Blists Hill celebrates birth of industrial revolution
The Blists Hill Victorian Town in the heart of England is to be relaunched to mark the 300th anniversary of Ironbridge Gorge becoming the location for the birth of the Industrial Revolution.
Three hundred years ago, Abraham Darby smelted iron with coke for the first time to produce iron, meaning iron could be produced as fast as coal could be mined.
Ironbridge, a World Heritage Site, is celebrating with a host of events to celebrate this achievement that changed the world. Blists Hill Victorian Town, for example, has undergone a £12 million development ($16.7me13m), set on 50 acres of land.
The open air museum brings a working town from more than 100 years ago back to life, and includes authentic shops, houses, workshops, a pub and an old time funfair (pictured). As part of the new transformation a Victorian Canal Street will be opened and a visitor centre launched.
