History of the parish
The parish of Lawley and Overdale consists of two contrasting areas, both with a history of former mining.
Lawley is situated on the western part of Telford and was an extremely rural and almost primitive place around the time of the Domesday census way back in 1086. Laua's lea as it was known then was a small isolated settlement nestled in a deep, rich forest. The main employment was farming until the 18th century when the Industrial Revolution offered an alternative and people began to find work in coal mines, iron foundries and quarries although farming still continued.
Newdale was one of the first planned industrial housing schemes in Britain, an 18th century “New Town”. It was intended to relieve Coalbrookdale and had back-to-back housing for 160 people. There was also pumped water, pig sties and a school for the children. Charges for residence were one penny for Coalbrookdale workers, and three pennies for others. It lasted only a few years. In 1762 one of its buildings was converted to serve as a Quaker Meeting House and was later enlarged (1768 –1843) and then converted to a Methodist Chapel (1853-1921).
At the centre of Newdale is a pair of iron working buildings, erected in 1759 by the Coalbrookdale Company (the builders of the famous Iron Bridge). There is documentary evidence that these buildings were used as a forge (for making wrought iron) and a foundry (for casting iron). Archaeologists have discovered a furnace between the two buildings, and traces of a mill race that probably fed a waterwheel. The ironworks were never fully operational.
During an excavation in 1987, cast iron columns (perhaps some of the earliest ever made) were found here.
With the M54 on one side and The Rock on the other Overdale is mostly residential, although it is still in easy reach of an interesting walk to the old railway line and Tram Way Bridge at Newdale. There are also beautiful views of the Wrekin even though Telford Town Centre is not far away.