Broseley Pipeworks

About the museum

Broseley Pipeworks is a Grade II listed clay tobacco pipe factory in Broseley, Shropshire, within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. Clay pipes had been made in Broseley since around 1590, and the Southorn family became one of the most prolific makers in Britain, exporting pipes worldwide. The works ceased production as one of the last clay pipe factories in the United Kingdom in the late 1950s.

The buildings then stood almost untouched for decades, and the factory was reopened as a museum in 1996, when it was looked after by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Little has changed in the workshops, and the site now gives a time capsule view of an industry that lasted around 300 years. Original equipment is still in place, and a clay pipe maker sometimes demonstrates how pipes were made by hand.

In 2026 the Ironbridge Gorge museums, including the Pipeworks, passed to the National Trust. The Pipeworks does not have regular opening hours at present; it is shown on guided tours on selected dates that have to be booked in advance.

Highlights

• Preserved clay tobacco pipe factory, largely unchanged since the 1950s
• Original workshops and pipe-making equipment
• Guided tours with the history of Broseley pipe makers
• Part of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site

Permanent exhibition

• The Broseley clay pipe factory – A preserved clay pipe factory with workshops and equipment as left in the 1950s, shown on a guided tour.

Founded

1996

Operated by

National Trust

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The reception entrance is step-free, but the site is a preserved industrial building with uneven floors, narrow passages, low ceilings and low lighting, and the workshops are reached through passages that some mobility equipment cannot use. Upper floors are reached by narrow winding staircases with no lift. There is one ambulant unisex toilet with grab rails. Parking on site is limited and gravelled, with no Blue Badge bays. A subtitled film and an information pack are available on the ground floor.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The Pipeworks stands on Duke Street, about 500 metres from the centre of Broseley, and is signposted with brown heritage signs from Ironbridge and from the M54 (junctions 4 or 6).

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available

No café or catering on site; the nearest facilities are at Blists Hill.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit