As we pulled into Ironbridge, my dad decided on visiting a Victorian Museum (to be honest, I hadn’t been listening to the museum descriptions my mum had been reading out). We walked into a dark room that had brilliant videos playing on all four walls, accompanied by amplified sounds and voice overs, the whole depicting the history of ore mining and processing in the area. It was really well done! They managed to turn a subject that could be really boring into a stimulating presentation.
And then, as we exited through a hallway lined with blown up, yet incredibly high resolution, black and white pictures, we opened up the door into a new world. It was an outdoor, recreated Victorian Town. Think Barkerville, but way better. They had many more people employed as villagers, a greater variety of shops, and an incredible diversity of trades being worked. There were animals, a seamstress, ironworkers, a blacksmith, a candle maker, bakers, an artist, gardeners, miners, a lamplighter, and a post master among others. They also had a working fairground, and visiting school children dressed up and being given Victorian lessons. One of my dreams is to be able to spend a summer in a place like that and learn all the trades.
As Blists Hill was closing, we dragged ourselves away and back to the car to continue our journey to Shrewsbury. Have you ever heard of the Brother Cadfael series? It’s about a crusader turned monk, who faces and solves various mysteries. My dad bought the first book for my mum and I to read on the road.
Obviously by the time we arrived, the Abbey was closed. But it was neat to see from the outside, to read the history of the building, and my mum even found
“Brother Cadfael’s” herb garden. I use the term herb garden fairly loosely, as it was a rather neglected flower bed out front of the entrance.
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