Ironbridge museums count cost after floods keep away visitors

Rory Hunter said the damage was disappointing and expensive

A museum trust says it is seeing only a quarter of the usual half-term visitor numbers after two of its sites were flooded.

Flood waters breached the Museum of the Gorge and Coalport China Museum - each among the ten sites operated by the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust.

Ironbridge was once more hit by flooding in the wake of storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin.

Staff said the situation was disappointing and expensive.

About 60 properties within the Ironbridge Gorge were evacuated on Monday.

A severe warning - meaning a risk to life - was lifted on Wednesday evening, a day after water levels peaked, but the Environment Agency warned levels could remain high over the coming days.

High water levels were once again seen in Ironbridge on Tuesday

With water levels still high at the Museum of the Gorge, staff have not been able to go in to assess the damage.

At the Coalport China Museum, which was recently refurbished following previous floods, teams were able to remove equipment and collections before waters rose.

The trust has also had to close the Tollhouse and the Jackfield Tile Museum.

Rory Hunter, the trust's estates manager, said: "It is disappointing of course, and expensive.

He explained: "Coalport was refurbished during 2021 to get that back up after the 2020 and 2021 floods. There will be damage to that refurbishment. We are just taking that assessment, but we will have to go back in and do some more renovation."

Coalport China Museum was recently refurbished following previous floods

Mr Hunter said of the 75% drop in visitors across the trust: "That doesn't just impact us, it impacts the local businesses, cafes, restaurants [and] shops that are in central Ironbridge for people that are coming into the beautiful World Heritage Site."

Water levels are now starting to drop at Ironbridge, home of the Museum of the Gorge