Meet the real grafters of the Gorge - May half term fun in the Ironbridge Valley of Invention

Take a trip back to a time when the spectacular Ironbridge Gorge was dirty and downright dangerous for the everyday workers at the heart of the Industrial Revolution.   Visitors to the Ironbridge Gorge Museums can explore the gritty reality of these unsung heroes at the new FREE exhibition The Daily Grind, in Coalbrookdale, play a new interactive card game at Blists Hill Victorian Town to discover who had the deadliest job, and get crafty with Gruesome Gargoyles at Coalport China Museum clay drop-ins.  Over at Enginuity, visitors are invited to help Olivier Jamin, award-winning, contemporary Deaf artist, to decorate two banners celebrating the lives of the industrial workers of the Gorge.
 

NAUSEATING NARRATIVES
27 May – 4 June 2023
Blists Hill Victorian Town
Interactive trail free with admission ticket

Head up to Blists Hill for a grisly game of cards to collect and keep as you meet the costumed demonstrators and compare the rankings of workers’ trades for danger, pay and terrible working conditions. The 52-acre open air museum offers an authentic slice of life in a Victorian working town.  You can hitch a ride on the horse bus, head into the mine on a little train, and change your money into old pounds, shillings and pence to spend on traditional sweets and snacks.
 

TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS
29 - 30 May & 1 June 2023
Jackfield Tile Museum
£10.75 per person, pre-booking essential

Create your own tile design using traditional techniques at the popular Tile Workshops on dates in half term and into the summer.  Your finished design will be kiln fired and can be collected or posted.


 

BRILLIANT BANNER DECORATING
29 May - 2 June 2023 I 11am - 4pm 
Enginuity, Coalbrookdale
Free with museum entry

Working with Olivier Jamin, an award-winning West-Midlands based artist, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has created two banners to celebrate the lives of the Industrial Workers of the Gorge.  Visitors of all ages are invited to decorate these by colouring in their own section.  All pens will be provided. The artist and staff and volunteers will be on hand to talk about the work, which will then be displayed in the Trust’s museums for the rest of the half term. A British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreter will be present for the duration of the activity.
 

CREATE YOUR OWN PRINT
27 - 28 May & 3 - 4 June 2023
Enginuity, Coalbrookdale
Free for Pass Plus holders or £2 per person

A family friendly printing activity using the popular Victorian intaglio method to copy an existing design or create your own.

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Deadline for entries 30 June 2023

There is still time to enter this competition for evocative images celebrating the industry and stunning natural beauty of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.

The prize is a complimentary family PASS PLUS ticket for 2 adults and 4 children and a £100 meal voucher for the Furnace Kitchen in Coalbrookdale, where a print of the winning photograph will be displayed for an entire year.

To take part, visitors will need to share their images on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #IronbridgeLens, making sure that both post and profile are publicly visible.

Book tickets and find out more on the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust website.