IRONBRIDGE GORGE
Orientation to Ironbridge Gorge
GETTING AROUND IRONBRIDGE GORGE
The Industrial Revolution was born in the Severn River Valley. In its glory days, this valley—blessed with abundant deposits of iron ore and coal, and a river for transport—gave the world its first iron wheels, steam-powered locomotive, and cast-iron bridge (begun in 1779). Other industries flourished here, too—from mass-produced clay pipes to delicate porcelain and colorful decorative tiles. The museums in Ironbridge Gorge, which capture the essence of the Victorian age, take you back into the days when Britain was racing into the modern era—and pulling the rest of the West with her.
Near the end of the 20th century, the valley went through a second transformation: Photos taken just a few decades ago show an industrial wasteland. Today the Severn River Valley is lush and lined with walks and parkland. Even its bricks, while still smoke-stained, seem warmer and more inviting. Those who come for its “industrial” sights are pleasantly surprised to find an extremely charming corner of England, with wooded hillsides and tidy, time-warp brick villages.
PLANNING YOUR TIME
Without a car, Ironbridge Gorge isn’t worth the headache for most (though I’ve included some tips at the end of this chapter). Drivers can slip it in between the Cotswolds/Stratford/Warwick and points north (such as the Lake District or North Wales). Speed demons zip in for a midday tour of the Blists Hill Victorian Town, look at the famous Iron Bridge and quaint town that sprawls around it, and head out. For an overnight visit, arrive in the early evening to browse the town, see the bridge, and walk along the river. Spend the morning touring the Blists Hill Victorian Town, have lunch there, and head to your next destination.
Those with more time (or a healthy interest in the Industrial Revolution) can spend two nights and a leisurely day strolling the town and exploring Blists Hill and the many museums, capped by dinner at one of my recommended restaurants.
Orientation to Ironbridge Gorge
The village of Ironbridge is just a few blocks gathered around the Iron Bridge, which spans the peaceful, tree-lined River Severn. While the smoke-belching bustle is long gone, knowing that this wooded, sleepy river valley was the Silicon Valley of the 19th century makes wandering its brick streets almost a pilgrimage. Other villages—including Coalbrookdale, Jackfield, and Coalport—are scattered along the valley, all within a short drive or a long walk. The museum sights are scattered over three miles. The modern cooling towers (for coal) that you’ll see west of town, looming ominously over these red-brick remnants, seem strangely appropriate.
TOURIST INFORMATION
The TI is in the Museum of the Gorge, just west of the town center (daily 10:00-15:00, +44 1952 433 424, www.ironbridge.org.uk). In summer, you may also find an information desk inside the Iron Bridge tollhouse.
GETTING AROUND IRONBRIDGE GORGE
For connections from the Telford train or bus stations to the sights, see the end of this chapter.
By Bus: Link the area’s museums with Gorge Connect park-and-ride buses, which run on weekends from late July through early October (£1, every 15 minutes 9:45-17:55; see schedule at www.telford.gov.uk/ironbridgeparkandride; +44 1952 433 424). If you’re waiting for the Gorge Connect bus on the main road by the bridge, or at a stop for one of the less popular museums, make sure the driver sees you.
By Car: Routes to the attractions are well signed, so driving is a snap.
By Taxi: Taxis will pick up at the museums and are a good option if you don’t have a car and the bus is not convenient. Call Go Carz at +44 1952 501 050.
Sights in Ironbridge Gorge
▲Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron and Abraham Darby’s Old Furnace
MORE SIGHTS AND EXPERIENCES IN AND NEAR IRONBRIDGE GORGE
Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum Midlands
Ten museums clustered within a few miles focus on the Iron Bridge and all that it represents—but not all are worth your time. The Blists Hill Victorian Town is by far the best. The Museum of the Gorge attempts to give a historical overview, but the displays are humble (and it may be closed for renovation when you visit). The Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron is interesting to metalheads. Enginuity is just for kids. The original Abraham Darby Furnace (free to view, located across from the Museum of Iron) is a shrine to 18th-century technology. And the Jackfield Tile Museum, Coalport China Museum, and Broseley Pipeworks delve into industries that picked up the slack when the iron industry shifted away from the Severn Valley in the 1850s.
Cost: Individual admission charges vary (£3-23.50); the £33 Pass Ticket covers admission to all area sights. Even if you visit only the Blists Hill Victorian Town and the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, the pass pays for itself.
Hours: Unless otherwise noted, all museums are open daily 10:00-17:00 (until 16:00 and closed Mon-Tue in winter).
Information: +44 1952 433 424, www.ironbridge.org.uk.
Parking: To see the most significant sights by car, you’ll park three times: once in town (either in the pay lot just over the bridge or at the Museum of the Gorge—the Iron Bridge and Gorge Museum are connected by an easy, flat walk); once at the Blists Hill parking lot; and once outside the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron (Enginuity is across the lot, and the Darby Houses are a three-minute uphill hike away).
IRONBRIDGE VILLAGE
▲▲Iron Bridge
While England was at war with her American colonies, this first cast-iron bridge was built in 1779 to show off a wonderful new building material. Lacking experience with cast iron, the builders erred on the side of sturdiness and constructed it as if it were made of wood. Notice that the original construction used traditional timber-jointing techniques rather than rivets. (Rivets are from later repairs.) The valley’s centerpiece is free and open all the time, and was used by cars into the 1960s. Walk across the bridge to the tollhouse. Inside, read the fee schedule and notice the subtle slam against royalty. (England was not immune to the revolutionary sentiment inhabiting the colonies at this time.) Pedestrians paid half a penny to cross; poor people crossed cheaper by coracle—a crude tub-like wood-and-canvas shuttle ferry. Cross back to the town and enjoy a pleasant walk downstream along the towpath. Where horses once dragged boats laden with cargo, locals now walk their dogs.
Museum of the Gorge
Orient yourself to the valley at this simple museum, filling the Old Severn Warehouse (may be closed for renovation when you visit). It’s worthwhile merely for the 12-minute introductory video that lays the groundwork for what you’ll see in the other museums. You’ll also see exhibits on local geology and ecology, some of the items that were produced here, and a well-explained, 30-foot model of the entire valley in its heyday.
Cost: £4.50, 500 yards upstream from the bridge, pay parking (3-hour maximum).
Nearby: Farther upstream from the museum parking lot is the fine riverside Dale End Park, with picnic areas and a playground.
COALPORT AND JACKFIELD
▲▲Blists Hill Victorian Town
This immersive open-air folk museum thrills kids and kids-at-heart by re-creating a fully formed society from the 1890s. You’ll wander through 50 acres of commerce, industry, and chatty locals. It’s particularly lively (with everything open and lots of docents—and engaged kids) on weekends and in summer; off-peak times can be sleepy. Compared to other open-air museums in Britain, it’s refreshingly compact and manageable. Pick up the Blists Hill guidebook for a good step-by-step rundown.
Cost: £23.50.
Eating in Blists Hill: Several places serve lunch: a café near the entrance, the New Inn Pub for beer and pub snacks, a traditional fish-and-chips joint, a bakery, and the Forest Glen cafeteria.
Visiting Blists Hill: The experience begins with a 360-degree movie showing Victorians at noisy, hot, and difficult work. Then you’ll walk through a door and be transported back in time. The map you’re given when entering shows which stops in the big park are staffed with energetic docents in period clothes. Pop in to say hello to the banker, the post office clerk, the blacksmith, and the girl in the candy shop. Maybe the boys are singing in the pub. Asking questions and chatting with the “villagers” is encouraged.
Stop by the pharmacy and check out the squirm-inducing setup of the dentist’s chair—it’ll make you appreciate modern dental care. Check the hands-on activities in the barn across the way. Down the street, kids like watching a candlemaker, who explains the process and tells how candles were used back in the day. You’ll find out what a “spinning donkey” is, why candles have two wicks, and why miners used green candles instead of white ones.
Just as it would’ve had in Victorian days, the village has a working pub, a greengrocer’s shop, a fascinating squatter’s cottage, and a snorty, slippery pigsty. On your way down to the ironworks, drop in on the high-end mine manager’s house, with a doctor’s surgery tucked in the back. Don’t miss the explanation of the “winding engine” at the Blists Hill Mine (demos throughout the day).
At the back of the park, you can hop aboard a train and enter a clay mine, complete with a sound-and-light show illustrating the dangers of working in this type of environment (small charge, 15 minutes). Nearby, the Hay Inclined Plane was used to haul loaded tub boats between the river and the upper canal. Today, a passenger-operated lift hauls visitors instead (if it’s working, just press the button to call for it). At the top, you can walk along the canal back to the town.
Coalport China Museum
This museum fills an old porcelain factory directly downhill from Blists Hill, along the river. You’ll see a few fine samples of china that was made here (the Caughley porcelain, at the end, is top quality); walk through a long workshop, where workers demonstrate various aspects of porcelain production (molds, flowers, printing, glazing, painting, and gilding); peek into a working glassblower’s shop; and walk around inside a cavernous “botte kiln.” While a bit less engaging than most of Ironbridge’s museums, it’s informative and rounds out your look at the area.
Cost: £10.50.
▲Jackfield Tile Museum
While most area museums focus on the grit and brawn of the Industrial Revolution—iron, coal, that sort of thing—the Jackfield Tile Museum looks at the softer side of Severn Valley innovation. Located in the village of Jackfield (across the river from Ironbridge), here you can walk through several buildings in an old brick industrial complex where tiles are still produced. The highlight is seeing the wide range of uses and styles of tile—a material so versatile (and so beautiful) that it looks equally good in bathrooms and in churches, and even in London’s Tube (much of the Underground tile came from right here). The modern Fusion facility next door suggests that tile’s heyday isn’t over.
Cost: £10.50.
COALBROOKDALE
Note that the Darby Houses close two hours before the other sights here; if visiting later in the day, go there first.
▲Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron and Abraham Darby’s Old Furnace
The Coalbrookdale neighborhood is the birthplace of modern technology—locals like to claim it’s where mass production was invented. The museum and furnace are located on either side of a parking lot, tucked under a rail trestle. There’s a café on-site, and the Coalbrookdale Inn—a classic pub—is just up the hill in front of the museum.
Cost: Museum-£10.50, Furnace-free.
Visiting the Museum: The fresh, well-presented museum works hard to explain all facets of iron—which has been used to make tools since ancient times and makes up 95 percent of all industrial metal. You’ll get a quick primer on the history of iron tools, then head up to the top floor and work your way down, chronologically, through the role iron played here in the Severn Valley. You’ll see original items from Coalbrookdale’s boom time (including a little three-legged pot created by Abraham Darby, c. 1714) and learn about the critical role Quakers (like Darby) played in the Industrial Revolution—several important individuals are profiled. You’ll also see a detailed model of the Iron Bridge, and—on the middle floor—several Victorian-age iron items, from a gigantic cast-iron anchor to delicately crafted benches and sculptures.
Abraham Darby Furnace: Across from the museum, standing like a shrine to the Industrial Revolution, is Darby’s blast furnace, sitting inside a big glass pyramid and surrounded by evocative industrial-age ruins. It was here that in 1709 Darby first smelted iron, using coke as fuel. To me, “coke” is a drink, and “smelt” is the past tense of smell...but around here, these words recall the event that kicked off the modern Industrial Age and changed the world (see the sidebar).
Enginuity
Enginuity is a hands-on funfest for kids. Riffing on Ironbridge’s engineering roots, this converted 1709 foundry is full of entertaining-to-kids water contraptions, pumps, magnets, and laser games. Build a dam, try your hand at earthquake-proof construction, navigate a water maze, operate a remote-controlled robot, or power a turbine with your own steam. Mixed in among all this entertainment is a collection of vintage machines.
Cost: £10.50, across the parking lot from the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron.
Darby Houses
Abraham Darby, who figured out how to smelt iron in his big furnace, lived with his family in these two homes up on a ridge overlooking the Coalbrookdale Museum (go under the rail bridge and head uphill). Although Quakers, they were the area’s wealthiest residents by far. Touring their homes, you’ll learn a bit about their lifestyles and about Quakers in general.
The 18th-century Darby mansion, Rosehill House, is decorated and furnished as the family home would have been in 1850. It features a collection of fine china, furniture, and trinkets from various family members. If the gilt-framed mirrors and fancy china seem a little ostentatious for wealth-shunning Quakers, keep in mind that these folks were rich beyond reason, and—as docents will assure you—considering their vast wealth, their home was relatively modest. At the end of the tour is a collection of period clothes: You’re welcome to dress up as a humble Quaker or a fashionable dandy.
Skip the adjacent Dale House. Dating from the 1710s, it’s older than Rosehill, but almost completely devoid of furniture, and its exhibits are rarely open.
Cost and Hours: £6.50, closes earlier than other museums—at 15:00, closed entirely off-season.
MORE SIGHTS AND EXPERIENCES IN AND NEAR IRONBRIDGE GORGE
Swimming
A public swimming pool, the Abraham Darby Sports and Leisure Centre, is near Madeley (5-minute drive from town on Ironbridge Road (B-4373), +44 1952 382 770, www.telfordandwrekinleisure.co.uk).
Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum Midlands
This Red Baron magnet displays more than 80 aircraft, from warplanes to rockets. Get the background on ejection seats and a primer on the principles of propulsion (free, daily 10:00-17:00, Nov-Feb until 16:00, last entry one hour before closing, pay parking, Cosford, Shifnal, Shropshire, on the A-41 near junction with the M-54, +44 1902 376 200, www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford).
More Sights
If you’re looking for reasons to linger in Ironbridge Gorge, these sights are all within a short drive: the medieval town of Shrewsbury, the abbey village of Much Wenlock, the scenic Long Mynd gorge at Church Stretton, the castle at Ludlow, and the steam railway at the river town of Bridgnorth. Shoppers like Chester (en route to points north). Broseley Pipeworks, in the town of Broseley Wood, offers a fascinating look at the mass-production of clay pipes, but its opening hours are limited (£6.50, by guided tour only, likely open Thu and Sat 11:00-15:00—check hours and tour times online before you visit).
Sleeping in Ironbridge Gorge
$$ Library House Guesthouse is Town and Country-elegant. Located in the town center, a half-block downhill from the bridge, it’s a classy, friendly gem that once served as the village library. Each of its three rooms is a delight, and the public spaces are decorated true to the Georgian period. The Chaucer Room, which includes a small garden, is the smallest and least expensive. Tim and Sarah will make you feel right at home (free parking just up the road, 11 Severn Bank, +44 1952 432 299, www.libraryhouse.com).
$$ Bridgeview Guesthouse rents seven tidy rooms over a tearoom directly at the Iron Bridge; true to its name, four rooms have bridge views. While less personal than Library House or Calcutts, they may have a room when those are full (free parking nearby, 10 Tontine Hill, +44 1952 432 541, www.ironbridgeview.co.uk, bookings@ironbridgeview.co.uk).
OUTSIDE TOWN
$$ Calcutts House rents seven rooms in an 18th-century ironmaster’s home and adjacent coach house. Rooms in the main house are elegant, while the coach-house rooms are bright, modern, and less expensive. Their inviting garden is a plus. Ask the owners, James and Sarah Pittam, how the rooms were named (free parking, Calcutts Road, +44 1952 882 631, www.calcuttshouse.co.uk, thecalcuttshouse@gmail.com). From Calcutts House, it’s a delightful 15-minute stroll down a former train track into town.
¢ Coalport Youth Hostel, plush for a hostel, fills an old factory at the China Museum in Coalport (reception closed 10:00-17:00, no lockout, High Street, +44 345 371 9325, www.yha.org.uk, coalport@yha.org.uk). Don’t confuse this hostel with another area hostel, Coalbrookdale, which is only available for groups.
¢ Wilderhope Manor Youth Hostel, a beautifully remote Elizabethan manor house from 1586, is one of Europe’s best hostels (it even has a bridal suite). On Sunday afternoons, tourists actually pay to see what hostelers get to sleep in (family rooms, reservations recommended, reception closed 10:00-17:00, +44 345 371 9149, www.yha.org.uk, wilderhope@yha.org.uk). It’s in Longville-in-the-Dale, six miles from Much Wenlock, down the B-4371 toward Church Stretton.
Eating in Ironbridge Gorge
$$$$ The White Hart has a split personality—the woody pub section is Brit-rustic, while the two-level restaurant is white-tablecloth chic. Prices make this a splurge, but the food is creative and tasty (daily, closed Sun-Mon for dinner, reservations smart on weekends, 10 Wharfage, +44 1952 432 901, www.whitehartironbridge.com).
For cheaper (but still good) Indian food, look for $$ Aftab, a bit closer to the Iron Bridge at 25 High Street (Thu-Sun 17:30-21:30, closed Mon-Wed).
$$ The Golden Ball Inn is a classic countryside pub high on the hill above Ironbridge. You can dine with the friendly local crowd in the “bar,” eat in back with the 18th-century brewing gear in the quieter—and more formal—dining room, or munch out on the lush garden patio. This place is serious about beer, listing featured ales daily (daily, reservations smart on weekends, 10-minute hike up Madeley Road from the town roundabout, look for sign to pedestrian shortcut, 1 Newbridge Road, +44 1952 432 179).
$$ The Coalbrookdale Inn is filled with locals enjoying excellent ales and simple pub grub—nothing fancy. This former “best pub in Britain” has a tradition of offering free samples from a lineup of featured beers. Ask which real ales are available (daily, Mon-Fri for dinner only, lively ladies’ loo, across street from Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, 1 mile from Ironbridge, 12 Wellington Road, +44 1952 432 166).
$$ The Malthouse, located in an 18th-century beer house, is popular with local twentysomethings. The menu includes pub standards, plus a few pricier, high-end dishes (daily, breakfast served, near Museum of the Gorge, 5-minute walk from center, The Wharfage, +44 1952 433 712). For nighttime action, The Malthouse is the vibrant spot in town, with live rock music and a fun crowd (generally Fri-Sat).
Ironbridge Gorge Connections
Ironbridge Gorge is five miles southwest of Telford, which has the nearest train station.
Getting Between Telford and Ironbridge Gorge: It’s easiest to take a taxi from Telford train station to Ironbridge Gorge (about £15 to Blists Hill, £17 to the Iron Bridge; call Go Carz at +44 1952 501 050). If the Gorge Connect park-and-ride bus is running (described earlier, under “Getting Around Ironbridge Gorge”), you could take bus #4 (2-5/hour) from the Telford train station to High Street in the town of Madeley. This is where the park-and-ride bus originates and ends. Hop on it to ride to one of the museums, the TI, or the bridge.
By Train from Telford to: Birmingham (2/hour, 45 minutes), Stratford-upon-Avon (2/hour, 2.5 hours, 1-3 changes), Moreton-in-Marsh (hourly, 3 hours, 2 changes), Conwy in North Wales (4/day direct, 2.5 hours, more with transfer), Blackpool (hourly, 2.5-3 hours, 2 changes), Keswick/Lake District (hourly, 3-4 hours total, 2-3 changes—see here). Train info: +44 345 748 4950, NationalRail.co.uk.
ROUTE TIPS FOR DRIVERS
Driving in from the Cotswolds and Stratford, take the M-40 to Birmingham, then the M-6 (direction northwest) through Birmingham. Be aware that traffic northbound through Birmingham is miserable from 14:00 to 20:00, especially on Fridays. Take one of two M-6 options: free with traffic through the city center; or the M-6 Toll, which, for around £9, skirts you north of the center with much less traffic—a very good bet during rush hour.
After Birmingham, follow signs to Telford via the M-54 (if on toll road, it’ll be via the A-5). Leave the M-54 at the Telford/Ironbridge exit (Junction 4). Follow the brown Ironbridge signs through several roundabouts to Ironbridge Gorge. (Note: On maps, Ironbridge Gorge is often referred to as “Iron Bridge” or “Iron-Bridge.”)