National Trust to take over Ironbridge museums with £9m Government grant
The National Trust is to take over Ironbridge's museums after a £9m grant from the Government.
The move represents a major step for some of Shropshire and Telford's most important tourist attractions, which welcome thousands of visitors to the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution every year.
The National Trust will take over the running of the museums, which have until now been managed by the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust (IGMT).
The Government said the move will see the sites benefit from the National Trust's "large membership", with intentions to "draw even greater numbers of visitors to discover Shropshire's contribution to the Industrial Revolution".
The National Trust already manages a number of sites in Shropshire, including the hugely popular Attingham Park on the outskirts of Shrewsbury - one of the county's most significant visitor destinations.
In total the IGMT runs 10 museums across the Ironbridge Gorge as well as 35 listed buildings and scheduled monuments. Its portfolio includes the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Enginuity and the Coalport China Museum.
The move is being funded in part by a £9m grant from the Government, with Mark Pemberton, chairman to the board of trustees of the IGMT, saying it secures the "long-term future" of the museums.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said it was "vital" to to protect the museums as a key part of the country's heritage, and that she looks forward to seeing them go from "strength to strength" under the National Trust.
Hilary McGrady, director general of the National Trust, said she "cannot think of something more at home in the National Trust's care".
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.
It remains a time-warp and a window into the past that shaped the world and Britain's place in it.
The museums attract 330,000 visitors annually from the West Midlands, across the UK and beyond - providing first-hand, real-life education for schoolchildren, while offering families and visitors the chance to step back to the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.
A statement from the Government's Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said: "The transfer of the sites to the National Trust will mean that the museums onsite 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."
Ms Nandy said: “As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, it is absolutely vital that the museums in the Ironbridge Gorge are protected as a key heritage asset in this country and a significant contributor to jobs and the economy in the Shropshire area.
"The gorge is rich with the history of ingenious Britons who designed and constructed so many iconic pieces of engineering - from steam engines to iron boats.
“I have every confidence that this government support will help the National Trust take this area from strength to strength. It will mean it can be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors for generations, whilst providing children with opportunities to connect with their local heritage as we embark on our plan of national renewal.”
Ms McGrady said: “The Ironbridge Gorge is widely regarded as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, which paved the way for the scientific and technological innovation that defines our world today.
"The site is an example of British ingenuity, a source of immense national and community pride and a distinct and much-loved icon of our shared heritage.
"I cannot think of something more at home in the National Trust's care - an institution built to protect and preserve the things our nation loves on behalf of everyone, everywhere.
“It’s a privilege to be able to work with DCMS and with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, which has looked after the site and its collection with care and dedication for many decades, on this next chapter in the Ironbridge Gorge’s amazing history.
"Finally, I'd like to say thank you to Arts Council England, Historic England, and National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support in helping secure a sustainable long-term future for the buildings, monuments and collection within Ironbridge Gorge.”
Mr Pemberton said: “We are incredibly pleased to have secured the long-term future of the museum by its transfer to the National Trust. The £9 million investment by DCMS is recognition of the global significance and national importance of Ironbridge.
“Ironbridge was important as the birthplace of industry and now as a major tourist destination it plays a part in the success of the local economy.”
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, added: “On behalf of Historic England I am delighted that the National Trust is stepping up, with support from DCMS, to take on Ironbridge, the cradle of the industrial revolution with many remarkable survivals from the late 18th century onwards.
"It is such an important part of this country’s heritage, and contributes significantly to the local and regional economy. We are very grateful to the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust for all the work and care they have put into keeping the site safe for the nation over the years, and look forward to helping play our part in helping it to thrive in the future.”