| Great Escapes: Shropshire 1 |
The Gorge at Ironbridge changed the world almost 300 years ago, when it became the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. But although the
furnaces cooled long ago, a wealth of attractions and museums remain, covering six square miles, to keep the heritage alive. Furthermore, Unesco has designated the area a World Heritage Site.
WELL GORGED
A good place to start your visit is at the Museum of the Gorge, about a quarter of a mile along the river Severn from the Iron Bridge (built by Abraham Darby). The gothic building was originally used by the Coalbrookdale Company as a riverside warehouse for its goods. There’s a pay-and-display car park opposite the museum, but if you park on the other side of the bridge, near the Toll House, then you can cross it and take in the views.
The Museum of the Gorge offers an eight-minute audio-visual
presentation which sets the scene for the rest of today’s visit. A film is also shown about Matthew Webb, a local man from Dawley, who learned to swim in the Severn and went on to be the first man to swim the English Channel.
HOME OF THE AGA COOKER
About a mile from the Museum
of the Gorge (see above) is the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron.
It was here, in 1779, that Abraham Darby first smelted iron with coke instead of charcoal, having
discovered that using coke enabled him to smelt at much higher
temperatures to produce iron of the highest quality.
The museum is spread over three floors and houses hundreds of examples of cast iron furniture, statues and so on, all made in the furnace. There are even examples of items which were produced for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and a display of Aga cookers, made here in the town since 1947.
To reach Darby’s original blast furnace, about 100 yards away, you have to walk down a slope which, although not particularly steep, could present a problem for some wheelchair users. The remains of the furnace, thought to date back to 1658, is protected from the
elements by a pitched roof.
In order to produce the cast iron arches of the Iron Bridge, Darby had to increase the size of his
furnace and here you can see how he achieved this. And, one of the original beams installed when
the furnace was first built, can also be seen.
HANDS-ON FOR ALL
Also on the Coalbrookdale site is the Enginuity Museum, an
interactive design and technology centre which opened last year.
This is one of the finest ‘hands-on’
exhibitions we have ever come across. For instance, you can X-ray a mobile phone, or a snowboard, and discover what materials are have been in its construction.
A family could easily spend the whole day here.
A VICTORIAN VISIT
About three miles from Ironbridge, is another place where you could easily while away a day – there’s so much to see.
Blists Hill is a reconstructed Victorian town complete with houses, factories, a pub, shops and even a bank. Many of the buildings were removed from their original sites and rebuilt here, brick by brick.
Guides dressed in clothes of the period give demonstrations of
the crafts and the way of life in those days when the area was the centre of the Industrial Revolution.
You can visit the chemist with its dentist’s chair, and Eley’s the butcher’s where you can buy a pasty. There’s a carpenter’s shop, too, where rocking horses are still made, a saw mill and the wrought iron works. You’ll also find a replica of a steam locomotive built for engineer Richard Trevithick, and
a half-size replica of the arches of the Iron Bridge.
CHINA PAINT JOB
Just down the road from Blists Hill is the Coalport China Museum, built alongside the Shropshire Canal. It is housed in the old china works buildings (now restored).
One of the best features is the children’s gallery where there are demonstrations of some of the techniques used in the production of porcelain, including how bone china roses are made. At the end
of the demonstration there is an area where you can try your hand at decorating the chinaware.
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Distance 35 miles
Time Nine hours
Start/finish The Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Ring Bank, Ebury Hill, Haughton, Telford
TF6 6BU.
Suitable for all the family, although some parts may present difficulties
for wheelchair users.
Tourist information
Shrewsbury
The Square, Shrewsbury,
SY1 1LH
Tel 01743 281200
Email Click here to email
Bridgnorth, Listley Street, WV16 4AW
Tel 01746 763257
Refreshments
The New Inn pub
Blists Hill, Tontine Hotel, The Square, Ironbridge, Telford TF8 4AL
Tel 01952 432127
Attractions
Museum of the Gorge; Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron; Enginuity Museum; Blists Hill Victorian Town, and Coalport China Museum c/o Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coach Road, Coalbrookdale TF8 7DQ
Tel 01952 432166
Website Click Here.
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