Iron Bridge put in spotlight for Festival of Imagination
Visitors to the county's World Heritage Site enjoyed a special light display this weekend as the Iron Bridge was lit up to celebrate its history.
To mark the Festival of Imagination, which celebrates everything artistic and creative about the Gorge, the bridge was lit up in a splendour of colours.
Spectators saw the famous Iron Bridge lit up in colour on both Saturday and Sunday evening until 10pm as part of a move from Telford and Wrekin Council.
Not only was the historic bridge lit up, but other locations around the Gorge as well. Visitors could also see the Museum of the Gorge, Coalbrookdale viaduct and The Bartlett Memorial Foundation illuminated over the weekend.
These locations were chosen by members of the Ironbridge Festival Steering Board.
Councillor Carolyn Healy, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Visitor Economy & The World Heritage site said: “The bridge will be lit every weekend evening for all to enjoy – a fitting setting for this centrepiece of the West Midlands’ only World Heritage Site.
“The new lights will perfectly showcase the structure of the bridge and also celebrate its great industrial heritage with a new furnace effect, evocative of the industrial past.
“The new lights on the bridge are part of the Festival of Imagination currently taking place.
“If you are around in the Gorge, you can enjoy this ‘night of light’ on an evening stroll while making sure to keep safe, in line with the latest guidance on social distancing.”
The lighting is part of a new advanced and environmentally friendly floodlighting scheme, designed to compliment the historic structure which was the subject of a £3.6m million conservation project by English Heritage in 2018.
The Festival of Imagination continues until Sunday, and this year there will be a mix of online and socially distanced activities for people to take part in.
Check out all the events and pre-book tickets on www.ironbridgefestival.co.uk.
