Another age

NOT many places can claim to have changed the face of the world, but Ironbridge, in Shropshire, is one of them. For when Abraham Darby I smelted iron with coke in 1709 in the gorge of Coalbrookdale - as Ironbridge was originally called two centuries ago - it became the catalyst for the Industrial Revolution.

During its Victorian heyday, the whole area must have looked like Dante's inferno with blast furnaces - one appropriately named bedlam - belching out fire and fumes.

But now this tranquil valley resounds to the bustle of tourists visiting the nine attractions which make up this wonderful site, which was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1986.

A weekend visit is not nearly long enough to explore the rich history of the area. Going out of season is an ideal time because there are fewer crowds and you have a greater opportunity to appreciate the amazing achievements of our Victorian forefathers.

The first thing to do is to buy a museum passport, which will allow you to visit all the museums for a single charge. If you run out of time - or stamina - the passport is valid indefinitely for you to return and catch up on any that you missed.

My husband and I stayed in the Valley Hotel which stands in secluded parkland, at the heart of the gorge. The magnificent iron bridge, for which the area is famed, is a leisurely ten-minute walk away along the edge of the River Severn.

The hotel was once the home of Arthur Maw, a tile manufacturer, and lavish examples of his craft are evident throughout the hotel, particularly up the staircase.

In order to try to appreciate the significance of Darby's discovery, you have to visit the Museum of Iron which still has the original 1709 furnace. Throughout the museum there is an audio diary, telling the stories of the people involved in the industry, from its very beginnings to the time when it slid into decline.

There are examples of items we all take for granted; this was where the first iron wheel came from, the first iron rail, the first iron boat, virtually the first of anything.

You are also transported to the Great Exhibition of 1851 to see and touch the original exhibits of highly intricate and detailed craftsmanship. The gates of Kensington Palace were forged in Coalbrookdale. The term "to spend a penny" originated at the Great Exhibition as it was the scene of the first public toilets which cost 1d to visit - the extraordinary sum of £2,441 was taken in 141 days!

As a contrast, we next visited Blists Hill and eavesdropped on life in a Victorian town with people re-enacting the lives of the bank manager, the milliner, the baker (selling freshly-baked currant teacakes) and the undertaker, as they went about their daily tasks.

Stepping into the chemists shop with its huge glass bottles of green and purple liquid, jars of liquorice root and its distinctive smell of carbolic soap took me straight back to my grandmother's house.

Posters making rather dubious claims as to their curative powers such as Women's Mixture, a cure for everything from blotches to varicose veins and distortion of the pelvis, adorned the walls as well as some rather fearsome looking pieces of equipment which relied heavily on thick rubber tubing.

The attraction provides a fascinating and accurate peep through the keyhole of everyday working class Victorian life.

Modern-day Ironbridge boasts its own appeal, with a large selection of places to eat and drink with teashops and restaurants offering cuisine from Italian to Thai - and not a fast-food outlet in sight. You can get a pub lunch for under £5 and a three course dinner for around £20.

There is nothing dull and dusty about any of the attractions and there are plenty of opportunities for hands-on experiences.

The Coalport Museum which houses the national collection of Coalport china conducts workshops both for adults and children as well as for school groups.

I tried my hand at crafting a bone china rose, with mixed results.

I found the whole weekend both informative and entertaining and even though I managed to cover some of the major exhibits in three days, I shall be back, passport in hand, to sample the rest of the delights this town has to offer.

Fact file:

Travel: four hours by road.

Accommodation: Valley Hotel, B&B £55 per person, per night; Leisure break, dinner B&B, £70 per person, per night. Tel: 01952 432247.

Attractions: Passport ticket, family (two adults and up to five children) £30; adult £10; 60-plus £9; child/student £6.

More information: www.ironbridge.org.uk

Updated: 09:08 Saturday, January 19, 2002