Walkers at the Iron Bridge during the Ironbridge Gorge Walking Festival.
When: 30th April – 8th May 2016
Where: Ironbridge, Shropshire
£: Free but booking is essential
What is it?
The Ironbridge Gorge Walking Festival, now in its 11th year, will take place from Saturday 30th April to Sunday 8th May. The festival offers 9 days of free, varied and rewarding walks. All the walks take place in and around Telford’s Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, where the Industrial Revolution began over 300 years ago.
From challenging all day hikes for the brave hearted, to family friendly trails and short informative walks, this year’s festival promises to have something to whet the appetite of all ages and abilities. The walks are guided by enthusiastic and informative leaders, and with the area’s Walkers are Welcome status, a warm welcome is guaranteed.
At this year’s festival there will be around 30 gentle walks taking place, most of which are under 6 miles long. The walks are a great way to find out more about this interesting and historic area. Visitors can find out how to get a canal boat down a 200ft hill, or why the cooling towers at the Ironbridge Power Station are coloured.
For the more seasoned walkers there are longer outings, taking in the whole of the gorge area during the festival. These walks are either around 11 miles long, or for the most serious walkers, between 15 and 20 miles long.
All the walks aim to finish at around 4pm, giving participants plenty of time for a well-earned post walk pint or two!
All the walks are free, however pre-booking is essential as numbers are limited. Well behaved dogs on a lead are welcome on some walks, but visitors should check before booking.
More info: visitironbridge.co.uk/walkingfestival and www.ironbridge.org.uk