The Bronx – how a Telford no-go area came of age
I’m revisiting Telford-past today. A recent trip to Sutton Hill reminded me of this beautifully forward-looking brochure from the early 1970s promoting our town.
The comments on the story are golden, as people recognise themselves in the brochure, but a couple talk about Severn Walk on Sutton Hill.
Severn Walk was – and partially still is – a complex of flats and maisonettes that ran from the perimeter road to the centre of the estate. As Sutton Hill matured, Severn Walk aged badly. Transient tenants and covered, multi-level walkways made for troubled times. A no go area for many.
An infamous piece of graffiti at the entrance read ‘Welcome to the Bronx’ a reference to a district in New York renowned for being a rough and tough place to live. There is a famous photo of this that the Shropshire Star bring out from time to time.
By 1985 it was time to do something about Severn Walk. Just about 20 years old, it was at the end of its useful life. No one wanted to walk through there, let alone live there. Because they were all owned by Telford Development Corporation, they sold the lot to a developer to make a silk purse out of these houses of horror – the bit they called the Bronx.
£1m later, in 1988, Shawfield Close grew out of the ashes. The centrepiece, a row of three-storey town houses. According to contemporary reports at the time, these three, four or five-bedroom brand new homes were sold for less than £30,000 each. At the time, a three-bed on Sutton Hill was £12,500 or £17,000 with a garage.
And sell they did. Snapped up at a time when housing was booming.
1988 was 37 years ago. I just had to say that out loud. How has Shawfield Close stood the test of time? Surprisingly well, I have to say.
It’s not Kensington or the Crescent at Bath by any stretch, and I would doubt anyone from Priorslee would be choosing to relocate anytime soon, but this is an attractive streetscape. The residents are looking after their gardens and fixing their fences. Good people live here.
The last house that sold in the street made £175,000 for a four-bed terrace. A lot of house for the money.
The small part of Severn Walk that remains is also much better than I expected. A sea of flowers in baskets and pots, it’s aged well from those troublesome teenage years.
