IGMT opens the ‘Secret Garden’, a calm space at Coalport China Museum

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has opened a new calm, green space at Coalport China Museum.

The Trust, a heritage and conservation charity, wanted to turn a previously unused area known as Smugglers Kiln, where workers used to hide beer away from their employers, into a quiet, green space where visitors, staff and volunteers could relax and take in the surrounding historic buildings. The space would also offer visitors the opportunity to connect with nature, and promote biodiversity.

The Trust secured an EnviroGrant, run by Veolia in partnership with Telford and Wrekin Council. EnviroGrants are provided to support local community groups with projects that benefit the community or environment. The Secret Garden is designed to benefit both.

The Trust’s Estates team, which manages its green spaces across its ten museums and around the 35 internationally important heritage buildings and monuments in its care, has installed planters and benches, as well as plants and shrubs carefully selected to promote biodiversity. 

As this area of the museum site is prone to flooding, the garden has been specially designed so that its contents can be easily removed if needed, with plants in pots and trugs. Plants have also been chosen to stimulate the senses, for example, fragrant Phlox divaricata, Ribes odoratum and Sacococca confusa, and colourful Ribes sanguineum and Hackonechloa macra.

Staff and volunteers at the museum, which tells the history of Coalport china and has a studio space where visitors can make their own objects from clay, have made decorative ceramic items including bird baths and a bespoke welcome sign to decorate the space.

The children of local artist Raymond Perkins have donated a bench to the garden, in memory of their parents. Raymond and Katherine Perkins lived locally for 68 years. In retirement professionally trained Raymond became a noted local artist, painting a variety of local landmarks in watercolour.

Justine Ranson, Visitor Engagement Team Leader at Coalport China Museum, said: “We are grateful to Veolia and Telford and Wrekin Council for the EnviroGrant, which allowed us to create the Secret Garden. The comments and feedback from visitors have been very positive and it has been wonderful to see visitors, staff and volunteers enjoying the new space.”

Mike Annis, Head Ranger at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “We are really pleased with the Secret Garden. It has certainly cheered up this unused corner of the museum and given people a pleasant place to sit, relax and ponder beer smuggling! We hope our visitors, staff and volunteers will enjoy using it and look forward to seeing the garden change with the seasons.”

The Secret Garden is open during the museum’s normal visitor opening hours, between 10am and 5pm, and is included with museum entrance.