Thousands flock to museums and tourist spots after lockdown eased

Among the attractions back open today were Blists Hill Victorian Town, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron and The Iron Bridge Tollhouse, after the government gave them the green light to welcome back visitors.

The Museum of The Gorge, which suffered damage during the floods of February, also opened as a free entry Visitor Centre.

Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust chief executive Nick Ralls said he was delighted at how well the weekend had gone and how many visitors had taken advantage of the museum reopening on the first day possible under the new coronavirus regulations.

“It has been a tremendous pleasure to see people back at our sites again after such a frustrating period of inactivity. We have had to make some changes to how we operate to work within the new restrictions but judging by the smiles on people’s faces everyone has had a wonderful day out.

“The wellbeing of all those on our sites is obviously paramount and we have put a huge amount of work into ensuring we meet all the necessary regulations for both visitors and staff alike.

“We are delighted at the numbers of people who not only attended on Saturday but have also booked tickets for the next few weeks – and would love to see even more as the summer continues.”

Andrew and Hannah Beacham and two-year-old son Connor, of Albrighton, near Wolverhampton, were among the first visitors through the doors at Blists Hill on Saturday.

“We are really pleased to see it open again. Everything has been really well organised and you can tell that the museum staff have thought through everything they need to do to keep us safe,” Hannah said.

The Tranter family, of Shawbirch in Telford, also praised the measures in place at Blists Hill to meet the coronavirus regulations.

Children Kayleigh, 13, Hollie, 10, Lily, eight and Tommy, three, said they could not wait to visit the sweet shop, whilst mum and dad Carl and Mel were looking forward to fish and chips for lunch.

“The organisation is the best we have seen at anywhere we have visited and we’re looking forward to really lovely day out.”