National Trust's Ironbridge takeover: Traders excited for the future when museums fully reopen

“No pain, no gain” - that’s the message from traders in Ironbridge as the gorge awaits the reopening of its historic museums.

The National Trust takeover of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust is seeing the national guardian taking charge of the internationally important venues.

The change in ownership has come with a period of closure for the popular sites, which shut down in February to allow the National Trust to complete the work required for the day-to-day running of the organisation.

That has meant no extra visitors to the gorge specifically with the aim of attending the museums - something which has impacted local traders.

A number of businesses have spoken of the impact - and their excitement at the potential for increased footfall once the National Trust fully reopens all of the sites under its umbrella.

The change in management opens the sites up to all of the charity’s members across the country.

Asked if he was excited at the prospect, Derek Bowen, owner of Moonshine and Fuggles on Ironbridge’s Square, said: “The answer is absolutely yes, on two levels: one, footfall increase in the gorge, which is great - we have a great operator and great brand of National Trust.

“And two, equally importantly, that we retain our heritage, which is very, very important to the local area and the local community.”

Bruce Sharp, from Ironbridge’s new Baked Bean Bakery and Coffee Shop, said the return of museum tourists would be welcomed by businesses throughout Ironbridge.

He said: “It's noticeably been slower in Ironbridge, so I think it'll be a welcome thing for all businesses along the Wharfage.

“We noticed a little dip in footfall here, so it'll be great, it'll be great when they're back open and we are really looking forward to it. I'm very interested to see what they're like opening up again under a new management.”

David Jackson at Bears on the Square said the downturn in footfall had been hugely noticeable - adding that the closure had shown how many people visit Ironbridge due to the attractions.

He said: “It was weird because you never really knew how much the museums gave footfall to Ironbridge until they weren't there. And you really notice the difference now.”

Jeremy Thomas from the Ironbridge Traditional Sweet Shop said: “There's definitely been a dip in the number of visitors to the gorge since the museum closed down.

“But we knew that was going to happen. It was inevitable because there had to be a change - and changes take time, and it's not always smooth.

“So we knew that was going to happen. And I think the compensation for that will be I think we will get more visitors later in the year when the National Trust open up the old museum sites again.”

He added: “And from a business point of view, yeah, it will be good for the gorge [...] but for all the businesses in the gorge, particularly the ones who offer accommodation, I think it'll be really good for them, and the shops and cafes and things as well.

“So I can't see a negative in it. But you couldn't expect it to happen overnight. No pain, no gain.”

Blists Hill, the Museum of Iron and the Furnace Kitchen are scheduled to reopen this month.

The National Trust said it intends to reopen Jackfield Tile Museum and Enginuity to schools in June, with bookable visits to the Tile Museum at the weekends for other visitors.

It has delayed the re-opening of the Toll House to mid-June, while the remaining Ironbridge Gorge sites, including the Museum of the Gorge, will follow in a phased fashion over the rest of the year.