Power of steam draws visitors to Blists Hill
An event celebrating the great days of steam power attracted visitors to Blists Hill Victorian Town at the weekend.
The popular Shropshire tourist attraction fired up some of its historic working machinery for the bank holiday weekend event, which also featured Richard Trevithick’s 1802 Coalbrookdale engine.
Visitors came from across the country to see the machinery in action and hear from demonstrators at the working museum about the industrial heritage on show.
Richard Aldred, of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said the weekend had been a big success.
“We were delighted to welcome so many people to the site across the weekend to see some of this remarkable machinery in action.
“The sight of working steam engines is a huge thrill for people of all ages and we were able to demonstrate a wide range of the machinery which helped power the transformation in our lives for which the Ironbridge Gorge is world-famous.”
Other machinery on show included the steam-powered stone crusher which demonstrated its might in the Masons’ Yard and more than 10 visiting miniature steam engines.
Billy, the town’s own 1903 Wallis & Steevens steam roller, also delighted enthusiasts with tours of the site across the weekend.
The museum has attracted more than 35,000 visitors since reopening at the start of July following the coronavirus lockdown. It has attracted widespread praise for the measures it has introduced to keep visitors safe in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
