Flooding over the summer has cost the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust more than £600,000, it was revealed today. The group runs several attractions in the World Heritage Site.

In June, Enginuity, one of its key sites, was flooded, causing damage and closing it for a fortnight.  Terrible weather and concerns about flooding kept tourists away during July.

Nick Paul, chairman of regeneration agency Advantage West Midlands, visited Jackfield Tile Museum today where he heard about the cost.

Steve Miller, trust chief executive, stressed the clean-up was now over and the gorge and its museums were open for business.

But he said: “The first round of floods caused considerable damage to the museum’s property,” he said.

“Our hands-on design and technology centre Enginuity was closed for two weeks, while the building was dried out and essential emergency maintenance work done.

“While we were able to reopen for the summer holidays, another closure is predicted later in the year to finish off repairs.

“While the gorge was not physically affected by the last lot of floods, tourists stayed away, partly because of the bad weather and partly because the public perception was that the whole of the Severn Valley was under water.”

Advantage West Midlands has launched several schemes to help. It has given £500,000 to the Severn Valley Railway, between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster, large sections of which remain closed.