A World Heritage Site and the beating heart of the Industrial Revolution, the Ironbridge Gorge in the beautiful Shropshire countryside is home to some amazing museums that make for some unforgettable days out.
From Victorian factories demonstrating traditional craftsmanship of a bygone era, to hands-on engineering-inspired family fun, there’s plenty for all to enjoy.
And with seasonal activities run throughout the year, there’s reason to return time and again to discover more.
Have a Lovely Time is offering you the chance to do just that – for FREE – with our competition to win a Family Annual Passport Ticket worth £70.00!
The prize
A Family Annual Passport Ticket offers daytime admission to all 10 Ironbridge Gorge museums for two adults and all of their children (aged 5-16 incl). Annual Passport Tickets are valid for 12 months from the date of first use.
Gain entry to all 10 of the following attractions for a whole year!
1. Blists Hill
Enjoy a fun family day out at this recreated Victorian Town.
Welcome to the age of Queen Victoria. Here you’ll experience what life was like when Britain ruled the world. Meet some (almost) real Victorians in their authentic shops and cottages, buy curious goods from a bygone era and watch tradespeople in action in their atmospheric workshops and factories.
2. Enginuity
Would you crumble in an earthquake? Can you really get electricity from a pond? These are just some of the questions you can answer at this engineering-inspired family attraction.
Serious just got fun, and vice-versa, with plenty of opportunity to get hands-on. Pull a loco or build an earthquake-proof tower, generate electricity using water and dams, challenge your parents to build the strongest bridge. Smaller kids can enjoy the soft play area.
3. Jackfield Tile Museum
Discover the skills, artistry and craft behind the tiles that helped to decorate Victorian Britain.
Jackfield was once at the very heart of British tile production and here you can walk amongst the very best examples in-situ at a recreated pub, tube station, church and more. See stunning friezes, epic story-telling panels and a world-class gallery dedicated to British tiles.
Whilst here visit Fusion, home to a number of creative artists. You can visit their studios and purchase their work.
4. Coalport China Museum
See brilliant examples of Coalport and Caughley china as well as traditional ceramic decorating in these former china factory buildings.
You’ll be amazed by the spectacular treasures made in these quirky buildings – from elaborate statuesque vases to hand-painted miniatures, they were made for everyone from wealthy families to Queens and Tsars. See traditional techniques in riverside workshops, dress-up in the children’s gallery and step inside the atmospheric kilns.
5. Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron
Find out how iron, and particularly Coalbrookdale iron, changed the course of the world. The museum’s trails, galleries and interactives bring to life the world that iron made.
6. Museum of the Gorge
Find out how this area became the most industrious place in the world.
Start your visit absorbed in the detail of a massive model of the river valley, spot landmarks including the Iron Bridge in 1796. Take in stunning views of the Iron Bridge and River Severn from the quirky Lady Chapel and be transported through Ironbridge’s history with a fascinating short film.
7. The Darby Houses
Time to explore how ‘the other half’ lived during the 18th and 19th centuries at the Darby Family homes – Rosehill House and Dale House.
Just a short walk from Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, you’ll find the beautiful Darby Houses, former homes to the Darby family, where you can get a glimpse of an Industrialist’s life in the 1850s.
8. Tar Tunnel
Tar still oozes through the brickwork of this bitumen spring, accidentally struck by 18th century miners, and it remains one of the great curiosities of the Gorge.
The tunnel is inaccessible at present, but you can still get a view along part of it’s length from the entrance and it’s definitely a sight worth seeing. Combine it with a visit to one or more of the other Gorge museums.
9. The Iron Bridge and Tollhouse
Walk across the first ever cast-iron bridge, built in 1779 across the River Severn. Marvel at its true strength and delicate beauty.
This beautiful monument stands as one of the greatest symbols of the Industrial Revolution’s inception. Tourists have flocked here for two centuries to marvel at the extraordinary structure. In 2017 it became English Heritage’s largest ever conservation project, restoring it to its former glory and conserving it to be enjoyed by generations to come.
10. Broseley Pipeworks
Step into a time capsule – a former clay tobacco pipe factory left exactly as it was when abandoned by workers in the 1950s.
Enjoy an eerie glimpse into a world and industry that have long since passed.
To Enter
To be in with a chance of winning, simply tell us how many Ironbridge Gorge museums you can access with the Annual Family Passport Ticket?
Email your answer, together with your name and telephone number, to: hello@havealovelytime.com
CLOSING DATE: Midnight, Thursday 25th April
The winner will be notified by email on Friday, 26th April.
The full Terms and Conditions for Have a Lovely Time competitions can be found here.
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