Ironbridge Gorge and Blists Hill Museum

Today was the day we had all been looking forward to.
Of all the places we wanted to visit this was the one that we all agreed would be the most interesting.
Mike had asked a while ago if we could fit in a trip to Ironbridge whilst we were up in the Midlands.
No problem! It’s only a couple of miles from Blists Hill Museum where we all wished to go as well.
Following an eventful trip up the M6 Toll Road, where Paul threw our £5 note into the coin machine by mistake, we arrived in plenty of time for a good wander around both destinations.

It had been some years since Paul and I had been to either of these places, and we were really looking forward to it.

We parked up a little way through Ironbridge, and walked up through the town with the bridge coming into view ahead of us as we walked.

It really is a marvellous piece of engineering, and Sally-Ann pointed out the face in the ironwork above our heads.

Shrewsbury architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard first suggested to John Wilkinson in 1773 that an iron bridge be built over the Severn. Pritchard later designed the bridge but died in December 1777, only a month after work began.

The bridge was completed in 1779……. How on earth were people that technically advanced all that time ago?

We had a walk across the bridge, and then headed back for a cuppa in the nearby tea chop, where Fred and Hamish met another Hamish!

A quick relax and then onward to Blists Hill Museum.

This is a fabulous place showing the very best of the era through shops, technology and technique.

The lovely lady in the Pharmacy, kindly allowed us to take her picture and agreed we could blog it.

The iron worker was fascinating to watch, as he made the moulds for pouring the molten ore into.

We stopped for some lunch and a drink and then were off, fully replenished once more.
Having wandered around a little, we spotted the Drapers shop, and as Sally-Ann has this profession in her family, she wanted to get some pictures of this store in particular.

The store itself was lovely, and packed with fabric and lace.

This very important task complete, I bought some aniseed balls and liquorice comforts in the Old Sweet Shop and we headed on to the outer points of interest that required a little walking.

It was worth it, as we got to see the lift and the Hay Incline Plane.

Finally, we had seen everything, and it was time to make our way back to the car, and the 21st century, but not before making friends with the local Shire horse.

What an incredible day!

Jo Anne