Museum of The Gorge Roof Appeal
Help us save “The Warehouse of the World”. One of the most iconic and beloved buildings in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site through is in need of major conservation work and a new roof.
Museum of The Gorge was built in 1834 on the River Severn in Ironbridge as an important storage warehouse for the Coalbrookdale Company.
During the 19th century, goods would have been bought from the furnaces and forges in Coalbrookdale and shipped down the River Severn to the markets of Gloucester, Bristol and eventually the rest of the world, thus it rightly earned the moniker "The Warehouse of the World".
Due to the age and location of the building, there is substantial damage to the entire roof. The wall plate is rotting and as the roof truss sits against the wall is not watertight, the stagnant water that pools in the gap is being carried along to the original timber beams, causing rot, decay and structural instability. Due to the extreme hot and cold temperatures we have had over recent years, consistent expansion and contraction is causing cracks, allowing further water to enter the structure. As a result of the roof quality, the walls regularly drip water throughout the building in bad, wet weather. In the Lady Chapel, the ceiling has collapsed and we have had to move items of our collection into storage, for their own preservation. This includes Harry Roger's famous Coracle, a fundamental piece of Ironbridge history. There is also water damage in the Community Auditorium, and during heavy rain the walls are wet to the touch.
This beautiful, grade II listed gothic style building is also the Tourist Information Centre for the World Heritage Site and houses key items from our museum’s collection, a gift shop, riverside gallery, the Lady Chapel and an auditorium space used by the local community.
Heritage conservation is one of our main aims as a registered charity. For more information about the appeal, please contact our Fundraising team on 01952 435 900 or email us.