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Our Collections

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Discover the wonderful and diverse heritage held in the Museum’s collections — from fine porcelain to a chair for a forty stone man. Choose to explore Victorian medical practice and education, wonder at the Iron Bridge with eighteenth century artists or take a trip to the Crystal Palace — the objects, photographs and art tell many fascinating stories.
Ceramics
Mass production created a market for the decorative arts amongst many previously unable to afford such objects. Coalport's china, Jackfield's tiles and Coalbrookdale's ironwork all achieved international recognition in the 19th century for the quality of their decorative pieces.
Art
The prints, drawings and paintings collected by Sir Arthur Elton in the early years of this century form the best single collection of industrial and transport images anywhere.
Social History
The lives of the people of Shropshire’s industrial communities, from the Ironmasters to the coal miners, at work, at home and with families are revealed in the museum’s collections of objects and photographs. crafts and industries.
Transport
The Museum's collection covers objects and information relevant to the development of road, river, canal and rail transport.
Engineering
This subject area represents the technical, social and economic development of iron and steel making with special reference to the Coalbrookdale Company, its engineering history and products.
Archaeology
The archaeological collections held here include all material excavated in the Ironbridge Gorge, most which is post-medieval in date. Ironbridge Archaeology also hold the National Slag Collection, containing a wide range industrial residues from ferrous and non-ferrous metalworking of all periods.
Monuments
The Museum looks after a number of sites which include standing structures and areas of archaeological importance. Together they form a unique portfolio of sites and monuments of international significance. They include five Scheduled Ancient Monuments and 25 listed buildings.
Library & Archives
Collections include material on the history of the iron industry, bridge building, civil engineering, brick and tile manufacture, coal mining, the pottery and porcelain industries, railways, canals, the social history of the East Shropshire Coalfield and all other subjects represented at the Museum’s sites.
The IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUM TRUST, Coach Road, Coalbrookdale, Telford, TF8 7DQ is a limited company registered in England under the Companies Act 1948 Reg No. 918560 and the Charities Act 1960 Ref No. 503717-R.
The Ironbridge Gorge is a World Heritage Site.