Shropshire's Stonehenge: New artwork hails Ironbridge's industrial legacy

Commissioned by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, it is the centrepiece of the Shifting Worlds programme.

Called Three Black Humps, the piece was created by artist David Nash, who said it interprets the industrial processes that shaped local history.

Made from charred oak, the sculpture stands over six feet high, is embedded in a circle of crushed coal and is set against the brick remains of former Coalbrookdale Company buildings.

It is positioned next to the Old Furnace, where Abraham Darby perfected the technique of smelting iron with coke rather than coal in 1709.

Mr Nash: "The heritage of this site and industrial processes employed made it a good fit to my work with wood.

"Coal is compressed wood, so there is a connection to this area immediately; wood is also such a fundamental material, used by every person in the world.

"Visiting Ironbridge was a vital part of the creative process, as I wanted to see where the sculpture would be sited.

"The blackened wood sits well in front of the red brick wall, there is something artistically satisfying about the combination of red and black."

The Shifting Worlds programme runs throughout 2015, focuses on the impact of the Industrial Revolution and reflects on current challenges around its legacy.

Anna Brennand, chief executive of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said the sculpture is part of the trust's aim to broaden its audience.

She said: "We are very keen to get more new people interested in what we do. We we are stepping outside of what we normally do by working with contemporary artists such as David Nash and Faye Claridge, who is our artist in residence."

Shifting Worlds is a collaboration between the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and Telford and Meadow Arts, funded by a grant from Arts Council England.

Three Black Humps will be available to view by the public free of charge from June 22 and will remain at Coalbrookdale for 12 months.