Celebration to mark end of an era at Ironbridge

A celebratory event will be held to mark an "end of an era" for a collection of museums which tell the story of the Industrial Revolution.

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust was established in 1967 to run the museums in Shropshire, but the sites are due to be taken over by the National Trust next month.

To celebrate the work done by the original trust, staff from all sites will be gathering at Blists Hill Victorian Town on Sunday afternoon for a parade and ceremony.

Kate Cadman, the trust's collections curator, said it would be a "special day".

It was announced in October that the National Trust would take over the running of museums in the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, with the help of a £9m government grant.

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust currently runs 10 museums, and 35 listed buildings and scheduled monuments, including Blists Hill Victorian Town, the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, and the Old Furnace.

The National Trust said it aimed to increase visitor numbers, using the £9m to fund the upkeep of the properties.

The End of an Era event is for ticket holders only and has sold out, but visitors attending will get to try activities such as candle-dipping, poster printing and brick making free of charge.

Because it is the end of half term, Blists Hill will not open again until the handover to the National Trust on 2 March.

The parade will start at the top end of the recreated Victorian town and feature some of the staff dressed in Victorian costumes.

When they reach the bottom of the hill, there will be speeches from the actor who has played the role of Constable Jarrett supported by Albert William Purkiss, the mayor of Blists Hill.

Other museum sites will close early on Sunday, starting from 15:00 GMT.

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