The world-renowned Iron Bridge at Ironbridge Gorge. © Steve Geer
Ironbridge Gorge
If you're into history and engineering there's no better place to spend a day than at Ironbridge Gorge, near Telford in Shropshire, the birthplace of the the Industrial Revolution. First we'll see the remarkable Iron Bridge itself, opened in 1779, which spans the River Severn, and walk across it before visiting the Toll House exhibition on the bridge's history. Then we'll take a journey back in time at the nearby Blists Hill Victorian Town, where townsfolk re-enact life the daily lives of their 19th-century ancestors. You can even swap your modern money for genuine Victorian cash to spend in the shops! After lunch we can either go to the amazing design and technology centre at Enginuity – where visitors can find out how a vast range of gadgets and giszmos work and actually work them for yourself! – or to the Coalport China Museum to discover the history of Coalport porcelain and maybe even buy a piece as a souvenir.
Brush Up Your Shakespeare!
We'll start at the half-timbered Stratford-upon-Avon house in which the Bard was born in 1564, before visiting the wonderfully picturesque cottage which was home to his wife, Anne Hathaway before her marriage. Then to New Place, where Shakespeare lived from 1597 until his death in 1616. The house was demolished in the 18th century, but we can still see its foundations and grounds while visiting the adjacent Nash's House, which has a fantastic collection of furniture from the Shakespearean period. Hall's Croft, where the Bard's daughter Susanna lived, is next to Holy Trinity Church where he is buried. Just outside Stratford, we can see the family home of Mary Arden, Shakespeare's mother, which offers a museum, historic farms and falconry demonstrations, among other attractions.
Of course, there's much more to see in the Heart of England. For more information on options, charges and booking please contact us