Ironbridge Gorge Museums

Former Use:	Potteries, saltworks, lead smelters, clay pipe, porcelain and glass factories, mining activity, coal, brick, lime and iron production
New Use:	Network of Industrial Museums and visitor attractions
Category:	Culture, Industrial Museum, Recreation
Website:	https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/
Original Architect:	-
Reuse Architect:	Various
Construction year(s):	1709 - 1950
Reuse year(s):	1973 - 2007

Description:

The Ironbridge Gorge Museums (IGM), created and managed by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, is a reference case of industrial heritage reuse with global appeal. The IGM, that has been characterised as the birthplace of industrial archaeology, is one of the earliest and most celebrated examples of industrial heritage regeneration at a landscape scale. With more than fifty years of operation, the IGM has a lot to teach.

Relevant Literature:

1. Beale, C. 2014. The Ironbridge Spirit: a History of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Wales, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.
2. Blockley, M. 1999. Preservation, Restoration and Presentation of the Industrial Heritage: A Case Study of the Ironbridge Gorge In: CHITTY, G. & BAKER., D. (eds.) Managing historic sites and buildings : reconciling presentation and preservation New York: Routledge.
3. Cossons, N. 2009. Foreword In: BELFORD, P., PALMER, M. & WHITE, R. (eds.) Footprints of Industry. BAR British Series.
4. Darby, M. 2009. Ironworks to museum: Coalbrookdale 1709-2009. In: P. BELFORD, PALMER, M. & WHITE, R. (eds.) Footprints of Industry.
5. Douet, J. 2012. Industrial Heritage retooled: The TICCIH guide to industrial heritage conservation, Lancaster, TICCIH.
6. Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust 1978. Blists Hill Open Air Museum: A guide to the museum and exhibits. Telford: Printex Press Limited.
7. Kelleher, S. 2013. Industrial Archaeology at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust: Past, Present and Future. Journal of the Broseley Local History Society, Winter 2013/14, 1-8.
8. Mugridge, A. J. 1997. Maw and Company.1850-1969, , Jackfield, Smith York Fine Art Publishing.
9. Price, J. 2006. Interpreting Industrial Heritage. In: HEMS, A. & BLOCKLEY, M. (eds.) Heritage Interpretation. Taylor & Francis.
10. Smith, S. 1989. The Ironbridge Gorge museum Trust-brief history. In: RAISTRICK, A. (ed.) Dynasty of Iron Founders. York: Book trust in association with Ironbridge Gorge Museum.
11. Stratton, M. 2000. Industrial Buildings: Conservation and Regeneration, London, Taylor & Francis
12. Trinder, B. 1993. Ironbridge. In: TRINDER, B. (ed.) Blackwell Encyclopedia of Industrial Archaeology. Wiley-Blackwell.
13. UNESCO. n.d. Ironbridge Gorge [Online]. Available: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/371 [Accessed 19 March 2019].

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