As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations marking the founding of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Sir Terry Morgan CBE, Crossrail Chairman gave a fascinating and insightful Lecture, entitled ‘Crossrail – an industrial revolution in infrastructure’ on Monday 6 November. The lecture examined the construction of the epic £14.8 billion Crossrail project under London and was attended by 150 guests at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in London. The event was kindly sponsored by the London Speakers Bureau.
Photo left to right – Rupert Kenyon-Slaney Trustee and Chairman of the Foundation Committee Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust; Sir Terry Morgan CBE Chairman Crossrail; Anna Brennand CEO Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust; Richard Clowes Trustee Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
Sir Terry explained how Britain has triggered a new industrial revolution in infrastructure and why investment in people and skills is critical to this great new era in engineering. He also paid homage to some of history’s greatest engineers such as Brunel and the Darby dynasty who helped create the industrial world. During the evening Anna Brennand Chief Executive Officer, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust outlined the Trust’s ambitious Coalbrookdale Master Plan that will see the development of Enginuity, their Design and Technology Centre and the construction of a new building to protect Darby’s original furnace.
She also launched a new £1million endowment fund raising campaign, supported by a Heritage Lottery Fund match funding grant, for the conservation of the Coalbrookdale industrial landscape. The Trust now has four years to raise the additional £1million. Anyone interested in finding out more about the work of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust should either email the following contact fundraising.manager@ironbridge.org.uk or call 01952 435900.
The Ironbridge Gorge is internationally recognised as the birthplace of the original Industrial Revolution some 300 years ago. This was kick started by Abraham Darby I who perfected the technique of smelting iron with coke, rather than charcoal, in 1709. This innovative process enabled the first commercial production of industrial grade iron, which changed the world forever. His grandson Abraham Darby III went on to build the world’s first cast iron bridge over the River Severn.
More about the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust:
Ironbridge Gorge is a six-square mile UNESCO World Heritage Site (designated in 1986), which is home to one of the world’s largest independent museums, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT). IGMT was created in 1967 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary during 2017. IGMT cares for ten award-winning museums, 36 scheduled monuments and listed buildings, which welcome around 500,000 visitors per year, and collectively tell the story of Ironbridge’s role as the catalyst for the Industrial Revolution. The Museum of Iron re-opened at Easter after a six-month full refurbishment. This museum tells the fascinating story of iron, as well as the innovations that were discovered at Coalbrookdale, that changed the world and triggered the Industrial Revolution. This year IGMT will launch their £15m Masterplan and £15m Fund for the Future appeal, for the development and improvement of various buildings and monuments across the Gorge. The first phase will be the creation of a new destination café (Autumn 2017) and conservation work to protect the Bedlam Furnace. Future phases will see the refurbishment of Enginuity, the National Design and Technology Centre, along with the creation of a new Collections Store, Library and Archive as well as further conservation to the Old Furnace and associated buildings. IGMT’s museums are all open to the public, though some sites close during the winter months, so please visit www.ironbridge.org.uk or call 01952 433 424 for more information about each specific site.
For press enquiries, images or to arrange review visit please contact:
Pat Edgar PR Matters Tel: 01494 764932 Mobile: 07836 786043 Email: PRMatters@talktalk.net
Richard Aldred / Paul Gossage Ironbridge Gorge Museums Tel: 01952 435900 / Fax: 01952 435999 Email: richard.aldred@ironbridge.org.uk
