What is a World Heritage Site?

A World Heritage Site (WHS) since 1986, the Ironbridge Gorge is of significance for its unique role in the development of the Industrial Revolution that started in Britain in the eighteenth century and later spread across the world. Within the WHS are substantial remains of furnaces, works, homes and transport systems together with large collections of historical artifacts. At the heart of the WHS stands the great Iron Bridge, the first bridge constructed from iron that has become a universal symbol of the Industrial Revolution.

The area’s history and its attractive settlements set in a wooded landscape have made it a much sought-after place to live. A wide range of businesses — including long-established companies such as Aga-Rayburn and Merrythought, shops, tourist-related businesses and the community services - provide employment for 1,500 people within the WHS.

The Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site includes not only the conservation of the historical sites and buildings but also improving the visual character of their landscape.

The Ironbridge Gorge WHS has a management plan. The main aims are:

  1. To conserve and improve the Ironbridge Gorge area.
  2. To increase public awareness of and interest in the WHS and to promote the educational and cultural value of the historic landscape.
  3. To outline a sustainable approach to the future management of the WHS which balances conservation of the historic and natural environments.
  4. To work with the local community to develop the economy and culture.
  5. To establish a programme of action and bid for sources of funding to contribute further to the conservation, enjoyment and understanding of the WHS.

The world has recognized the significance of the Ironbridge Gorge since the eighteenth century when artists, engineers and writers from many countries were drawn to the area to admire innovations in ironworking, mining, and in structural and mechanical engineering.

The Iron Bridge itself, set in the context of smoke, flames and intense human activity, was perceived as the symbol of profound changes that were taking place in Britain in the late eighteenth century, and the new technologies developed in the Gorge influenced economic and social developments throughout the world.

The process of smelting iron with coke instead of charcoal was developed in Coalbrookdale by Abraham Darby I in 1709. This led to a revolution in the making of iron. From the initial output of humble cooking pots, successive Darby’s expanded the Coalbrookdale Works to make wrought-iron, to cast steam engine cylinders and eventually bridges.

In the iron works of the Gorge were laid the foundations of the railway age with the manufacture of the first iron rails, iron wheels, aqueduct and bridges and in 1803 the first successful steam locomotive, the Trevithick.

The landscape of the Ironbridge Gorge is rich in evidence of the historic period when it was the focus of international attention. The Gorge was blessed with geological riches, with iron ore, limestone, clay and coal, and many traces remain of the mines and quarries from which these were extracted. Along the banks of the River Severn, which carried much of the trade of the Gorge, are warehouses and wharves, while along its tributary streams are the pools and sluices which powered bellows, hammers and mills.

The distinctive landscape of the WHS consists of an unusual combination of the remains of early industry and mining, land use patterns of agriculture and woodland management and the survival of many historic industrial, commercial and residential buildings.

These are all set within an attractive ‘natural looking’ valley with steep, hanging woodlands separated by smaller areas of settlement, grasslands and other open spaces with the River Severn. As industries declined, large areas of post-industrial landscapes greened themselves. Much of the landscape is readily accessible to walkers, often via paths and tracks once used as working or transport routes.

Tourism activity associated with the WHS is an important source of employment and income for the area. In addition to the many jobs directly related to tourism there are many more in sectors that benefit from tourism. The development of a thriving tourism industry based around the WHS has been a major factor in the regeneration of the area. Without it, the Ironbridge Gorge Museums would not have been able to develop into a world-class facility.

Currently there are between 250, 000 — 300,000 visitors to the Ironbridge Museums per annum.

In 1998/99 approximately 2.6 million visitors came to Telford and Wrekin.

In 1998/99 £76 million was spent by tourists in Telford and Wrekin.

Within Telford and Wrekin, there are approximately 1,930 direct tourism-related jobs, and an additional 620 non-tourism jobs dependent on the multiplier spend from tourism.

Tourism supports 350 jobs in the accommodation sector, 640 in catering, 540 in retailing, 330 in leisure! attractions and 80 in transport services.

Telford Town Centre acts as one of the ‘gateways’ to the WHS with motorway access, hotels and opportunities for shopping and other leisure experiences to complement the range of facilities in the WHS.

Although the benefits of tourism are significant, there are also very real concerns within the local community about the potentially damaging aspects of tourism and the importance of the careful management of visitors to the area.

The WHS has a potential economic benefit to a wider area. The fact that the Ironbridge Gorge is known internationally as the ‘Birthplace of Industry’ and also that Iron Bridge itself is probably the most recognisable symbol of the Industrial Revolution present significant marketing and promotional potential locally and regionally.

The Ironbridge Gorge has become over the last twenty years an important National Education Centre. The opportunities for education that exist across the Gorge are increasingly able to reach out from the Gorge using the Internet. The Museum’s web site (www.ironbridge.org.uk) is a portal site providing links to numerous other related sites. The Museum is also a partner in the Telford Schools Intranet, steadily increasing historical resource material in support of the school’s curriculum.

Key Management Issues

The following four issues should be central to the future management of the WHS.

  1. Preservation of the special character of the WHS
  2. Visitor access and management
  3. Land instability
  4. Management of the river banks

The special character of the Ironbridge Gorge is susceptible to erosion and change both through the forces of nature and the impact of the activities of people. The area’s character is strongly rooted in its industrial past, with frequent adaptations of buildings but little large-scale renewal, resulting in the survival of a large number of original structures. However, there has been extensive renovation and restoration.

Another important aspect of the area’s character is the fact that the WHS is a living and working community. It s an attractive and popular place to live and work — it has a population of approximately 4,000 and provides employment for about 1,500 people. The WHS also supports a wide range of community facilities including a school, doctor’s surgery, chemist, churches, post office and community halls.

The WHS and its museums are used as an educational resource by schools from around the country and from abroad. Around 55,000 school children in organized groups visit the museums each year. About 15,000 of these stay in local youth hostels. Studies include geography, geology and natural history as well as history. The Museum Trust has a major project underway to record images of historic objects, monuments and buildings and to make these easily accessible through the Internet.

Two of the principle woodlands in the valley are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and many rare and interesting species flourish. Footpaths and tracks run through these woodlands. There is much scope to improve existing footpath and cycleway links. The main issue at present is to rescue paths from neglect, overgrowth and broken drainage systems.

The Ironbridge Gorge is the most important single tourist attraction in the County and has been the subject of regular tourism surveys over the last fifteen years. An effective marketing partnership which involves local bed and breakfast accommodation as well as the large hotels of the area and the various visitor attractions works well here. The bulk of the tourism earnings are from day visitors and this will always be a vital part of the local economy.

Around 85% of the visitors who visit the museums arrive by car and most of the remainder by hired coach. The main visitor season is between Easter and the end of October. The last 10 years has seen a steady growth in visitors taking short breaks in the area. The main holiday family visit has however declined. An increased proportion of the visitors are over fifty. Visitors in schools and other educational parties have remained steady.

The influx of visitors’ motor traffic caused occasional congestion in the 1980’s and led to a number of investments — the Ironbridge by-pass, interception car parks, traffic darning in Ironbridge and elsewhere and a limited park and ride system. This and a reduction in visitors reduced the pressure points. However, other forms of motor traffic grow along with national trends. Local car ownership has grown creating pressures for additional resident’s parking.

Scope exists to improve interception parking and to implement a park and ride system that will benefit all users of the Gorge. The (still functioning) railway connection to the Buildwas Power station could conceivably offer another long-term route into the Gorge.

Other aspects of visitor management include the provision of sufficient high quality services such as public toilets, litter removal, catering and refreshment facilities - accessible to all including those that are physically impaired.

 

 

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