Ironbridge Coracle Trust is a small voluntary charity which is working to preserve the story of coracles in the Gorge. It has set up a small free museum to tell the story.
It has also conserved and will maintain the old coracle shed in Ironbridge – probably the last in England.
The Trust also runs the Ironbridge Coracle Regatta every year on August Bank Holiday Monday.
Our current project funded by the Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and Telford & Wrekin Council has three main aims:
To restore the last coracle maker’s shed in England and conserve the collection of objects that were stored within it to ensure they survive in good condition.
To make sure that the rural craft of coracle making is better understood through recording the lives and memories of the people who made and used them on the River Severn in Ironbridge.
To help more people find out about coracles and the people who made them, by visiting our exhibition and taking part in activities at the New Coracle Shed in the Greenwood Centre, Station Road Coalbrookdale.
The Trust runs various activities across the year that supports ensuring that people get to learn more about coracles. This includes coracle and net making courses, an annual regatta, running educational sessions for schools and hands on activities for groups. Through our recent funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund we have managed to preserve the Old Shed and build a New shed which houses a little museum. We play an active part in the community and attend many local events to spread the story of coracles.
