WOMBRIDGE, LATER OAKENGATES
Communications, p. 284. Growth of Settlement, p. 285. Social and Cultural Activities, p. 289. Manor and Other
Estates, p. 290. Economic History, p. 291. Local Government, p. 296. Public Services, p. 297. Churches, p. 298.
Nonconformity, p. 301. Education, p. 302. Charities for the Poor, p. 306.
Wombridge parish developed out of the demesnes of the Augustinian priory of St. Leonard,
founded c. 1135 in a clearing in Hadley wood.
The area was the centre of one of the two
bailiwicks of the royal forest of Mount Gilbert (or
the Wrekin); like the centre of the other-
Haughmond, also a monastic site - it was extraparochial. (fn. 54) The priory stood less than 1 km.
north of Watling Street, which bisected the
ancient parish. The parish extended to only 702
a. (fn. 55) Oakengates, a late medieval hamlet on its
eastern edge, stood on Watling Street 4 km. east of
Wellington.
Oakengates grew into a sizeable town in the mid
19th century, dwarfing the small settlement at
Wombridge, and in 1895 Wombridge parish
council tried, though unsuccessfully, to change
the parish name to Oakengates. In 1898, however,
Wombridge civil parish, conterminous with the
ancient parish, was included in the new urban
district of Oakengates, which also comprised
Wrockwardine Wood C.P. (914 a.) and the new
C.P.s of St. George's (129 a.) and Priorslee (584
a.). (fn. 56) In 1934 the U.D.'s component C.P.s were
amalgamated into Oakengates C.P. At the same
time small parts of the C.P.s of Hadley (at
Trench), Wellington Rural (at Ketley Bank), and
Shifnal (between Woodhouse colliery and Priorslee Hall) were added to Oakengates while a small
part of Priorslee (Hollinswood) was transferred to
Dawley U.D. (fn. 57) The area so formed contained
2,396 a. (fn. 58) Two small parts of Oakengates U.D and
C.P., east of Hollinswood and south of Priorslee
village, were included in the designated area of
Dawley new town in 1963 (fn. 59) and were transferred
to Dawley U.D. in 1966. (fn. 60) Oakengates was included in Telford new town in 1968 (fn. 61) and in the
district of the Wrekin in 1974 when the U.D was
abolished. (fn. 62)
The history of Wombridge parish and the
growth of Oakengates town, treated in the present
article, are inextricably bound up with the adjacent district of Priorslee (a remote corner of the
manor and parish of Shifnal), where Wombridge
priory built up an estate in the early Middle
Ages. (fn. 63) Accordingly Priorslee's (fn. 64) industrial and
urban involvement with Oakengates, with the
gradual severance of its links with Shifnal, have
formed complementary themes in modern times.
The bounds of Wombridge ancient parish
appear to have been those to which Wombridge
priory demesne had expanded by c. 1269. The
western boundary partly followed Springwell
brook, whose ancient course was largely
obliterated by industry. (fn. 65) The other boundaries
apparently did not follow major natural or manmade features. Priorslee lies almost 3 km. southeast of Wombridge church, and is bounded to the
north by Watling Street. (fn. 66)
Oakengates U. D. And C. P. 1934- 66
The area here treated, extending c. 3 km. from
north to south and c. 3 km. from east to west, lies
near the northern edge of the east Shropshire
coalfield. Oakengates itself lies at c. 120 metres
above O.D. in a shallow valley, flanked by the
higher ground of Ketley Bank to the south and St.
George's to the east, both over 150 metres above
O.D. North of Oakengates the ground falls away
towards the Weald Moors, to c. 75 metres above
O.D. near Trench Pool. The location of the
'lake-ridge' referred to in the name Wombridge (fn. 67) is
uncertain.
Oakengates town stands on a band of boulder
clay and sand and gravel overlying the Middle
Coal Measures. The coal measures outcrop either
side of the band: to the south-west between
Hartshill, Ketley Bank, and Hollinswood, and to
the north-east between Newfield Farm and Snedshill. The Greyhound and Lightmoor faults cross
the Coal Measures from south-west to north-east;
south-east of the faults, on the eastern side of the
dividing band of clay and gravel, the workable
coal seams are overlain by the carboniferous
sandstones, marl, and mudstones of the Hadley
and Coalport formations. (fn. 68)
A hoard of 368 silver coins, deposited c. 1646,
was unearthed at Priorslee in 1982 during construction of the M 54 motorway. (fn. 69)