Walks, talks and music to celebrate historic Ironbridge

People from a range of organisations are involved in the festival

Walks, talks, music and poetry are among activities marking the history and legacy of Ironbridge this summer.

Telford and Wrekin Council said the three-week Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Festival was an annual celebration of "a very special area".

The festival gets under way with the Coracle Regatta on 28 August.

Heritage is marked in the town's very name - a reference to the 18th-Century bridge built over the River Severn there.

"The event programme is packed with a range of activities that will attract audiences from across the region," said Carolyn Healy, council cabinet member for climate action, green spaces, heritage and leisure.

Workshops are set to teach skills including watercolour painting, pen and ink drawing and poetry writing.

The town's Rotary Club, Severn Art and Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust are among groups involved.

Historians say the site is an important part of the early years of the Industrial Revolution