This summer, from 26 July until 3 September, Blists Hill Victorian Town in landlocked Shropshire will be hosting its first Victorian Seaside Experience.
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is bringing the 19th-century seaside to Shropshire, with 22 tonnes of sand being brought in to make a 12m x 12m beach on the green at Blists Hill Victorian Town. Parents will be able to sit back and relax in deckchairs or compete in the knobbly knees competition while kids get sand between their toes or take a ride on the old-style carousel or a donkey.
On 29 and 30 July, the opening weekend, and 23 to 29 August, visitors will be able to see a special display featuring the swimming trunks worn by Captain Matthew Webb, a local lad who on 24 August 1875 became the first recorded person to swim the English Channel without artificial aid. The trunks will be displayed alongside other commemorative objects celebrating his feat.
Lauren Collier, Interpretation Curator at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “Seaside holidays became popular in the mid-18th century, when sea bathing was believed to be good for your health. However, at this point, only the wealthy could afford them, and it wasn’t until the Victorian era, thanks to the development of roads, bridges and railways, that a day out at the seaside became affordable for working people.
“Visitors liked to bathe, walk along the promenade, ride donkeys, collect shells, visit ancient monuments and simply relax on the sand. The introduction of bank holidays in 1871 meant that, if they could afford it, people could spend more than a day or two at the seaside. People from the East Shropshire Coalfield, local to Blists Hill, liked to visit Llandudno, Blackpool, Southport and Aberystwyth.”
Abbie King, Chief Operating Officer at Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “We’re excited to be bringing the seaside to Shropshire this summer. With the Victorian Seaside
Experience, visitors will get the chance to experience an aspect of Victorian life that we haven’t shown them before.”
The Victorian Seaside Experience event is included in the normal ticket price, except for donkey rides and carousel rides for which there is an additional fee. During their day out, visitors can also hitch a ride on the Horse Bus, enter the mine on a little train and change their money into old pounds, shillings and pence to spend on Victorian sweets and snacks, traditional fish and chips and a pulled pint. Kids will love the Madeley Wood Co. Outdoor Adventure with multi-level themed buildings and immersive play areas as well as a toddler zone with a faux mine-cart track, play buildings, a slide and miniature zip-line.
For more information about these and all summer events at Ironbridge Valley of Invention including Blists Hill Victorian Town, visit www.ironbridge.org.uk
