Museum of the Gorge Ironbridge
Ironbirdge, Shropshire
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Location Guide |
"A part of
the World Heritage Site Ironbridge Gorge"
This Museum is housed within the Old Severn
Warehouses a short walk from the Iron Bridge. It houses artefacts, displays and
models which outlines the areas history and why it was made a World Heritage
Site.
 
| Once inside you are in the shop area first,
with all the normal tourist paraphernalia for the area. At the reception desk
show your passport of if only visiting this attraction pay your monies. Through
a door and the first thing you notice is the 12 metre long model of what they
believe the Gorge was like in 1796, when it was a thriving industrial town. You
will not believe what was here and how the landscape has changed with much of
the signs of heavy industry now disappeared. It's detail is such that it as a
Royal Carriage crossing the Iron Bridge, it would have had to have paid a toll
to cross, there is cargo on the Severn Trow (a barge) which was used to
transport coal and stone down the Severn Estuary, and a tiny figures in the
coalmines, waterwheels, furnaces and so much more. Other exhibits include examples of local iron
products, displays looking at rescue work and lessons learnt from past disasters
in the area, interactive computer quizzes, a brass rubbing table and a short
film, which runs every 40 minutes that explains the history of the Gorge, it's
importance and why it became a World Heritage site. Also in one room there are
markings on the wall which shows in the past how high the River Severn rose and
flooded the area, with newspaper cuttings and displays explaining how the floods
affected the local community at the time. Outside there are still the tracks
which would have taken wagons from the warehouse down to the River's edge.
Allow 30 minutes to an hour for your visit.
Model of Ironbridge
Gorge in 1796 |
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The Annual Passport.
The Ironbridge Museums
operate an Annual Ticket and Passport where for one price you can get access to
all 10 of their sites with unlimited day time access during normal opening
hours, so you can return as often as you like for a whole year. If after
12 months you have still not visited particular sites, you can return at any
time in the future to make one free visit to the sites that you've missed. These
tickets are sold at all the museums and the visitor information centre in Ironbridge itself or you can buy them in advance by phone. The
2009 prices for the Passport tickets are: Adult
£19.95; 60+ £15.95; Child £12.95 or a family ticket for 2A up to
3C £54.95.
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