The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust

Following the success of their first visit in February, we recently welcomed a group of young people from our local community back to Coalbrookdale. This time, the group had the opportunity to see how we had responded to their feedback on our museums, including showcasing a temporary sound installation by Birmingham City University in the Old Furnace. The day also included workshops led by our Fundraising and Collections and Learning teams, which offered the young people an insight into the various roles at the museum. A huge thank you to LoLa's Caribbean Kitchen for providing a delicious lunch, and to Rob Wilson from Telford & Wrekin Council and Nathan Tromans from Birmingham City University for their support on the day. #Community #Museum #YoungPeople #Shropshire

#OnThisDay in 1982, a permanent building was constructed around the Old Furnace in Coalbrookdale to protect and preserve the ruins. But why is it worth protecting? 🤔 This is the original furnace where Abraham Darby I perfected the world-changing iron smelting technique and is one of the two key scheduled ancient monuments upon which Ironbridge's world heritage site status rests. His technique was a catalyst for the Industrial Revolution, making it easier and more cost effective to mass-produce iron products. #IndustrialRevolution #Museum #Conservation

Next Saturday (27 July) we're joining museums and heritage organisations across the country to host a special day-long event as part of the national Festival of Archaeology. If you fancy joining us, here's some more information 👇 🎟️ Our Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron will be free for all visitors for the entire day, thanks to sponsorship from the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA). 💬 Fourteen local historical and archaeological societies and groups will be in the museum talking to the public about their work. There will also be a series of free one-hour walks and tours around Coalbrookdale and the local area. 🖌️ The Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) will host a mini archaeological dig where visitors will be able to sift through spoils left over from recent conservation work at Broseley Pipeworks, funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, to level out the floor. While practising their archaeological skills they might find parts of pipes, other clay items or pieces of bone. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3L6QHes

On 27 July we will be welcoming the return of a special day-long event to Coalbrookdale as part of the national Festival of Archaeology. A number of talks, walks and tours will take place throughout the day, including tours of our Darby Houses Gardens and Quaker Burial Ground, Ironbridge Library and Archive, and North Lights Collections Store. There will also be a special lunchtime lecture with Dr Mike Nevell, Industrial Heritage Support Officer for England. The Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron will be free for all visitors for the entire day, thanks to sponsorship from the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA). Find out more on our website: https://bit.ly/3L6QHes #FestivalOfArchaeology #MuseumCollections #Archaeology #Coalbrookdale

Are you curious what a radish dish or an asparagus server look like? Next Tuesday (9 July) we’re holding the second of our new Tuesday Talks – a series where our in-house experts explore what our predecessors got up to behind closed doors. The title? You Only Dine Twice: How Did Our Ancestors Eat Their Dinner 🍽️ In this talk, Kate Cadman, our Collections Curator, will explore how eating habits today have been influenced by social class and other factors from the 18th and 19th centuries until today. Find out more on our website: https://bit.ly/44yeope #MuseumCollections #Ceramics #SocialHistory #Ironbridge

We're delighted to announce that we've received the first gift towards our new fundraising initiative, Gift a Day! 🎉 iconsys - Automated Technology Solutions, a leading UK automation solutions provider and systems integrator, has paid to sponsor a whole week of running costs at Enginuity museum for the first week of the school holidays this summer. The company has also sent three of its technical experts to Enginuity to spend time with our curators helping to repair and maintain some of our popular interactives. This contribution made by iconsys will help us to continue delivering enriching educational opportunities and hands-on activities at Enginuity, helping us inspire future generations. If you'd like to learn more about our Gift a Day initiative, please visit our website: https://bit.ly/3XoLTc5 #GiftADay #Fundraising #Charity #Sponsor #Education

On Saturday 22 June we marked Windrush Day 2024 with a special event, in partnership with Telford & Wrekin Council, Mind and One Voice. The event honoured Joy Scott, a Caribbean member of our local community who has contributed to the development of Telford and Shropshire. Through her work at the West Indian Cultural Centre, with local schools and the local police, Joy has advocated for inclusion and the teaching of black history in education. Thank you to everyone who joined us on the day to celebrate Joy and her work. This event was funded by the The National Lottery Heritage Fund #WindrushDay #Shropshire #BlackHistory #ShropshireSchools #EducationCharity

Save the date! 🗓️ On 27 July entry to Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron will be free as we host a special day-long event as part of the national Festival of Archaeology. A series of talks, walks and tours will take place throughout the day, and local historical and archaeological societies and groups will be on-site talking to visitors about their work. Find out more on our website: https://bit.ly/3L6QHes This event is sponsored by the Association for Industrial Archaeology. #FestivalOfArchaeology #Coalbrookdale #Museums #IndustrialArchaeology

Yesterday we welcomed a group of local businesses to The Furnace Kitchen, our flagship café restaurant in Coalbrookdale, for a Business Breakfast ☕ Alongside some friendly networking and a delicious breakfast, we had the pleasure of officially launching our exciting new fundraising initiative, Gift a Day. This initiative gives companies, community groups or individuals the chance to sponsor our conservation and education work for a day - from maintaining the ambient temperature required to preserve our collections to delivering our hands-on educational workshops. Thank you to everyone who joined us. If you would like to find out more about Gift a Day, please visit our website: https://bit.ly/3XoLTc5 #GiftADay #Fundraising #HeritageConservation #ShropshireBusiness #Education

Did you know it costs us £15,000 each day to run our ten museums, conserve and restore our collections, and deliver our education and learning programmes? 🤯 Our exciting new fundraising initiative 'Gift a Day' is an opportunity for you to help us continue our heritage conservation and education efforts. Find out more here: https://bit.ly/3XoLTc5 #GiftADay #Fundraising #Charity #Education #HeritageConservation