If you are visiting the Ironbridge Gorge Museums in late July you can join in a weekend of special events, celebrating the tri-centenary of Abraham Darby successfully smelting iron with coke in 1709 – the discovery that started the Industrial Revolution. Activities at the Coalbrookdale Festival include iron-casting and the opening of a contemporary cast-iron sculpture exhibition.

Over the weekend of 25 and 26 July the Coalbrookdale site will be alive with activity as you watch spectacular iron-casting demonstrations, enjoy fun science experiments, chat to experts about the amazing history of the area and even have the chance to get hands-on.

Throughout the weekend there will be a host of fun public science experiments and a science show led by Dr Jane Essex, a Chemist from Keele University including the chance to have a go at ‘Iron-making on a Stick’.

The centre-piece of the celebrations will be the open-air iron casting, in front of Abraham Darby’s Old Furnace. These sessions will be the first time since the 1920’s that hot metal has been poured in front of the Furnace!

On Saturday 25 July you will also have the chance to design and make your very own cast-iron plaques using the scratch-block technique at a cost of £10 per person. Meanwhile on Sunday you will be able to watch a series of plaques being made celebrating Coalbrookdale’s place in the history of iron making. These have been designed as part of a project with the Coalbrookdale Community Centre.

Alongside these exciting demonstrations will be a contemporary open-air sculpture exhibition. Wonderful cast-iron sculptures will be shown at this free admission exhibition on the Green at Coalbrookdale until the end of the year. Across at The Engine Shop, adjacent to Enginuity, there will be activities run by Aga. The celebrated cooker manufacturer will be running cooking demonstrations on both Saturday and Sunday.

One of the other significant anniversaries in the West Midlands this year is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. The Festival will explore the unsung hero of the Industrial Revolution, the working horse. On each day you can see a vet explaining how the anatomy of the heavy horse has evolved with the help of Anne, a huge Shire Horse. You will also be able to meet two of her stable-mates, and find out more about the past, present and future of the Industrial Revolution’s ‘original Horse Power’.

Other activities over the weekend include aspects of woodland management, demonstrations by the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry on cooking in the field and using a famed Darby Pot. If you are lover of steam power make sure you don’t miss The Bridgnorth ‘Catch me who can’ locomotive which will also be in steam on both days.

Visitors are requested to use the free car park at Darby House, Telford Town Centre (follow the events signage) and then use the free park and ride bus service to travel to and from Coalbrookdale as there is no parking on site during the event.

The Coalbrookdale Festival is part of the London 2012 Open Weekend supported by BP – an open invitation to get involved in the three day national celebration marking the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Activities vary over the weekend and some additional costs apply in addition to admission.