Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Festival returns - find out what's on

The Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Festival returns across sites in Ironbridge from this Bank Holiday Monday (August 26) and runs through until Sunday, September 15. The Coracle Regatta run by the Ironbridge Coracle Trust will kick-off this year's festival with coracle races, a duck race, stalls, entertainment and much more.

Secret Severn Art 2024 will provide activities between September 6 and 15, 'exploring the wonderful creativity and art available in the gorge'. Shropshire residents can browse open studios and purchase original pieces of art directly from the artists.

Visitors can begin at Fusion for the main exhibition before working their way around Jackfield and the gorge exploring the open studios on offer. More thna 40 artists will feature in the main exhibition, and 17 artists will feature in the open studios.

Secret Severn Art will also be running an art workshop throughout the event for visitors to get involved in.

Elsewhere, you can take part in the Heritage Open Days on Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8, at the Coalbrookdale with Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. And, on Saturday, September 14 the Ironbridge Open Day on the Wharfage will run from 11am to 4pm.

The open day showcases 'traditional heritage skills, stalls, and street entertainment'.

The Wharfage will be 'pedestrianised for the day' offering "a great opportunity to have a wander around the stalls, shops and grab a bite to eat."

On Sunday, September 15 residents are being invited alongside their four-legged friends to enter the Rotary Club of Ironbridge Dog Show. The contest will take place at Dale End Park and you can register on the day from midday with 15 categories to enter.

Telford and Wrekin Council has also announced the launch of a poetry competition run by West Midlands group Poets, Prattlers and Pandemonialists who are running the competition as part of the festival.

The council says the competition is "open to poets from across the globe, and poems on any and every subject are welcome."

"In addition to the overall winning prizes, poems sent in by people living in a TF postcode will also be eligible for our local prize of £50."

The competition opens on Monday, September 2, and entries must be made before the deadline of 6pm on Sunday, October 20.

Telford and Wrekin Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure, Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Councillor Angela McClements, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to work with a range of partners to bring three weeks of cultural entertainment to the Ironbridge Gorge.

"We would like to thank Ironbridge Rotary Club, Ironbridge Coracle Trust, Severn Gorge Countryside Trust, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Secret Severn Art, Poets, Prattlers and Pandemonialists for all their involvement in bringing together this fantastic programme.

"We are looking forward to visitors coming along to join in the activity or go online and take a look at the poetry competition. Lots more information can be found at www.ironbridgefestival.co.uk please do take a look and see what you can get involved with."