Telford was created from a number of small communities during the 1960s and 70s, although the process is ongoing. The existing towns of Dawley, Donnington, Ironbridge, Madeley, Oakengates and Wellington were brought together with a number of smaller villages, to create what was, until it became a unitary council, the largest place in Shropshire. Named in honour of Thomas Telford, the Shropshire-born engineer and architect, Telford has attracted a number of large businesses, and the population has grown a great deal over the years. Now the area is a unique blend of modern shopping facilities, market towns and carefully restored industrial sites.

The most famous attraction in the area has to be the Ironbridge Gorge. The world’s first cast-iron bridge, built in the late 18th century, spans the Severn, and other aspects of the area’s long industrial history are covered in the many museums in the area. There is a Gorge Museum, China Museum, Tile Museum and even a Clay Tobacco Pipe Museum!