There’ll be plenty to do at the world heritage site’s museums.
Experiment with textiles at Enginuity
Experiment with different textile printing and weaving techniques at family drop-in workshops during the summer school holidays from Saturday, 18th July to Sunday, 6th September at Enginuity, near Ironbridge, Shropshire. Hands-on activities will look at stencil and heat-press printing on textiles to decorate personal items such as a pencil case or drawstring rucksack/boot bag to take home. At weekends families can create a sock puppet character from craft materials and, of course, socks!
Sessions will take place between 10.30am and 3.45pm with activities changing from day-to-day and some additional costs will apply in addition to the museum entrance fee. There will also be activities included in the admission price, including the chance to contribute to a large weaving project made from recycled materials, and moulding shapes from sinamay, a strong mesh fabric often used for hat making.
Ceramic textures drop-in workshops at Coalport China Museum
Drop-in to a summer family ceramic workshop at Coalport China Museum, near Ironbridge between 18th July and 6th September and paint ceramics or discover how to add textured surfaces to clay models. Sessions will vary from day-to-day; between Tuesday and Thursday you can use your imagination to design and make a clay model adding your own preferred surface texture, while every day during the summer school holidays you can paint a money box, china flower or fridge magnet with your choice of colours. The hands-on workshops will be held from 11am until 1pm and 2pm until 4pm; ceramic activities carry an additional charge from £2 unfired or £4 plus a postage charge from £3.50, if you want to have your creation fired and sent home after.
Seaside Holiday tile decorating workshops at Jackfield Tile Museum
Create your own ceramic tiles at family drop-in tile decorating workshops running Monday- Friday during the summer school holidays at Jackfield Tile Museum in Shropshire’s Ironbridge Gorge. With a Seaside Holiday theme, designs can be as colourful and original as your imagination allows; perhaps a sandcastle, sailing boat or ice-cream cone. The fun and informal sessions will take place between Monday, 20th July and Wednesday 2nd September (excluding Saturdays and Sundays). The Victorian tube lining technique will be used to decorate the tiles, which are priced from £5 per tile (p&p extra to have your tile sent home after firing) plus the museum admission fee. Workshops start from 10am, but allowing up to 1½ hours to decorate your tile, last admission is at 3.15pm.
Candle dipping workshops at Blists Hill Victorian Town
Take part in fun, drop-in candle dipping workshops in the Goods Shed at Blists Hill Victorian Town, near Ironbridge and make your own beautifully coloured candle to take home. Sessions will take place daily between Saturday 18th July and Sunday 6th September from 10.15am until 1pm and again between 1.30pm and 4pm.
Opening times and ticket prices
Blists Hill Victorian Town, Enginuity, Coalport China Museum and Jackfield Tile Museum are open 10am-5pm during the summer. An Annual Passport Ticket allowing unlimited entry into all ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums costs £27.95 per adult, £21.50 for seniors, £16.95 for children under 18, £68 for a family of two adults and all their children and £50 for a family with one adult; under 5s free (terms and conditions apply); Passports can also be bought online in advance saving 10% and individual entry tickets are available at each museum. Activities and workshops vary day-to-day and some carry an extra charge.
For further information, contact the Ironbridge Visitor Information Centre on Tel: 01952 433 424 or visit www.ironbridge.org.uk.