Thomas Telford was Shropshire's county surveyor

A year of events is planned in Shropshire to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth.

He left a legacy of roads, canals, bridges and churches across the country.

The sculpture in Telford Town Park will be created thanks to a �44,500 award from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

County surveyor

The local children will help to design the permanent piece of artwork based on their research of the engineer's work.

HLF's regional manager, Anne Jenkins, said: "This year we will be celebrating the life and work of Thomas Telford, one of the finest civil engineers that has ever lived in Britain.

"His legacy can be seen throughout England, Scotland and Wales in the physical evidence of his roads, canals and bridges and the professional reputation of civil engineers.

"He is especially important in Shropshire where he lived and worked as county surveyor from 1787 until the early 19th Century."

The HLF award will be used by a partnership between Telford & Wrekin's arts development team, the libraries and Shropshire Archives.