From Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway to the West Country’s Stonehenge, London’s Kew Gardens and, near the Scottish border, Hadrian’s Wall, iconic sights stretch all across the United Kingdom. But only one spot in the whole of the West Midlands can count itself among this elite club, the riverside village of Ironbridge.
Alongside the likes of the Jurassic Coast, the City of Bath and the Lake District, the Shropshire village at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge is one of just 35 World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom—an UNESCO honour for areas with cultural, historical, or scientific significance to the world.
What makes Ironbridge so important?
The Ironbridge Gorge is recognised for its “outstanding universal value” as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution, which led to some of the most significant changes in human history. Not only did the mineral-rich valley provide many of the raw materials that revolutionised industrial processes, but it also contains the world’s first iron bridge.
The Iron Bridge, built in 1779, marked a change in English engineering and world history—and it’s still standing today. In the surrounding area, you’ll also still find the remains of mines, pit mounds, spoil heaps, foundries, factories, workshops, warehouses, iron masters’ and workers’ housing, public buildings, infrastructure, and transport systems.
What’s there to do at the Ironbridge Gorge?
For history buffs, there’s no better day trip near Birmingham. There are ten, yes ten, museums (collectively known as The Ironbridge Gorge Museums) in the area—including the Blists Hill Victorian Town, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Coalport China Museum, Jackfield Tile Museum, and the Museum of the Gorge.
If you’d rather explore the great outdoors, well then, the valley offers numerous hiking trails and gentle strolls around the River Severn, while shopaholics should find enough boutiques to keep them satisfied. For a drink, head to The Coracle micropub and it’s not short on eateries either—like Embers Cafe, The Furnace Kitchen, White Hart, to name a few.
How do I get there?
From Birmingham, take the M6 and M54 towards Telford, then follow the A464 to Queensway and B4373 to St Luke’s Rd in Ironbridge, and it should take you 45 minutes to 1 hour to drive. Alternatively, take a 40-minute train from Birmingham New Street to Telford Central, where you can ride the number 4 bus to Wyvern and walk.