The 40th anniversary of the Ironbridge Gorge’s adoption as a Unesco World Heritage Site will be marked by the introduction of a coracle sculpture trail.
The round boats were a key form of transport across and along the River Severn for hundreds of years and are seen as a key part of the gorge’s heritage.
Eleven semi-permanent sculptures will be placed in key locations.
Telford and Wrekin Council hopes the social media friendly sculptures will encourage residents and visitors to explore the wider area and stay for longer.
The gorge’s heritage as the birthplace of the industrial revolution was recognised by the UN cultural body in 1986, external, which said it “encompasses an extraordinary concentration of mining zones, foundries, factories, workshops and warehouses.
The council said the trail would be up and running in 2027, and “supports the anticipated increase in visitor numbers as a result of the National Trust assuming control of the Ironbridge Museum sites“.
The Ironbridge Coracle Trust, one of the partners in the new scheme, already has a trail around the area, external.
There has also been a previous sculpture trail in the gorge, in 2018, populated by – perhaps less-historically relevant – giant multi-coloured ducks.
One of these had to be rescued from the River Severn after vandals dislodged it from its position.