2020 Ironbridge Floods - Please Support Us
In February 2020 the Ironbridge Gorge was battered by high winds and severe flooding from Storms Ciara and Dennis which caused significant damage to homes and businesses alongside the river in the World Heritage Site. The weather event caused extensive damage to two of our museums and resulted in a steep decline in visitor numbers.
Flood waters engulfed the Museum of The Gorge in central Ironbridge and Coalport China with the River Severn peaking at 6.8m.
In the aftermath we are working to assess damage done to both buildings and contents.
These photos were taken at Coalport China Museum during the floods. The Long Workshop (shown above left) had been redisplayed during 2019 and is now seriously damaged.
Flood waters engulfed the Museum of The Gorge during the storms. Here you can see water laping at the front doors and the flooded gift shop.
The team at Ironbridge worked tirelessly over the last two weeks to save our buildings, nationally Designated Collections and other displays.
Without their quick response and dedication, some of our collections may not have survived.
Whilst things are beginning to return to normal as the waters recede we are starting to assess the damage and have put in place a disaster recovery plan. We now have a big part to play in encouraging tourists back to the Gorge for the benefit of the local community and the Museum.
Until we can carry out a full assessment of the damage caused by the floods we are not able to accurately forecast the final cost to the Museum. At the moment we know that damage and loss of income will be around a quarter of a million pounds (£250,000) but this is likely to increase.
How you can help
- You can visit Blists Hill Victorian Town, Jackfield Tile Museum, the Iron Bridge & Tollhouse and our Coalbrookdale site (Museum of Iron, Enginuity and the Furnace Kitchen) - we are open!
- You can make a donation to our Flood Recovery Appeal by clicking here
- You can be an ambassador for both the Museum and the town of Ironbridge. Please tell family and friends that we are open for business as usual