Birthplace of Industrial Revolution, with jogger

Our first trip today was to Bewdley, over the border in Worcestershire. This is another Severnside town. I had had no expectations, but as the coach stopped next to a museum, we decided to go in. What a find! D discovered an exhibition of modern Methodist paintings, and I found a walked garden with a genuine reconstructed air raid shelter, cheese press, brick oven, and many other items from the olden days. In fact the museum had many walkways to explore, featuring different trades. I could have spent the day there, as it led on into some public gardens that on turn led to the river banks. In the distance I could hear the steam whistle of the Severn Valley Railway.

After we'd explored the riverside a little, we walked back through the aforementioned gardens and museum, and boarded the coach for Ironbridge. The bridge there is massively famous, being made of er, iron, designed by Abraham Darby, and the world's first of its kind. The whole place is busy, as you might expect, but I would like to go back and buy a pass for the various museums. I'd have liked to see the Victorian town reconstruction (Blists Mill?) but it was almost two miles' walk from where we were. The woman in one of the shops gave me some tips, though, as to how to manage a future visit.

D and I went on a circular walk along an old railway line,
being assured of seeing an old lime kiln. Ironbridge was flooded in February, and the village evacuated. Parts of the railway line were heavily puddled, but I got D across. Unfortunately he didn't get to see the remains of the lime kiln, as they were up some muddy steps, and I didn't get my circular walk back through garlic-scented woods because I was worried that D might slip in a puddle,  so I caught him up and walked back along the line.

Then we visited the world's most famous pork pie shop (!) and walked along the riverside road to the coach park, where we waited ages because someone's husband had got confused and was in the wrong place. So we never got to go to Telford after all. It's a new town, named after the engineer Thomas Telford. So, after a rest at the hotel, it was time for the final dinner of the final evening.

Back to Gloucestershire tomorrow. I shall return to Bewdley, and Shropshire. This holiday has entered my appetite.