Government announces £9 million grant, enabling National Trust to secure future of museums within UNESCO World Heritage Site that attract 330,000 visitors annually
The birthplace of the Industrial Revolution is to be saved and kept open for future generations, following a £9 million government grant announced today.
The funding will enable the transfer of the Ironbridge Gorge museums to the National Trust, securing the future of this internationally significant heritage site and ensuring continued access to Britain’s industrial heritage for hundreds of thousands of annual visitors.
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The Ironbridge Gorge was designated as one of Britain’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites, recognising its pivotal role as the epicentre of 18th century world industrialisation. The site encompasses 10 museums and 35 listed heritage buildings and Scheduled Monuments, and showcases the engineering prowess of our ancestors. It attracts 330,000 visitors annually from the West Midlands, across the UK and beyond.
Attractions include Blists Hill Victorian Town, the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, and the Old Furnace. The museums on site serve as a valuable educational resource for schoolchildren whilst offering families an engaging historical experience. The tourism generated also supports local businesses including pubs, restaurants, hotels and shops, providing employment throughout the area.
The transfer of the sites to the National Trust will mean that the museums on site benefit from the strength of the National Trust’s brand and its large membership base. Combined with government investment, this transition aims to enhance the museums’ success and draw even greater numbers of visitors to discover Shropshire’s contribution to the Industrial Revolution.
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This intervention is the latest step of the government’s Plan for Change, ensuring that the site continues to boost the local economy through increased tourism and employment, as well as opening up valuable opportunities for the local community to connect with their heritage.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
This £9 million grant represents a contribution towards the total sum required by the National Trust to ensure the museum’s long-term security and maintain its status as a unique visitor attraction.
Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust, said:
Mark Pemberton, Chairman to the Board of Trustees of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust said:
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said:
This announcement follows a series of government interventions to support the heritage and museum sectors through the Arts Everywhere Fund, which includes the £15 million Heritage at Risk Capital Fund supporting 37 at-risk heritage sites, and the £20 million Museum Renewal Fund supporting 75 cherished local museums to remain open to the public and continue providing learning opportunities for children nationwide.
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Notes to Editors
The National Trust
The National Trust is an independent conservation charity founded in 1895 by three people: Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley, who saw the importance of the nation’s heritage and open spaces and wanted to preserve them for everyone to enjoy. Today, across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we continue to look after places so people and nature can thrive.
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We care for more than 250,000 hectares of countryside, 890 miles of coastline, 1 million collection items and 500 historic properties, gardens and nature reserves. In 2023/24 we received 25 million visitors to our pay for entry sites. The National Trust is for everyone - we were founded for the benefit of the whole nation, and our 5.4 million members, funders and donors, and tens of thousands of volunteers support our work to care for nature, beauty, history for everyone, for ever.
Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is an education and heritage conservation charity that cares for 10 museums and 35 listed buildings and Scheduled Monuments in the Ironbridge Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to one of the most significant industrial heritage collections in the UK. Its Nationally Designated collection includes more than 400,000 objects, representing a rich and unique record of Britain’s industrial past.
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