Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust facts for kids
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is a special group that looks after ten museums and many historic places. These sites are in a famous area called the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England. This gorge is known as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
The Ironbridge Gorge is home to important towns like Ironbridge, Coalport, and Jackfield, which are along the River Severn. Other key places include Coalbrookdale and Broseley. Because of its amazing history, UNESCO named this area a World Heritage Site in 1986. It was one of the first places in the United Kingdom to get this special title. In 1977, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum was even named the National Heritage Museum of the Year.
Explore the Museums
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust runs ten amazing museum sites. Together, they are known as The Ironbridge Gorge Museums. Each one helps you discover a different part of history!
- Blists Hill Victorian Town: Step back in time to a real Victorian town. You can see how people lived and worked long ago. It also includes the Hay Inclined Plane.
- Broseley Pipeworks: Discover how clay pipes were made in this old factory.
- Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron: Learn all about the start of the Industrial Revolution. See how iron was made and used.
- Coalport China Museum: Explore the history of beautiful china. See how delicate pottery was created here.
- Tar Tunnel: Go underground into a tunnel where natural tar was found.
- Darby Houses: Visit the homes of the Darby family, who were famous iron masters.
- Enginuity: This is a fun, hands-on science and engineering museum. You can try out different experiments.
- Iron Bridge and Tollhouse: See the world's first cast-iron bridge. It was a huge step forward in engineering.
- Jackfield Tile Museum: Discover a colorful world of decorative tiles. Learn how they were designed and made.
- Museum of the Gorge: This museum tells the story of the Ironbridge Gorge itself.
About the Trust
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust started in 1968. Its main goal is to protect and share the history of the Industrial Revolution in the Ironbridge Gorge. It is an independent charity focused on education. In 1970, it took over the Coalbrookdale Museum, which had been around since 1959. This museum is now called the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron.
The museum staff look after 35 historic sites within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. This includes the ten museums. They also manage old archaeological sites, two chapels, historic houses, and two Quaker burial grounds. The Trust also runs a research library, a tourist information center, woodlands, and two youth hostels.
