National Trust to take on Ironbridge Gorge museums with £9m Government grant

The National Trust is receiving a £9 million Government grant to take on the care of the museums and buildings that mark the “birthplace of the industrial revolution”.

The grant will allow the trust to take on the Ironbridge Gorge museums in Shropshire, where Abraham Darby revolutionised iron production, catalysing engineering innovation and the building of the bridges, railways and machinery of the modern world.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said the move would save and keep open the “key heritage asset”, one of the first places in the UK to be designated as a World Heritage Site and an important tourist destination.

Some 10 museums, 35 listed buildings and scheduled monuments, and 400,000 objects which explore and mark the gorge’s rich heritage are to be transferred from the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT) to the National Trust in spring 2026.

It is hoped the move, which comes after the recent tough economic environment and unprecedented challenges such as Covid, will boost visitor numbers, safeguard the jobs that rely on the site and secure it for future generations.

The transfer does not include the world’s first iron bridge, a Grade I listed structure spanning the River Severn and giving the area its name, as that is owned by Telford and Wrekin Council and cared for by English Heritage.

Attractions that will now be managed by the National Trust including Blists Hill Victorian Town, the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, and the Old Furnace, with the charity’s members able to visit for free once the transfer is complete.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “As the birthplace of the industrial revolution, it is absolutely vital that that the museums in the Ironbridge Gorge are protected as a key heritage asset in this country and a significant contributor to jobs and the economy in the Shropshire area.

“It is rich with the history of ingenious Britons who designed and constructed so many iconic pieces of engineering – from steam engines to iron boats.

“I have every confidence that this government support will help the National Trust take this area from strength to strength.

“It will mean it can be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors for generations, whilst providing children with opportunities to connect with their local heritage as we embark on our plan of national renewal.”

The trust said it aims to increase annual visitor numbers from 330,000 to 600,000 in the long term, tackle barriers that prevent people from engaging with heritage, and provide events and programming to appeal to families.

The £9 million grant from the Government, which has been provided along with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, will be used to help finance the running costs of the site.

The funding, along with the IGMT’s existing assets that are part of the transfer and income generated onsite such as from admissions, should ensure a sustainable financial model at Ironbridge, the National Trust said.

Hilary McGrady, director general of the National Trust, said: “The Ironbridge Gorge is widely regarded as the birthplace of the industrial revolution, which paved the way for the scientific and technological innovation that defines our world today.

“The site is an example of British ingenuity, a source of immense national and community pride and a distinct and much-loved icon of our shared heritage.

“I cannot think of something more at home in the National Trust’s care – an institution built to protect and preserve the things our nation loves on behalf of everyone, everywhere.”

Mark Pemberton, chairman of the board of trustees of IGMT, said: “We are incredibly pleased to have secured the long-term future of the museum by its transfer to the National Trust.

“The £9 million investment by DCMS is recognition of the global significance and national importance of Ironbridge.

“Ironbridge was important as the birthplace of industry and as a major tourist destination it now plays a part in the success of the local economy.”