Free access to Coalbrookdale sites this weekend as part of Heritage Open Days festival

For the 2023 Heritage Open Days and the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Festival, the Trust will be giving free access to its Coalbrookdale sites which will also host a range of special events and activities.

For this weekend only, visitors will get free access to Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Enginuity, the Darby Houses and the Old Furnace.

At the four sites, all within walking distance of each other, there will be an array of walks, talks and crafts demonstrations, inspired by the themes of creativity and being green.

Nick Booth, Collections & Learning Director at Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “We’re delighted to be taking part in the Heritage Open Days and Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Festival.

"This weekend is an opportunity for people who don’t know us to come and visit our museums in Coalbrookdale for free.

"There will be a wide range of fun and educational events that will help visitors of all ages learn more about the Ironbridge Gorge and its history. We look forward to welcoming them through our doors.”

Enginuity

• There will be a rare chance to see behind the scenes at Costume Project, where Alison Phillips, Senior Costume Interpreter, and volunteers reproduce historic costumes for use by museums and heritage organisations

• Budding designers will be able to use fabric scraps to create fashionable looks on rag dolls.

• Climate Action Hub Telford is hosting a clothes giveaway and swap, where visitors will be invited to swap their own unwanted clothes or make a pay as you can donation to give a second life to adult, children and baby clothes and school uniforms

The Old Furnace

• An academic from Birmingham City University has produced a sound installation which will bring to life the Old Furnace with the sounds of iron production

• On Saturday, weather permitting, there will be a rare chance to see a demonstration of the “bloomery” method of iron production, showing how iron was made before its manufacture was revolutionised by the innovations that took place in the Old Furnace

The Darby Houses

• Visitors will have the opportunity to take a tour of Rosehill House, built in 1738, and Dale House, built in 1717, to learn about the Darby family

Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron

• In the Coalbrookdale Gallery, there will be an opportunity to see The Daily Grind: The Industrial Workers of the Ironbridge Gorge, a special exhibition that shines a spotlight on the lives and voices of the people who have worked in the industries of the Ironbridge Gorge, before it closes on 5 November

View the full schedule of events and activities at ironbridge.org.uk.