Collections

The Trust cares for an internationally important series of Scheduled Ancient Monuments and Listed Buildings including 3 entire factories as single listings, and 100 acres of land, including canal and riverbank. The Trust undertakes archaeological investigations, and collects, documents, preserves, exhibits and interprets objects (both statically and operationally) within the date range 1650 to the present.  The Trust’s interpretation programme includes exhibitions, lectures and publications as well as the innovative use of costumed demonstrators, role play and interactive exhibits.

The Museum is Accredited through Arts Council England and its entire collections were Designated in 1997 as pre-eminent collections of national and international importance. The Museum also possesses a library and archives of national importance, focused on the Industrial Revolution and the history of the East Shropshire Coalfield.

Designated Collections include:

• The Elton Collection of prints, drawings, paintings, books and ephemera relating to the industrial and transport revolutions in the UK and, to a lesser extent, internationally
• Darby family archives and memorabilia, including objects and buildings associated with the Coalbrookdale Company
• Decorative arts  including Caughley and Coalport porcelain, tiles and architectural ceramics, and Coalbrookdale decorative ironwork
• Broseley Pipeworks and its social history archive and collection relating to clay tobacco pipe manufacture
• The Telford Collection of manuscripts, books, prints, drawings, paintings and photographs relating to the life and works of Thomas Telford
• The George Maw Geological and Mineral Collection of specimens from all over the world