A weekend in the Gorge

If you plan to spend two or three days at Ironbridge Valley of Invention, this itinerary will come in handy. You can comfortably visit our museums in a busy weekend or more leisurely three days and have time left over.

For the best way to explore our sites at your own pace an annual pass is recommended, giving you unlimited access to all museums for 12 months.

A brown brick building with lots of windows and a clocktower is visible in the distance across a car park and some picnic benches. The corner of another building is visible in the foreground.

Day one (morning) - Exploring Coalbrookdale

Begin your visit to Ironbridge Valley of Invention in Coalbrookdale. Once a hub of industrial activity, today its leafy, green surroundings are peaceful and perfect for walks. 

Visit the Old Furnace (approx.20 minutes) where an innovation by Abraham Darby I would change our lives forever, and the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron (approx.1.5 hours), to delve into the story of iron, the material that transformed the modern world.

Enginuity And Coalbrookdale Museum Of Iron Family Families August 2022 (2)

Day one (afternoon) - Inspiring the engineers of the future

Take in the surroundings relaxing on the picnic benches on the Green or grab a bite to eat in the Furnace Kitchen.

Families will want to fire-up the fun with a visit to Enginuity (approx. 1.5 hours), with hands-on science and engineering designed to inspire future engineers. 

End your day further down the Gorge exploring the small town of Ironbridge on the the River Severn. Walk across the iconic Iron Bridge, the extraordinary structure which gave the town its name. 

 

Coalport China Museum 10

Day two - A hub of creativity

On day two see how towns in the Gorge benefitted from the area's natural resources and location on the River Severn to become a 19th-century creative hub manufacturing decorative objects that went around the world. 

Marvel at extraordinary ceramic craftmanship at Coalport China Museum (approx. 1.5 hours) and then take the short trip to Jackfield Tile Museum (approx. 1.5 hours), and go on a colourful journey of decorative tiles.

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Day three - Step back in time

No trip to Ironbridge is complete without spending a day exploring Blists Hill Victorian Town (allow approx. 4 hours). Step back in time to the year 1900 and experience life on the East Shropshire Coalfield at the dawn of the modern age.

Meet the resident townsfolk as they go about their daily lives, take a ride on the horse bus and exchange money in the bank to spend in Victorian shops. When you're ready for a break tuck into a bag of fish and chips or visit one of our cafes.

Blists Hill Victorian Town

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Your guide to the Gorge