A favourite image from an afternoon full to the brim with them. Part of the Coalport China Museum site and the disused canal that leads to Jackfield, 11th August 2022 (Author’s Collection).
The quaint picture book villages of Coalport and Jackfield form a quadruple of quintessential England along with their stable mates just a mile or so along the River Severn in the World Heritage Site of Ironbridge Gorge and the nearby village of Coalbrookdale. I’ve catalogued all of these river side gems in previous articles and for varying different reasons, but this reason is far more simple, the UK was in the middle of its second heatwave of the Summer and there’s very few places in the world more picturesque than these Shropshire villages beside the river.
35+ images follow from two villages steeped in the Victorian era traditions of the industrial revolution and of pottery, china, tile and iron works. From Coalport we meander away from its enticing public house (pub) and along the “Severn Valley Way” via two of the many museums that dot their way along the river, a disused canal, the remains of a treacherous disused railway track, two beautiful bridges, a pub with an incredible history of recent flooding and a beautiful village church.
Having either lived at Ironbridge and/or visited this stretch of the River Severn for over two decades I am of course wholly biased, but you simply can’t go wrong “making memories” in this piece of sunshine filled heaven.
*All images captured by me on Thursday 11th August 2022*
Welcome to a sun filled Coalport and your first port of call, “The Woodbridge Inn”.
Obviously not as eye catching or beautiful as its cousin in Ironbridge, but Coalport Bridge sure does look a picture against a crystal clear blue sky.
“The Woodbridge Inn” and three happy campers drinking in the shade!
The “Severn Valley Way” or further afield via the “Mercian Way”. Chester is 75 miles from here, highly recommended and a feature article here from a beautiful day in the late July sunshine and I’ve visited Bewdley just the once a decade ago and intend to return later this Summer.
View through of the River Severn gently rolling on toward Jackfield.
From atop Coalport Bridge with the River Severn heading toward beautiful Bewdley.
“The Woodbridge Inn” on a perfect Summer’s day — Part 1.
“The Woodbridge Inn” on a perfect Summer’s day — Part 2.
The largest part of the Coalport China Museum complex that now houses a brilliant and unique bicycle shop as well as the cheap and affordable accommodation provided by the YMCA.
Coalport China Museum complex — Part 1.
Coalport China Museum complex — Part 2.
A wide view of the hugely popular tourist destination.
Coalport China Museum.
“The Stop Lock” — “The end of the present canal, where you are currently standing, may be the site of an original stop lock, which was built in September 1792 to seal off parts of the canal for maintenance purposes”.
View from the footbridge featured in the headline image for this article to demonstrate the entirety of this disused canal.
(1) Four images from the Coalport China Museum.
(2) Four images from the Coalport China Museum.
(3) Four images from the Coalport China Museum.
(4) Four images from the Coalport China Museum.
Reflections. Reflections. From the bend and corner of the canal as we approach the bridge into Jackfield.
Jackfield and Coalport Memorial Bridge — Part 1.
Jackfield and Coalport Memorial Bridge — Part 2.
View from the Jackfield and Coalport Memorial Bridge back toward Coalport.
View from the Jackfield and Coalport Memorial Bridge toward Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale.
“The Boat Inn” in Jackfield. Please note the recorded flood levels in the doorway to your right.
I lived through 5 of these recorded floods during my time in Ironbridge. I was one of the lucky ones as the floods wreak havoc and often cause Ironbridge to close due to floods or the fears thereof.
A final reflection from the disused canal.
This really is as steep and scary as it looks!
Jackfield Tile Museum — Part 1.
Jackfield Tile Museum — Part 2.
Jackfield Tile Museum — Part 3.
For articles old and new and never blue on beautiful Ironbridge, please see my “UK travel” archives.
A somewhat unique perspective on the outside of the Jackfield Tile Museum.
“St Mary The Virgin” in Jackfield, with a continuation of the tile works museum in the background.
“St Mary The Virgin”, Jackfield — Part 1.
“St Mary The Virgin”, Jackfield — Part 2.
Your humble narrator larking around the ruins of “White Ladies Priory”, 10th August 2022 (Author’s Collection).
Thanks for reading. My “Summer Project” has taken me to the waterways and many historical castle ruins as I’ve crisscrossed the border between England and Wales and my three most recently published travel articles are linked below:
