Walking is not something that most people think of when they plan to come to Ironbridge, however the whole gorge area is a maze of well kept footpaths, cycle trails and bridlepaths.
Walks at Buildwas
Some are the remains of the old rail system, the original foundry worker’s footpaths or those of local people coming in to market with produce to sell.
It is well worth spending some time exploring not only the natural regrowth of the area since the furnaces stopped blasting, but also to find some of the bits of the architectural past left in the woods or the lovely specimen trees planted hundreds of years ago for the enjoyment of the factory workers and their families. Some of these have grown to enormous proportions and are quite spectacular.
River Severn
Because the gorge was shaped by the ice age you might find stones from other areas of the country and it would also not be unusual to find bits of fossils as one does on Wenlock Edge. The area was originally formed over 400 million years ago when it was an area of coral sea.
“Walks In The Severn Gorge” by Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale Civic Society has 11 walks in the area with listed areas of special interest, these walks go right through the main industrial area of the gorge.
Main footpath routes through the gorge include the Ironbridge Way, The Silkin Way and Severn Valley Way.
Leaflets, books and maps on the main walks can also be obtained from the Tourist Information Centre
