National Trust completes takeover of Ironbridge Museums and pledges 'they won’t be changing too much'
The National Trust's takeover of the Ironbridge Gorge museums has been completed - with the heritage guardians pledging "they won’t be changing too much".
The organisation's takeover opens up the museums, which have been run by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT) for more than 60 years, to more than five million National Trust members.
The sites closed on Sunday, February 22, ahead of the formal takeover by the National Trust, in what is one of the largest acquisitions in its history.
The move was partly funded by a £9m grant from the government, and was agreed over concerns about the long-term financial future of IGMT, and the impact on its crucial role in protecting some of the world's most important heritage sites.
The Ironbridge Gorge is internationally regarded as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution which shaped the modern world.
As it takes over the National Trust said there will be a phased re-opening of the sites - with dates to be confirmed.
In total the takeover, which was formally completed on Monday, March 2, includes 10 museums, 35 listed buildings and 400,000 collection items.
The National Trust said the move represents "a huge undertaking" for the conservation charity, adding that "there is a significant amount of transition work that needs to take place".
The work to reopen includes installing new IT infrastructure needed to operate tills, membership and ticketing systems.
Paul Forecast, regional director for the National Trust in the Midlands said: “This is a very poignant and exciting time for us, as we take on the care and management of the sites widely regarded as the birthplace of the industrial revolution. It has been a long journey to get here and I’m grateful to everyone who has worked hard to get us to this point.
“Whilst we cannot wait to be able to welcome visitors, as with any transfer of this nature, there is a lot for us to do to prepare for opening.
“We have a dedicated project team working on this as we take the necessary steps to be able to reopen each site in a phased approach over the coming months. We are also welcoming staff and volunteers, from IGMT, into the National Trust and working alongside them to benefit from their extensive knowledge of the special places entering our care.
“We know our members will be excited to visit, but please bear with us as we work on what’s needed to be able to welcome them. We will provide updates as soon as we can. In the meantime, there's still a lot to see and do in Ironbridge itself, including local businesses at Jackfield and Coalport.”
Claire Tafft, the National Trust’s project lead for visitor experience at Ironbridge said: “We know how much people love the Ironbridge Gorge sites already and want to reassure everyone that they won’t be changing too much.
"We genuinely want to understand how people would like to experience and get involved with these significant places in the future, and in this first year we will be taking time to listen and understand.
"We will be working with communities and visitors from the very beginning to build on IGMT’s legacy and help shape what the future looks like. This is the very start of a long-term vision for the future."
The move has not been without impact, with around 50 IGMT staff members losing jobs at the site as part of the takeover.
