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(Partner - Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust)
Darby Houses
Toll House
Coalport Bridge
Coalport Canal Quay and Wharfage,
Blists Hill (Sidings, David and Sampson steam engines, Ironworks)
A Grade II Listed Building dating back to 1717 lived in by members of the Darby family and now owned by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Work to shore up part of the property; a retaining wall five metres high which retains the remnants of a terraced garden has been completed. This work has prevented the wall leaning into and damaging this important listed building.
Work to adapt the historic Listed Toll House as a new Tourist Information Centre has been completed. The works included new floor finishes, decoration, information counter, retail and Museum displays and staff accommodation. In addition new security systems were installed together with a plasma screen for interpretation. The relocation of the Tourist Information Centre to the refitted Toll House situated at the southern end of the Iron Bridge has created a central amenity for tourists at the heart of the World Heritage Site. Improved staff facilities and increased staffing levels enable this historic building to be kept open throughout the year. A particular feature on the frontage of the Toll House is a board listed toll charges which were in use when the Bridge was open to transport.
Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh opened the refurbished Toll House in July 2003 and paid the appropriate fee to cross the Bridge!
This historic river crossing was opened in 1818 and is both a listed building and a scheduled ancient monument. It is believed to be the oldest cast iron bridge in the country still carrying vehicular traffic. The bridge is an essential link between Coalport and Jackfield.
In order to carry out extensive strengthening work a temporary bridge was launched across the line of the existing structure. This carried the scaffolding to enable access to the underside of the bridge and the provision of a pedestrian route whilst the bridge was being strengthened.
The design of the strengthening scheme was technically challenging and time consuming but showed team work at its best from the design stage through to the construction work. Works included the addition of steel plates to strengthen the structure using plate bonding. The deck was completely replaced using a lighter construction and the project was completed in March 2005.
Joint work between Telford & Wrekin Council and Shropshire County Council was recognised when the project received the prestigious 'Historic Bridge & Infrastructure Award' late in 2005 which recognised the excellent and innovative approach taken to strengthen the bridge.
Work at this historic canal and quay has reclaimed and re-landscaped the semi-derelict river frontage and canal edge at the Coalport China Museum. It has improved visitor access and disabled access to the Youth Hostel, the Museum, the canal edge and the river frontage. It has enhanced the visual setting of the site and an area of public space within the local community.
A link has been established between the public right of way in Coalport to the community of Jackfield and enabled safe access to the Silken Way cycle route. The canal basin was opened up near the entrance to the Museum revealing the original historic line of the canal. The installation of interpretation boards illustrates this key historic feature in the village.
Three attractions were upgraded as part of the Regeneration through Heritage Project:
David and Sampson
David and Sampson is a vintage beam engine and a scheduled Ancient Monument. Extensive work was undertaken by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust maintenance team under the supervision of English Heritage and other specialist agencies. The work started in 1999 and was completed in 2001.
Blists Hill Sidings
The project consisted of stabilising and improving disused land including the construction of an historic recreation of a nineteenth century railway goods shed. This provided improved education provision, visitor access and amenity to the site. The work was completed in September 2003.
Blists Hill Ironworks
After a series of studies in 2000/01 major work began on in 2002 to renovate certain furnace and other equipment to enable the iron making tradition at Blists Hill to resume. The renovation work was completed in 2004.
The Coalbrookdale Literary & Scientific Institute is as much an outcome of the Great Exhibition of 1851 as the museum quarter of South Kensington. It is a response, by the Ironmasters of Coalbrookdale, to the perception that Victorian Britain needed to improve the quality of design of its great manufacturers. It was built and endowed by the Coalbrookdale Company in 1859 to teach Art and Design and accredited by the South Kensington and City & Guilds of London. It continued in educational use up until 1969. In 1977 ownership transferred to the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and it was transformed to a Youth Hostel with teaching rooms which opened in 1980. During its life as a hostel it has accommodated over a quarter of a million hostellers, many in educational groups.
The building is Listed Grade II, is built of the Coalbrookdale Company's blue and yellow bricks and forms part of the unique surviving eighteenth and nineteenth century Ironworks community within the Coalbrookdale part of the World Heritage Site.
The Project which is part of the wider Regeneration through Heritage Project is aimed at renewing the useful life of the building, principally by repairing its interior period features and refitting the hostel accommodation to bring it up to acceptable modern standards. As a viable hostel it will continue to make the unique heritage of the area accessible by providing affordable accommodation particularly aimed at young people, by framing a story of the aspirations of a Victorian enterprise and by retaining an inspirational educational function within Coalbrookdale.
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