We are delighted to be able to open two of our Ironbridge sites for this year’s Heritage Open Days event to explore everyday working lives in partnership with Findmypast and the theme of Industrious Women.

The female work force played an integral part in the ceramic industries. Exploring the lives of generations of women working in the ceramic industries, this event will allow you to not only explore the lives of ordinary working women but also access the Findmypast website to begin to explore your own family history.

The event will take place at Broseley Pipe Works and Coalport China Museum; two very different, world-famous ceramic factories operating in the Ironbridge Gorge in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A recent donation of the wages ledger for Broseley Pipe Works has allowed us to research the families of the workers from circa 1900. Our archives hold a wealth of material on the lives of the Coalport workers, and we hope that by opening these complementary sites people will have the opportunity to find out more about their ancestors and the lives of ordinary working people.

Please book your visits to Coalport and Broseley Pipe Works separately.

Description supplied by the event organiser.