Volunteer Telford

The all-new Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron is now open!

As part of the The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust 50th anniversary celebrations we’ve created a brand-new Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron which tells the complete history of the iron industry; from explaining how the geology of the Gorge provided all of raw materials needed for iron to be made here from mediaeval times, all the way through to the modern steel industry.

Different zones explain how the discoveries made in Coalbrookdale changed the world forever and celebrate the lives of different people, including the Darby dynasty of ironmasters and “Iron Mad” Wilkinson. Discover more about the important role played by women in the management of the Coalbrookdale Company and the hard conditions that the workers faced to help make Ironbridge one of the most important industrial locations in the world.

Wonderful examples of the varied ironware made in Coalbrookdale are on display in stunning spacious galleries including a giant whaling pot, an anchor from a Napoleonic Warship as well as intricate and beautiful statues, furniture and everyday household goods such as door stops, cooking pots and flat irons, all made out of iron.

Children can follow their own interactive trail around the museum with 'Rusty the Deerhound' and work out fun puzzles.