Car Park on your left and the start of your walk ahead.