Shropshire flooding: Coracle shed saved in the nick of time

Thanks to funding grants, repairs began at the end of last month to the last coracle maker's shed in England, which has been located on the bank of the River Severn in Ironbridge Gorge since the 1920s.

Luckily enough repair work was completed before the onset of flooding in the area to save the heritage landmark from being lost as a result of the river's rising waters.

Marion Blockley from the Ironbridge Coracle Trust said: "We're really lucky we had three weeks of dry weather. The new timbers, we got those in just in the nick of time. They replaced the old timber supports which were going rotten.

"If we hadn't got those in I'm pretty sure we'd have lost the coracle shed, and that would have been a tragedy because it's been here since the 1920s."

Often heralded as 'the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution', Ironbridge Gorge is home to several historical landmarks and the area is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"I'm also really concerned for the entire landscape – all the buildings, all the historic settlements both sides of the river that go to make up the World Heritage Site," added Marion. "It isn't just the Iron Bridge, it's about Ladywood, it's about Jackfield, it's about Dale End, all these different areas. The entire gorge is the World Heritage Site, and the entire gorge is threatened by flooding."