The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust

As part of her Ironbridge New Voices Internship, funded by Arts Council England, we asked Skye to take photos of some of the objects that stood out to her from our displays in our Coalbrookdale museums. Then we asked her to tell us why she was drawn to these objects... 👒 Bonnets - The Darby Houses "I liked the way they were designed with the long ribbons and details, like feathers. I also think the colour choices make them look quite dainty and feminine." 🐶 Dog Table - Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron "I like this object because the design is very intricate and the dog statues really make the table unique." 🌊 Statue of Andromeda - Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron "I really like how soft and beautiful the statue is, which contrasts with the fact it's made of iron, a cold and hard material. I also like the detailing of the chains and the creatures near her feet." 👗 Costume - Enginuity "I really like that there's so much going on, making the dress really eye-catching. I like how the materials are layered and draped, and how there's a laced corset which nods to the Victorian inspiration." 💡 Statue of America - Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron "What I like about this statue is how much detail is captured in the different pieces of clothing and accessories. I also like the addition of a light in her hand." #Internship #Ironbridge #Education #Museums

Last week members of the marketing team visited our friends at Weston Park. It's always good to touch base with fellow Shropshire organisations and we look forward to seeing them again soon! Thank you to Andrea and the Weston Park team for being so welcoming. #Shropshire #ShropshireBusiness #HistoricalBuildings

In August we welcomed Skye from Telford College to our museums as part of an Ironbridge New Voices Internship, funded by Arts Council England. This is the second year of this internship, as we hosted Oliwia and Carl, two more students from Telford College, in 2023. Here's what Skye had to say about her time with us 👇 💬 "During my time here I have gained different skills, from working front of house and having a go with managing customers to simply helping out members of staff." 💬 "I helped with the Windrush exhibition and a personal favourite was helping with the Street Art demonstration where I got to see the piece of art being made. I also helped people make their own spray paint pieces." 💬 "Part of my time in Ironbridge involved going to Blists Hill Victorian Town to make a Victorian costume. This involved me cutting different pieces of material, hemming using a hemming machine for the first time, and sewing all the pieces together." 💬 "Overall, this experience has been really useful, having gained more skills and knowledge, which will hopefully benefit me when I apply to university." #Internship #Education #Charity #WorkExperience

We're taking part in the national Heritage Open Days festival again! This weekend we're offering free access to all our Coalbrookdale sites alongside a jam-packed itinerary of special events and activities for all ages, including... 🍐 Making fruits from marzipan in the Darby Houses 🎨 An intaglio printing workshop and bridge-building sessions in Enginuity 📍 Guided tours of Coalbrookdale led by our curators 🔉 A sound installation in the Old Furnace, produced by Nathan Tromans at Birmingham City University We will also be joined by academics from Keele University, University of Liverpool and University of Wolverhampton. While you're in Coalbrookdale, why not take a look at the two Sentinel locomotives under the viaduct? We're currently looking for volunteers for the second phase of work to conserve the locomotives, funded by the Association for Industrial Archaeology, including wet and dry cleaning, priming bare iron, painting and minor repairs. Find out more on the day, email volunteering@ironbridge.org.uk or visit our website to find out more: https://bit.ly/4d9PJKs #HeritageOpenDays #Heritage #Charity #Education #Ironbridge

As a heritage conservation and education charity, we do everything we can to bring to life the stories of the people who lived and worked in the Ironbridge Gorge for our visitors. But did you know it costs us £15,000 a day to keep our doors open and run our education and conservation programmes? To help us continue inspiring and educating future generations, please visit, donate, volunteer or spread the word! Without your support, our heritage is at serious risk. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3X76r6W #InternationalDayOfCharity #Charity #Museum #Education

Last week Emma and Amanda from Lincoln Conservation came to our archives in Coalbrookdale to collect some glass plate negatives produced for the Coalbrookdale Company. The plates illustrate the range and artistry of products made by the Coalbrookdale Company during the height of the company's production of decorative cast ironware. As specialists in the conservation and restoration of historic artefacts, Lincoln Conservation will help us with the cleaning, conservation and digitisation of the glass plate negatives, protecting them for future generations. Thanks to The Aurelius Trust, Charles Hayward Foundation, Pilgrim Trust and Garfield Weston Foundation for funding this project. #Conservation #CoalbrookdaleCompany #Funded #GlassPlateNegatives

We want everyone to feel welcome at our museums, especially at Christmas, which is why we're working towards introducing a calm Christmas Grotto at Blists Hill Victorian Town! 🎅 This grotto will be tailored to the special educational needs and disabilities of local children and adults, ensuring everyone experiences a magical Christmas. To help raise funds for these grottos, we're hosting a fashion-themed afternoon tea event on 26 September. Could you join us? 🎩 As well as enjoying delicious finger sandwiches, delicate cakes and scones, you will step back in time as you view original costumes dating to the 1840s and 1850s, examples of what would have been worn to afternoon tea when the phenomenon was first introduced to British society. 👒 Replica costume, handmade by our talented Costume Project team, will also be on display and available to try on, making a perfect photo opportunity! 🍰 Lauren Collier, Head of Interpretation, will be there to deliver a fascinating talk on the history of tea drinking and social etiquette. 🍾 Throughout the afternoon there will also be more opportunities to help us raise money, such as an amazing champagne raffle, sponsored by Tanners Wines. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4dG6j5z #FundraisingEvent #AfternoonTea #Christmas #SEN

From opening to closing, every visit, donation and patronage helps preserve our rich heritage for future generations. But did you know it costs us £15,000 every day to run our ten museums, conserve and restore our collections and deliver our education and learning programmes? Fortunately, that's where Gift a Day comes in! Gift a Day is one of our new fundraising initiatives which gives you the opportunity to commemorate a special date by sponsoring our conservation and education work for one day. Anyone can make a difference. Anyone can Gift a Day. See what a typical day at our museums looks like in our video 👇 Find out more: https://bit.ly/3XoLTc5 #GiftADay #Charity #Fundraising #Education #Heritage

Last week we welcomed local artist Neil Willis of Aunique Art to Coalbrookdale to create a bespoke piece of street art inspired by our temporary exhibition, From Stars to Cells: The Life of Iron. Our visitors were invited to watch Neil as he worked, ask questions and learn the art of graffiti through hands-on workshops. Thank you to Arts Council England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding this project. The finished piece is now on display to visitors in Enginuity. #Graffiti #StreetArt #CommunityProject #MuseumExhibition

Last week we invited our staff and volunteers to bring an evening picnic to the Victorian Seaside Experience at Blists Hill Victorian Town. This event, organised by our new Health and Wellbeing group, was an opportunity for our teams to enjoy our summer seaside after hours, catch up with colleagues and take rides on our gallopers. We look forward to holding more internal events and activities like this in the future to support the general health and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers. #HealthAndWellbeing #Museum #Volunteers