We took lots of photos here which I've put into a slide show.
From Cosford we continued our journey to Ironbridge Gorge. Originally called the Severn Gorge, the gorge now takes its name from its famous Iron Bridge, the first iron bridge of its kind in the world, and a momument to the industry that began there.
The bridge was built in 1779 to link the industrial town of Broseley with the smaller mining town of Madeley and the growing industrial centre of Coalbrookdale. There are two reasons the site was so useful to the early industrialists. The raw materials, coal, iron ore, limestone and clay, for the manufacture of iron, tiles and procelain are exposed or easily mined in the gorge and the deep and wide river allowed easy transport of the products to the sea.
Our next stop was Blists Hill. Blists Hill is an authentic reconstructed Victorian working town,
complete with shops, a bank and a public house. Nestling at the bottom
of the town, overlooking the Green and its traditional fun fair, the
Forest Glen Refreshment Pavilion is an exquisite Victorian Tea Room. Blists Hill is staffed by knowledgeable demonstrators who are delighted to explain the role their exhibit played in a Victorian community. One of the first buildings you come across at Blists Hill is the Bank where you can change your modern money for Victorian token coins to spend in the shops. As you leave you can exchange any remaining coins at the Bank or keep them as souvenirs. Some aspects of the town are original to the site, such as the Blast Furnaces and the Brick and Tile Works, other buildings have been relocated brick by brick mainly from the locality or have been newly built using detailed research and carefully sourced materials.
We had a delicious meal in the licenced tea room before exploring the quaint surroundings.
All too soon our visit was over and it was time to make our way back to the car park to join our coach for the journey back to the hotel for dinner. The following morning we started the journey home after a thoroughly enjoyable trip.
I hope you enjoyed our Severn Valley trip as much as we did.
