Volunteers angry after pipe museum closure

A museum dedicated to pipe-making will not be opening in 2025 - and volunteers there have said the decision has made them "very angry."

Broseley Pipeworks in Shropshire is run by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT) and displays examples of the creation of clay tobacco pipes - once an important industry for the town.

Dr Ian West is an archaeologist of the industrial era, as well as a volunteer at the museum, and said he was "disappointed that no attempt was made to consult with the volunteer community".

A spokesperson for the museum trust said the decision not to open had "not been taken lightly", and was "in response to the challenging financial situation."

Since the 1990s, the pipeworks has been educating people about a skill that has been part of the town for centuries.

But the site, along with the Tar Tunnel will not be opening in 2025, while the Darby Houses is also shut due to conservation work.

The pipeworks is not open year-round, instead welcoming visitors during tourist high-seasons, like the Easter and summer holidays.

Dr West said the volunteer team only found out about the closure in January.

"We're disappointed that we weren't given the chance - we weren't consulted on solutions to keep the site open," he said.

Dr West said he believed the running costs for the small museum are "very little."

Tobacco pipes were a huge export for the town, and in its heyday, two workshops made as many as five million pipes a year.

These local pipes were internationally known as Broseleys, with the industry a key part of the town's heritage.

Dr West said the pipeworks were a hugely significant part of the Ironbridge Gorge, a World Heritage Site.

"The name of the town was carried all over the world with these pipes, and it's a very important feature," he said, adding that "lots of people had ancestors who worked here, so it has quite an important emotional connection with the town."

He added that last year, the museum had about 900 visitors - despite only being open for 18 days.

"It's not an insignificant amount," he said.

Karen Davies, interim Chief Executive Officer at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said "we completely understand the disappointment" and appreciated "the importance of the Pipeworks".

"The decision not to open Broseley Pipeworks has not been taken lightly, and is in response to the challenging financial situation that the trust, an independent charity, finds itself in," she said.

Ms Davies added that this year's closure did "not put [Broseley Pipeworks] at risk... nor does it mean that the pipeworks are closed indefinitely".

"Whilst in the short term we cannot change our decision, we are considering various options to enable the pipeworks to open in 2026."

But Dr West and his fellow volunteers remain concerned about the museum's future.

He said they recognised that IGMT has financial challenges, but believe "closing this site isn't the answer".

Dr West said he was worried that there "absolutely" was a risk that the museum could close for good.

"If this site closes, it may never reopen - and that's why we want to nip this in the bud and open it this year."

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