Bulletin of Geography. Socio–economic Series / No. 36 (2017): 61–75 BULLETIN OF GEOGRAPHY. SOCIO–ECONOMIC SERIES DE journal homepages: http://www.bulletinofgeography.umk.pl/ http://wydawnictwoumk.pl/czasopisma/index.php/BGSS/index http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/bog ISSN 1732–4254 quarterly G

The Gorge Heritage Site and its local and regional functions

Waldemar CudnyCDMFPR

University of Łódź, Institute of Tourism and Economic Development, Tomaszów Mazowiecki Branch, ul. Konstytucji 3 Maja 65/67, 97-200 Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland; phone +48 447 249 720; email: [email protected]

How to cite: Cudny W., 2017: The Heritage Site and its local and regional functions. In: Chodkowska-Miszczuk, J. and Szy- mańska, D. editors, Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, No. 36, Toruń: Nicolaus Copernicus University, pp. 61–75. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/bog-2017-0014

Abstract. The article is devoted to the issue of heritage and its functions. Based Article details: on the existing literature, the author presents the definition of heritage, the classi- Received: 06 March 2015 fication of heritage resources, and its most important impacts. The aim of the -ar Revised: 15 December 2016 ticle was to show the functions that may be performed by a heritage site, locally Accepted: 02 February 2017 and regionally. The example used by the author is the Ironbridge Gorge Heritage Site in the . Most heritage functions described by other authors are confirmed in this case study. The cultural heritage of the Ironbridge Gorge creates an opportunity to undertake various local and regional activities, having first of all an educational influence on the inhabitants, school youth and tourists. We must not ignore the economicinfluences, such as financing the activity of the Ironbridge Trust (the institution administering the site), generating income for lo- Key words: cal firms providing service to tourists, or for construction companies. This income Ironbridge Gorge, helps to preserve and conserve the tangible heritage of the Ironbridge Gorge, as United Kingdom, well as to generate jobs in heritage management, conservation and heritage tour- heritage functions, ism. Other effects of the Ironbridge Gorge Site include a socio-cultural impact or tourism, that related to sustainable development. regeneration.

© 2017 Nicolaus Copernicus University. All rights reserved.

Contents: 1. Introduction ...... 62 2. Theoretical background ...... 62 3. The Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site ...... 65 4. The results of the Ironbridge Trust activity ...... 69 5. Summary ...... 72

© 2017 Nicolaus Copernicus University. All rights reserved. © 2017 De Gruyter Open (on-line). 62 Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75

1. Introduction 2. Theoretical background

The question often asked nowadays is: what is cul- Originally, heritage was a legal and cultural term re- tural heritage, how it can be classified and why it ferring to passing down parents’ assets to their suc- is important for the development of societies and cessors. In the 18th c., in France, the term started economies (Harvey, 2001). Heritage and its role to be used to talk about national legacy. The fol- were perceived differently at different times. Cur- lowing centuries brought further changes as regards rently, it is believed that heritage itself and heritage the understanding of heritage; there appeared in- studies do not refer to the past which the heritage ternational organizations and legal regulations re- elements come from, as much as to their current garding heritage (Vecco, 2010). The concept of meaning and application. This generates a discus- heritage was first introduced into international law sion about the main heritage functions, i.e. what it in 1907. Subsequent international legal acts started can be used for (Graham, Howard, 2008). to be constructed in the 1950s by the United Na- Socio-cultural changes in today’s societies, in- tions Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organiza- cluding the departure from one-nation heritage and tion (UNESCO) and the International Council on moving towards the complex heritage of foreign cul- Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) (Blake, 2000; Ya- tures connected with migrations are widely discussed haya, 2006). (Ashwort, Graham, 1997; Littler, Naidoo, 2004). An The word heritage has many meanings which important issue is the role heritage plays in educa- have been changing over time. It has strong links tion, as well as in personal and social group devel- with the past, represents some sort of inheritance opment. This function may be analysed using the passed down to the next generations. It includes example of school groups’ visits or cultural or herit- natural components, as well as elements of hu- age tourism, where the visits have an educational and man tangible and intangible culture. Following the cognitive character (Richards, 2001; Robinson, 2010). values adopted in a given socio-cultural area, the There is also the important issue of supporting society decides what is worth preserving and pass- cultural heritage financially. Money is needed for ing down as heritage (Dallen, Boyd, 2003). Herit- the conservation and protection of heritage sites. age studies feature two most common approaches. It is a difficult question whether cultural heritage The first one involves an analysis of what heritage sites should be financed from public funds or re- is, while the other one – how it should be selected main self-financing entities (Raedy, Navrud, 2002). and interpreted (Carman, 2002). Earlier definitions In this article, the author presents the main local put a greater emphasis on the elements constitut- and regional heritage functions, using the example of ing heritage. Bowes (1989: 36) wrote that “…herit- the Ironbridge Gorge: a British heritage site connect- age must be broadly defined to encompass not only ed with the history of the and major historic sites and institutions, but the entire perceived as one of the most valuable heritage sites landscape of the region with its geographic base: of this kind in Europe. There are books which de- farms and field patterns, roads, harbours, industri- scribe heritage functions but there are not many con- al structures, villages and main streets, commercial cise articles presenting these functions on the basis establishments and of course, the people themselves of an individual and complete case study. The aim of and their traditions and economic activities.” this article is to observe the ways and purposes of us- Recent research papers have been presenting ing heritage locally and regionally, on the example of a discussion on the different ways of understand- the Ironbridge Gorge. Other aims include presenting ing and interpreting heritage (Urry, 1995). Moreo- definitions of heritage, classifying it and presenting ver, heritage started to include some contemporary its main functions, based on literature. The author elements, e.g. certain old but still cultivated tradi- used several research methods, including direct ob- tions and behaviours (see: Smith, 2006). It is ac- servation, conversations with the employees of the cepted that the significance of heritage depends , and the analysis of the - on many elements, such as individual and social Trust reports, literature and Internet sources. evaluation, the historical period, economic condi- Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75 63 tions, or political system (Henderson, 2011). Herit- values of heritage. As Ahmad (2006: 297) wrote, age is gaining an increasingly pluralistic character, “The importance of intangible values as part of her- because nowadays we deal with a diversity of her- itage was emphasized by UNESCO when it adopted itage, as well as a multitude of actors influencing a convention in 2003 that helped to protect intan- and creating it, which results from the variety of gible cultural heritage, which was defined as: prac- cultures existing in contemporary western multi- tices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills, cultural societies (see: Tunbridge, 2008). It can be instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spac- assumed that heritage in the present context is re- es associated with communities, groups and in- ferring “to the ways in which very selective past dividuals.” In another part of Ahmad publication material artifacts, natural landscapes, mythologies, (2006: 298), we find a description of tangible values: memories and traditions become cultural, political “…in 1999 UNESCO clarified the scope of tangible and economic resource for the present” (Graham, (heritage) values as cultural properties to include Howard, 2008: 2). “Heritage is therefore ultimate- monuments, groups of buildings and sites (Arti- ly a cultural practice, involved in the construction cle 23:5)…” An interesting division of heritage ob- and regulation of a range of values and understand- jects can be found in the work by Carman (2002: ings” (Smith, 2006: 11). As Smith (2006: 1-2) wrote, 35-36). He distinguished movable objects of herit- “Heritage wasn’t only about the past – though it was age, sites and monuments distinguished from their that too – it also wasn’t just about material things surroundings by borders, and landscapes contain- – though it was that as well – heritage was a pro- ing many different human and environmental ele- cess of engagement, an act of communication and ments, which are spatial elements with boundaries. an act of making meaning in and for the present... Ashwort and Graham (1997: 382) divided her- The real sense of heritage, the real moment of her- itage with regard to the process of European inte- itage when our emotions and sense of self are truly gration. This division is more geographical; thus, it engaged, is … in the act of passing on and receiv- is more connected with space and its different lev- ing memories and knowledge.” els. There, we find four different kinds of heritage: As regards the types of heritage, the UNESCO (a) local heritage: found on regional, ethnic or trib- distinguishes between natural and cultural heritage. al level; (b) national heritage; (c) European heritage; Considering the topic of this article, the author de- (d) world heritage. cided to define cultural heritage, which, according Contemporary discourse concerns two impor- to UNESCO, includes the following (see: Recom- tant sets of heritage: the first one concerns the man- mendation…, 1972): agement and conservation of heritage sites, places — monuments: architectural works, works of mon- and objects, while the second one refers to visiting umental sculpture and painting, including cave sites and institutions as a part of tourism and lei- dwellings and inscriptions, and elements, groups sure (Smith, 2006: 12). These two discourses give of elements or structures of special value from grounds to an analysis of the functions which her- the point of view of archaeology, history, art or itage performs in the contemporary world. These science; functions should be understood as the roles played — groups of buildings: groups of separate or con- by properly managed and protected heritage. “To nected buildings which, because of their archi- reiterate, heritage is that part of the past which we tecture, their homogeneity or their place in the select in the present for contemporary purposes, landscape, are of special value from the point of whether they be economic or cultural (including view of history, art or science; political and social factors)” (Graham, 2002: 1006). — sites topographical areas, the combined works of Heritage functions may be divided in different ways. man and of nature, which are of special value by We may talk about direct and indirect influence, in- reason of their beauty or their interest from the fluence on individuals or social groups, as well as archaeological, historical, ethnological or anthro- about global, national, regional and local scale func- pological points of view. tions. Heritage functions may be divided into posi- Moreover, we may also distinguish between two tive and negative ones. Finally, we may distinguish heritage constituents, i.e. intangible and tangible among various types of heritage functions based on 64 Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75 the sphere which they have an influence on. Based country attractive. In the United Kingdom, in on the analysis of selected literature referring to cul- 2011, built heritage contributed £ 5.1 bn to Brit- tural heritage (Cultural heritage as…; Ashwort, Gra- ish economy (Clayton et al. 2014: 11). Due to the ham, 1997; Graham, 2002; Mazzanti, 2002; Bedate fact that heritage generates profits, it also helps et al., 2004; Mähina-Tuai, 2006; Mälkki, Schmidt- to develop economy at the national, local and re- Thomé, 2010; Waterton, Smith, 2010; Murzyn- gional level. Kupisz, 2012; Clayton et al., 2014), the author lists • Job creation. A derivative of the tourist and eco- the following types of cultural heritage functions: nomic function is the creation of jobs, e.g. in • The educational-cognitive function. It involves tourist services at heritage sites, in museums, popularizing knowledge about heritage among institutions popularizing the knowledge of heri- adults and youth, e.g. pupils or students. This tage (educational, training and research institu- function also regards adult inhabitants of a given tions), as well as in small pr oduction plants. For country, foreign tourists and viewers watching example, in 2011, ca. 134,000 jobs constituted educational TV programs abroad. This function direct employment in built heritage tourism in helps to promote a given country or region, its the United Kingdom. Adding the indirect em- assets, culture and customs, as well as creates ployment and the induced effects generated by its positive image. The function is supported the heritage sector purchasing from other indus- by a variety of products offered to visitors (e.g. tries, the estimated number rose to 393,000 jobs museums, museum lessons, tourist trails, books, (Clayton et al. 2014: 11). Creating jobs is partic- brochures, educational films) by organizations ularly significant socially, as it generates incomes involved in education and heritage promotion, for the local population, leads to a reduction of operating at different levels (e.g. foundations, unemployment and its negative social effects. tourism organizations, authorities). • Place regeneration. Place regeneration takes • The tourist function. It involves generating place through revitalization and development tourist traffic on the basis of interest in heritage. of heritage. It involves regenerating areas with We may refer here to cultural tourism (Rich- valuable pieces of tangible heritage and creating ards, 2001; McKercher, Du Cros, 2002) and her- sustainable and revitalized spaces with renewed itage tourism (Nuryanti, 1996; Yale, 2004). In buildings and new functions (Stratton, 2000; this case, the purpose of a journey is to dis- Tweed, Sutherland, 2007). Place regeneration cover elements of human culture or an element may involve many actors, e.g. city authorities or of heritage. Tourism itself has a number of so- the local community. The process creates jobs cial, economic and spatial impacts which can be and incomes for subcontractors. For instance, called functions. They are also observed in cul- in the United Kingdom, the repair and main- tural and heritage tourism. It is estimated that tenance of historic buildings in 2011 supported “37% of global tourism has a cultural motiva- ca. 180 000 jobs and generated economic output tion. Heritage visitors stay longer, visit twice as of £4.1 bn (Clayton et al., 2014: 12). Moreover, many places, and so spend 2 1/2 times more regeneration often has a wider range because it than other visitors” (see: Cultural heritage as…). requires the redecoration and development of in- • The economic function. Cultural heritage may frastructure, an improvement of the state of the bring profits, as heritage sites are places of con- neighbouring buildings, etc. (for details about sumption (Graham, 2002). At given heritage place regeneration see: Roberts, Sykes, 2000). In sites, tourists spend money on entrance tickets, effect, the living conditions and economic per- tourist services (accommodation, board), and spectives of the local population are improving. goods (food, drinks, souvenirs, fuel). For in- It should also be stressed that regeneration can stance, in 2011, 35% of overseas visitors to the make use of intangible cultural heritage, e.g. as United Kingdom visited castles, churches, and part of culture-led regeneration strategies (Bi- historic houses. According to the British Coun- anchini, Parkinson, 1993; Miles, Paddison, 2005). cil report, cultural and historical attractions are • Place promotion. In this case, we deal with typ- among the most important assets making the ical activities which involve promotion of given Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75 65

localizations through culture, historical monu- es community cohesion as well (Murzyn-Kupisz, ments and events (for more information about 2012; Clayton et al., 2014). place promotion see: Andersson, 2014). As a re- • Protecting and shaping natural environment. sult of using heritage associated with a given Heritage conservation may contribute to the pro- localization, “… the marketing images are por- tection of natural environment and to the sustain- trayed through the medium of urban heritage… able development of heritage sites. Staying under to mark its (place) advantages over other plac- legal protection, such sites are protected from es—not only as a centre of innovation, but also damage and further transformation. Moreover, as a vibrant and attractive living urban environ- we can observe some development of responsi- ment” (Graham, 2002: 1009). ble tourism, connected with heritage preserva- • Socio-cultural impact. Heritage has a number tion. Such projects often include pro-ecological of positive social effects, both as regards indi- technologies (Murzyn-Kupisz, 2012). viduals and social groups (Clayton et al., 2014). It makes it possible to create a sense of national or community belonging, a community sense of 3. The Ironbridge Gorge place, as well as increases individuals’ civic pride World Heritage Site and the level of wellbeing due to the increase of- life satisfaction. The interpretation and selection of heritage has a significant political dimension. The Ironbridge Gorge is a heritage site covering Heritage makes it possible to shape the poli- about six miles of the Valley, situat- tics of memory, promote certain social attitudes ed in County, , or even a given state policy (Henderson, 2011). (Fig.1). It is a hilly area with a deeply cut river val- Heritage has an influence on the social capital; it ley, called the Ironbridge Gorge. There are several creates opportunities to develop new social rela- small destinations situated there, such as Coalbrook- tions and increase knowledge, provides contact dale, Ironbridge, , , Madeley and with tangible and intangible culture, and creates (Fig. 2). The Ironbridge Gorge is known cooperation possibilities (e.g. in local communi- as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution (Alfrey, ties). Cooperating to preserve heritage increas- Clark, 1993).

Fig. 1. Location of the Ironbridge Gorge Source: Author’s elaboration 66 Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75

Fig. 2. Map of Ironbridge Gorge Source: http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/assets/Uploads/2014-LEAFLET-all-pages-lores.pdf

“In 1986, the Ironbridge Gorge became one of of the Industrial Revolution within the six square the first group of 7 UK sites to be awarded World miles of the Ironbridge Gorge. The Ironbridge Gorge Heritage status by UNESCO. The designation of the Museum Trust is a registered independent educa- Ironbridge Gorge as a World Heritage Site recog- tional charity. The aim of this organization is to pro- nised the area’s unique contribution to the birth of tect and develop tangible heritage elements, engage the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the the local community and the visitors in this pro- impact of which was felt across the world. The sur- tection, popularize the knowledge about the Iron- viving built and natural environment with its muse- bridge Gorge through various types of promotional ums, monuments and artefacts, including the world and educational campaigns, and generate tourist famous Iron Bridge of 1779, serve to remind us of traffic based on local heritage. The Trust cares for this area’s unique contribution to the history and 36 scheduled monuments and listed buildings. Ten development of industrialised society” (http://www. of those sites are museums that will be described in ironbridge.org.uk/about-us/world-heritage-site/). detail further in the article. The site also includes a Ironbridge represents tangible and intangible values research library, a tourist information centre, two of heritage distinguished by Ahmad (2006). Thus, youth hostels, archaeological sites, historic wood- we have different historical buildings, as well as lands, housing, two chapels, and two Quaker bur- several events are organized there through the year. ial grounds. More than half of the Trust’s revenue This site should be treated as an area of heritage income comes directly from visitor admissions, in- landscape, described by Carman (2002), which con- cluding Gift Aid, and the remaining balance comes tains of human and environmental spatial elements. from the revenue generated from its retail opera- The items in the Ironbridge Gorge which are tion, conference, tenanted properties, etc. Moreover, most important for the world heritage are managed the cost of conservation and development works is by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. The Trust covered from public subsidies and sponsors’ do- was established in 1967 and its objectives include nations1. The heritage of Ironbridge has important the preservation and interpretation of the remains local, national, European and world functions (Ash- Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75 67 wort, Graham, 1997). The heritage site is important cluding the rise of railway. That increased the de- for local economy, tourism and social development. mand for iron and produced at Darby’s It is also important on the scale of the country: it company, which manufactured cast iron cylinders educates and provides information about the role of for steam engines, cooking utensils and cast iron Britain in Industrial Revolution. From this point of elements of interior design (. Birth- view the unique heritage of Ironbridge Gorge is also place of Industry, 2014). valuable on the European and global scale. Currently, the Coalbrookdale area invites visi- The history of industry in the Ironbridge Gorge tors to several museums, such as The Darby Hous- started in Coalbrookdale, where in 1709 the entre- es from the 18th c. – the Darbys’ property, preserved preneur Abraham Darby smelted for the in its original state. Another facility is the Museum first time in history, using an efficient of Iron, with a variety of iron history-related exhib- fuelled with instead of used earlier. its, including a collection of fine arts castings. The As a result, for the first time, an iron alloy of high- museum also includes a souvenir shop and a café er purity and durability was obtained. Darby im- (Fig. 3). Next to it, there is the , an interac- proved the technology of cast iron production as tive design and technology centre. It is divided into well, by using sand moulds. In mid-18th c., the iron the following areas: Materials & Structures, Systems industry located in Coalbrookdale really began to & Control, Energy & Design. We can also find there take off. The family business was then taken over by a special workshop and an interactive show zone, Abraham Darby II, who continued the production used by school groups during museum lessons. There of cast iron, cooking pots, kettles and other iron is also the Old Furnace there, built at the beginning goods. The next decades brought the development of the 18th c. and used by Abraham Darby for the of new inventions of the Industrial Revolution, in- first of iron with the use of coke (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. Historical objects in Coalbrookdale. Explanation: a – Entrance to the Museum of Iron, b – Inside the Museum of Iron, c – The Old Furnace, d – Coffee shop in the Museum of Iron Source: Author’s photos 68 Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75

Abraham Darby III, the next in the line of Quak- ern end of the town of Ironbridge developed rapidly er industrialists, took over the family business in (Fig. 4). A new town square was built, as well as new Coalbrookdale and decided to build an iron bridge shops and houses. In this way, the bridge became across the River Severn. The bridge was needed to a town-creative factor and contributed to the devel- make transporting raw material to foundries more opment of a new destination, whose name derives convenient. It was designed by Thomas Farnolls from it: the Town of Ironbridge ( and Pritchard and built in 1779. The cast iron elements Town, 2010). At present, the most important tour- of the bridge were cast in one of Darby’s furnaces ist attraction in the town of Ironbridge is the Bridge (The Iron Bridge and Town, 2010). The Iron Bridge and the Tollhouse situated next to it. Going west- was the first of the kind in the world; it also became wards, we can find another interesting facility – the a symbol of the Industrial Revolution and Britain’s Museum of the Gorge, with information, materials eighteen-century industrial achievements (Alfrey, and presentations regarding the natural environment Clark, 1993). After building the bridge, the north- and the history of industry in the Ironbridge Gorge.

Fig. 4. The Iron Bridge and the town Explanation: a – The Iron Bridge, b – The Town of Ironbridge Source: Author’s photo

On the south bank of the River Severn, in Brose- exhibitions there, e.g. the recently-opened John ley, there is another museum, the . Scott Gallery. The museum also includes a work- Broseley developed as an industrial town in the 18th c. shop, a coffee shop and a shop offering ceramic At that time, it was a major , iron manu- goods. Adjacent to the museum is Craven Dun- facture and clay mining centre. Apart from that, the nill & Co Ltd, a company producing valuable wall town was known for producing clay pipes. Nowadays, tiles, floor tiles and specialist ceramics. Another at- we can visit an old pipe production plant, where pipes traction is the modern Fusion gallery, added to the were manufactured until the middle of the 20th c. main Museum building in 2007 (Fig. 5). in Jackfield is anoth- Coalport, situated opposite Jackfield, is a small er place connected with the production of ceramic former industrial settlement based on mining. At tiles used in construction. The museum is locat- present, its tourist attractions are the , ed in buildings which belong to the former Craven Blists Hill Victorian Town and the Coalport Chi- Dunnill Factory, built in 1874. The facility accom- na Museum. The Tar Tunnel was built in the 18th c. modates extremely interesting expositions of tiles in order to connect the River Severn with the min- produced in the factory. They imitate different kinds ing areas situated on the hill. However, as a result of sets, such as the 1930s Domestic Residence, Tube of finding bitumen deposits, the construction of the Station, etc. (Fig. 5). Moreover, we will find many tunnel was abandoned and the material started to Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75 69 be mined underground. Today, in the Tar Tunnel we constructed and adjusted to the needs of an open- can find an underground tourist trail. Blists Hill Vic- air museum. The area includes houses, shops and torian Town is an open-air museum representing the workplaces, pubs, restaurants and cafes, where cus- way of life in a Victorian town in the 19th c. We can tomers are served by appropriately trained employ- find here a town, ironworks and countryside areas, ees, dressed in historical costumes. In this way, the where numerous events are organized. The buildings place acquires the look and atmosphere of a small come from the 19th c.; some of them were later re- industrial town from the end of Queen Victoria’s era.

Fig. 5. Jackfield Tile Museum and its surrounding institutions Explanation: a – Inside the Jackfield Tile Museum, b – Shop in the Jackfield Tile Museum, c – Fusion gallery, d – &Co Ltd. Source: Author’s photos

An interesting facility is the Coalport China Mu- 4. The results seum, accommodated in the former china factory es- of the Ironbridge Trust activity tablished by John Rose, which operated in 1795–1926. One may see here the bottle-shaped chimneys of the factory as well as the buildings of the Coalport Chi- The Ironbridge Gorge performs many functions typi- na Factory. Visitors can watch live demonstrations of cal of heritage areas. Based on a theoretical overview traditional china production techniques. In the mu- presented in Part 2 of this article, the functions of the seum, tourists will find a cafe and a gift shop selling Ironbridge Gorge Heritage Site may be divided into a range of china products and souvenirs. Nearby the educational-cognitive, tourist, economic ones, those museum, there is also a Youth Hostel. involving job creation, urban regeneration, place pro- 70 Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75 motion, socio-cultural impacts, as well as the protec- From the educational point of view, an important tion and formation of natural environment. area is Blists Hill Victorian Town. Here, we may see The educational-cognitive function is enacted by how people from the Victorian age used to live, not visiting facilities in the area of the Heritage Site, in- only thanks to the revitalized buildings, but also the cluding first of all the ten museums described in employees and volunteers who work in local cos- the previous part and administered by the Iron- tumes recreating the atmosphere of the past epoch. bridge Trust. In 2009 and 2010, they were visited The different events, which should be included into by 567,000, and in 2012 and 2013 by 525,000 peo- intangible heritage values (see: Amad, 2006), organ- ple annually. This aspect is extremely important, as ized there attract lots of school groups, among oth- the museums offer expositions, present films, pro- ers. It may be said that those re-enactment activities motional materials and souvenirs illustrating the are an element of the intangible heritage connected history of British industry. In that way, the actions with the past of this place (The Ironbridge Gorge of Ironbridge Trust educate the visitors and show Museum…, 2014). them the history of early stages of industrial revolu- The development of tourism and local economy tion in Britain. Thus, the heritage site is a tool used and job creation are the next important effects of for educational and cognitive purposes (Richards, the Ironbridge Trust’s activity and the facilities it ad- 2001; Robinson, 2010), and visiting the Ironbridge ministers. Cultural heritage is an economic resource Gorge could be treated as an act of receiving mem- for the present (Graham, Howard, 2008), and on ories and knowledge (Smith, 2006). Besides, they its basis different economic activities could be de- are shown on TV and other media, not only in veloped (Rizzo, Mignosa, 2013). The main element the United Kingdom, but also abroad. In this way, attracting visitors including cultural and heritage they contribute to the popularization of informa- tourists are museums and other facilities connect- tion about the history of the country and industry; ed with heritage (Richards, 2001; Robinson, 2010; they educate the society internationally, nationally, Murzyn-Kupisz, 2012). This is also one of the most regionally and locally. They also generate the sense important factors in the case of Ironbridge Gorge. of national pride with the country’s achievements The events, including those organized in Blists Hill in the industrialization era (The Ironbridge Gorge Victorian Town, Enginuity and other museums are Museum…, 2014). of great importance for tourism and economic de- Another important aspect is the education of the velopment as well. For instance, the Annual World youth. The positive role of trusts managing the her- Heritage Festival held in 2013 was attended by over itage site in the education of school children was al- 6000 visitors. In 2014, there were 44 different events ready described by O’Donnchadha and O’Connor connected with the history of the Heritage Site or- (1996: 153). In Ironbridge Gorge, in 2013, there ganized in the Ironbridge Gorge. Visitors to the were about 75,000 school visits organized to the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site come from museums. The Ironbridge museums were among various parts of the world and different regions the most visited museums for schools outside Lon- of the United Kingdom. About 7% of the overall don. An important educational facility is the En- number of the visitors come from abroad and over ginuity museum in Coalbrookdale, where children a half of the visiting Britons from the West Midlands and youth may see various inventions at work, e.g. region (http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/about-us/ the , car or . In 2013, the ironbridge-gorge-museum-trust/facts-and-figures/, Fabrication Laboratory was started there, where you The Ironbridge Gorge Museum…, 2014). Due to the can build prototypes of new ideas. A significant ac- tourist activity, it is also possible to educate peo- tivity related not only to education but also sci- ple about heritage, its significance and functions ence and international promotion of the Ironbridge (Murzyn-Kupisz, 2012). Those activities are also im- Gorge, is the cooperation with the University of Bir- portant for local communities; thus, they are con- mingham, institutionalized in the form of the Iron- sulted with and co-organized by local inhabitants. bridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage Due to those activities people have an opportunity for over 30 years. The Institute’s objective is to edu- to cooperate, develop community pride as well as cate about, as well as conduct research on heritage. social capital (Smith, 2006). Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75 71

Heritage is a public good but it needs money clude 8 shops, 6 restaurants and coffee shops, which for its maintenance and restoration (Ready, Navrud, also generate profits http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/( 2002). On one hand, heritage as an economic value assets/Uploads/2014-LEAFLET-all-pages-lores.pdf). generates income and jobs as well as allows to pro- Moreover, the Ironbridge Gorge is an important mote the heritage site. From the other hand, her- tourist destination generating substantial income for itage requires resources in order to redevelop and local business. On the TripAdvisor website, we can revitalize the heritage areas and buildings (Rizzo, find over 6300 reviews of the Ironbridge Heritage Site Mignosa, 2013). That money could be acquired pri- (January 2015.). It is estimated that the Ironbridge marily from tourism activities realized within her- Trust generates around £20m of income annually, itage sites (McKercher, Du Cros, 2002), as well as which is a part of the visitor economy of Shropshire from donations or public funding (Rizzo, Migno- area. (http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/about-us/iron- sa, 2013). Tourism generates important incomes bridge-gorge-museum-trust/facts-and-figures/). Ac- financing the activity of the Ironbridge Trust (ad- cording to http://www.ironbridgeguide.info/, there are mission fees finance ca. 50% of the Ironbridge Trust 17 different accommodation facilities, 5 main shop- activities) and creating conditions for site redevel- ping areas, and 10 large restaurants and pubs serv- opment activities. The Ironbridge Trust facilities in- ing tourist services in the Ironbridge Gorge (Fig. 6).

Fig. 6. One of restaurants and accommodation facilities in Ironbridge Town. Source: Author’s photo

As regards job creation, the Trust supports ities mentioned before, as well as shops for tourists, around 160 full-time equivalent jobs directly and which also provide employment for the inhabitants hundreds indirectly, in terms of its tenanted prop- of the area. erties and wider creative and visitor economies. With regard to the regeneration activities, the As well as employing around 200 staff, the Trust Ironbridge Trust has invested over £30 m in the de- enjoys the support of over 400 regular local vol- velopment and conservation of the local historic as- unteers (http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/about-us/ sets in the last 15 years. In this respect, the Trust ironbridge-gorge-museum-trust/facts-and-figures/). has enjoyed substantial support from the Heritage What is more, because of the presence of desti- Lottery Fund, European Regional Development nations such as Coalbrookdale, Ironbridge Town, Fund, the Regional Development Agency, trusts and Broseley, Jackfield, Madeley or Coalport, there have foundations, commercial sponsorship, covenants appeared the gastronomy and accommodation facil- and private donors (http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/ 72 Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75 about-us/ironbridge-gorge-museum-trust/facts- 5. Summary and-figures/). The creation of heritage protected areas is a way of redevelopment and revitalization of valuable architectural and historical sites (see: The main aim of this article was to show that Stratton, 2000; Tweed, Sutherland, 2007). Without a World Heritage Site functions may have a sig- the activity of the Ironbridge Trust, it would not nificant and varied influence on the local and re- be possible to maintain the historical buildings in gional development. The author wanted to prove it the Ironbridge Gorge in a good condition. For in- using a specific example of the Ironbridge Gorge in stance, in 2013, on the premises of Coalbrokdale, the United Kingdom. It should be stressed that the about 300 different redevelopment programs were majority of the heritage functions described in lit- run, which were financed by the Trust. A particu- erature are confirmed in this particular case study larly large amount of work and money was invested (Fig. 7). in the reconstruction of Blists Hill Victorian Town (The Ironbridge Gorge Museum…, 2014). The wide-ranging activity of the Ironbridge Trust would not be possible without a variety of ac- tivities promoting the Ironbridge Heritage Site. The Trust pursued a successful regional marketing cam- paign, which included TV advertising, traditional print advertising (leaflets), as well as e-marketing. The promotional campaign on TV was run with the use of PR tools, such as educational or tourist programs. The events organized in the Ironbridge Gorge are also used as elements of promotion. An important tool is the Internet (websites and social networks). The Ironbridge Trust and its facilities is also an example of activity aiming at sustainable local de- velopment and development of pro-environmental attitudes. That function of heritage sites was already mentioned by Murzyn-Kupisz (2012). In 2014, the Fig. 7. Functions of the Ironbridge Heritage Site on the lo- Gold Star Green Tourism Award in Museums was cal and regional scale awarded to the Ironbridge Trust for achievements in Source: Author’s elaboration sustainable tourism. Green Tourism is a non-prof- it organization, founded in 1997. It is the world’s As regards the local functions, contact with her- largest sustainable certification scheme. Its aim is to itage has a cognitive and educational value (Smith, maintain the UK destinations as sustainable tour- 2006) which was confirmed in the case of Iron- ism areas. The Green Tourism award is presented to bridge. Promotional materials, broadcasts and places that take different actions to support the lo- commercials on TV and the Internet, lessons for cal area and the wider environment. Businesses that children and youth from regional schools, as well meet the standards recognized by Green Tourism as the activity of the Ironbridge Institute are all ac- could be awarded one of the Green Tourism Busi- tivities with educational purposes. Apart from the ness Scheme awards: Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Every local inhabitants, also people from all over Britain company or destination that wants to receive such and other countries can discover the industrial her- an award is evaluated as regards Management and itage of the area. Marketing, Social Involvement and Communica- The presence of heritage makes it possible for tion, Energy, Water, Purchasing, Waste, Travel, Nat- the heritage or cultural tourism to develop (see: Nu- ural and Cultural Heritage and Innovation (http:// ryanti, 1996; Richards, 2001; Yale, 2004). The de- www.green-tourism.com/). velopment of tourism based on heritage and the Waldemar Cudny / Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series / 36 (2017): 61–75 73 resulting promotion of a given destination is an in- Notes valuable local phenomenon (Graham, 2002). Since there are no large industrial plants in the Iron- bridge Gorge, tourism is crucial to the development (1) Based on: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/ of local economy. It generates incomes for compa- funding/browse-regularly-funded-organisa- nies (e.g. those offering trade, gastronomic or hotel tions/npo/ironbridge-gorge-museum-trust/; services) and contributes to job creation. Heritage http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/about-us/iron- becomes a local and regional economic commod- bridge-gorge-museum-trust/facts-and-figures/; ity (see: Graham, 2002) also due to the revitaliza- http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Show- tion and regeneration processes, which in the last charity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB. 15 years have cost about £30m as regards the Iron- aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=503717&Sub- bridge Gorge Heritage Site. A part of these means sidiaryNumber=0; http://www.ironbridge.org. supported the local economy by placing orders uk/about-us/ironbridge-gorge-museum-trust/ with small construction or transport companies. A place on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the activity of the Ironbridge Trust made it possible Acknowledgment to preserve and regenerate material remnants of the industrial age. Without it, the Ironbridge Gorge fa- cilities would have been destroyed or at least irre- The author is grateful to Professor Mike Robinson, versibly transformed. Director of the Ironbridge Institute at the Universi- Moreover, local heritage performs important so- ty of , UK and to Dr Matt Thompson, cio-cultural functions (Smith, 2006). In this case, Senior Curator at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum due to the cooperation developing around heri- Trust, UK for their assistance. tage projects conducted by the Ironbridge Trust (e.g. in the form of social consultations or volun- tary activity), many social objectives are reached. They include an increase in the community sense of the place, social cohesion, the creation of new References social contacts, cooperation, as well as the develop- ment of knowledge through contact with tangible and intangible culture. In the case of a heritage site Ahmad, Y., 2006: The scope and definition s of heritage: which includes natural and man-made elements, from tangible to intangible. In: International Journal it is possible to create pro-environmental attitudes of Heritage Studies, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 292-300. and achieve sustainable development (see: Murzyn- Alfrey, J. and Clark, C., 1993: The Landscape of Indus- Kupisz, 2012). That is what happened in the Iron- try: Patterns of Change in the Iron- bridge Gorge, bridge Gorge, which was appreciated by granting London - New York: Routledge. the Gold Star Green Tourism Award to the Iron- Andersson, I., 2014: Placing place branding: an analysis bridge Trust in 2014. of an emerging research field in human geography. As we can see, Ironbridge Gorge performs many In: Geografisk Tidsskrift-Danish Journal of Geography, local and regional functions. They involve a variety Vol. 114, No. 2, pp. 143-155. of activities, from educational, through tourism-re- Ashwort, G.J. and Graham, B., 1997: Heritage identity lated, to economic, social or even sustainable de- and Europe. In: Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale velopment activities (Fig. 3). On the other hand, geografie, Vol. 88, No. 4, pp. 381-388. the activities have an effect on heritage, promoting Bianchini, F. and Parkinson, M. editors, 1993, Cultural it or financing its preservation and regeneration. 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