Yesterday, the weather forecast being quite good, we felt like venturing out and about so we headed towards Ironbridge and spent a while pottering around the town. I'll probably write something about it later but I want to write first about the place we moved on to which was the nearby Jackfield Tile Museum. It is one of the ten museums situated in the Ironbridge Gorge.
The museum is housed in the old, Victorian decorative tile factory which was the former works of Craven, Dunhill & Co. It looks amazing from the outside.
Decorative Tiles were produced here from about 1874 until just after the second world war.
It's time to venture inside
I loved the old factory doors,
the Peacock in the entrance to the reception, shop and cafe
and the wonderful Art Deco looking doors behind which is the museum.
The first gallery tells the history of the area and the industries there.
You then wander through to the main part of the factory building, the entrance hallway and stairs all beautifully tiled.
The stairs lead to the business areas of the factory,
where visitors, clients and customers would have come to view tiles and place orders.
Above is the sales office where wares and patterns could be viewed and examined.
There are offices and board room
Above is the design studio where all the designs were created for the tiles. In this room you can find the history of tiles, tile making and the different art movement influences over the centuries.
Tiles were used for many civic buildings, homes, shops and public places. You can walk through an Edwardian underground station
A Butcher's shop
A Church
A 1920s Home
A Public House
and a children's hospital ward plus many other places where tiles were considered both as decorative and hygienic.
I took loads of photos and I'm sure you are on photo overload by now and I haven't even shown you any individual tiles yet so I've done a collage of the tiles that caught my eye in both the Museum's collections and the John Scott collection which has its own gallery.
I seem to have picked birds and animals to show you but there are many, many more to see across all the galleries.
From the factory we walked over the the village church and along the new riverside walk by the River Severn before venturing home
I took loads of photos and I'm sure you are on photo overload by now and I haven't even shown you any individual tiles yet so I've done a collage of the tiles that caught my eye in both the Museum's collections and the John Scott collection which has its own gallery.
I seem to have picked birds and animals to show you but there are many, many more to see across all the galleries.
From the factory we walked over the the village church and along the new riverside walk by the River Severn before venturing home
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jan. Glad you enoyed my post:)
DeleteWow aren't they all beautifully displayed and so evocative of their era. A brilliant place to visit. 😊
ReplyDeleteThe Museum was far better than I had imagined it would be:)
DeleteI have been to Ironbridge in the past but have never heard of this Tile Museum.It has gone on my "to do"list.We were at a talk this morning on William Morris and of course tiles came up in that.
ReplyDeleteLots of examples of of Arts and Crafts movement tiles and many other eras of design too, I'm sure you would enjoy a visit, it is only a few miles from Ironbridge town:)
DeleteWhat a wonderful post - loved every single photograph and thanks so much for all the information on the museum. By sheer coincidence I was reading about it yesterday - having seen your visit I really do have to go :) Love all the different rooms in the museum and especially the wildlife tiles at the end. It looks like you had a superb day out - look forward to hearing more about it all :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a wonderful Museum and the church across the road is interesting too as well as the other tile factory of Maws which is now flats and craft workshops. There is a new walk along the riverside which will be wonderful in a few years time whne all the trees grow:)
DeleteI love the old underground stations with tiles. That looks like such an amazing museum. Would love to visit it one of these days. B x
ReplyDeleteThey had the sound of the trains too which was wonderfully evocative:)
DeleteThe museum looks rather interesting with lots to see! I remember walking past it several years ago, back in the days when Dave lived in Wolverhampton. We used to visit Ironbridge from time to time as it wasn't too far away and walked past the museum on a long walk we did.
ReplyDeleteThere does look to be some interesting walks around there especially if you like industrial history, there is a new riverside walk along the side of the severn and behind the factory created where the collapse of the banks into the river took place in 1952:)
DeleteYou took us on an amazing tour, such a delight to see all the wonderful displays. I loved the peacock on the floor.
ReplyDeleteThe peacock is lovely isn't it? Glad you enjoyed the tour:)
DeleteThis looks like a fascinating museum to visit. It makes you think about the design and use of tiles in the past. I like the way the rooms have been created to show this.
ReplyDeleteYes, tiles were both useful and beautiful in many places weren't they? I liked the way the museum showed this:)
Deleteolá, Rosie! através das belas fotos viajei pelo lindo museu com arquitectura que sou apreciador, gostei de conhecer esta sua bela pagina.
ReplyDeleteAG
Hello and welcome, thanks for your comment and visit, I am so pleased that you enjoyed my post and photos of the Museum:)
DeleteFunny to see the kookaburra in the last collage (if that is what it is). They clearly sent tiles far and wide.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a kookaburra, or we thought it was. Tiles were sent all over the world, especially for public buldings:)
DeleteFabulous! I've never heard of this place and it looks a real gem. I have been trying to think of some corny pun along the lines of "a long and sad tile" - but that's as far as I get. Where's Barry Cryer when you need him? Wonderful photos.
ReplyDeleteHe He! It is a great museum with so many beautiful images to delight:)
DeleteWhat a fascinating museum! Tiles are so varied in their artwork, and I just love the look of them in these photos for the various businesses. I don't think you could overdo the number of photos of a place like this for me ;) Love the old brick buildings for the factory/museum. I'll bet workers loved going to work in such a beautiful building inside and out.
ReplyDeleteWendy
Glad you enjoyed all the photos, I took so many as there were so many beautiful things to see:)
DeleteThis looks like such an interesting place to visit. I love the Art Deco look too. So many beautiful tile designs, which must have found their way across the world. Marie x
ReplyDeleteYes, I guess there are British tiles made here and elsewhere in many places that you wouldn't imagine them to be:)
DeleteThat sort of museum would attract me and keep me for hours. When we visited New Zealand we fell in love with the Dunedin train station which was decorated in tiles brought from England in the early part of the 20th century. The tile you've shown remind me of them.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the station tiles were actually made at Jackfield? How fascinating, it just shows how far and wide they were sent:)
DeleteThe tiles are gorgeous! I especially like the ones that you selected to show that caught your eye! x
ReplyDeleteI was drawn to the bird and animals designs although the Arts and Crafts and Art Deco designs were wonderful too:)
DeleteYou've taken us on a lovely visit, Rosie. I have been a few times and see new things each time, there is so much there. Last time, our daughter was about thirteen and we couldn't get her out of the place, she spent so long looking at everything (I was secretly thrilled!). I like the church at Jackfield, too. x
ReplyDeleteIt was one of two Museums I hadn't visited in that area, the Pipe Museum being the other one. I was surprised how large it was and how beautiful it was inside, such a treat. We went across to the church and had a peek inside because it looked wonderful from the windows of the museum and also walked on the new riverside paths:)
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