Moira Furnace Museum

About the museum

Moira Furnace was built in 1804 by the Earl of Moira to smelt iron from ore and coal found on his land in the Ashby Woulds. It stood beside the Ashby Canal, which carried raw materials and finished iron. The furnace began work in 1806 but was troubled by technical problems and was abandoned around 1811, with part of its last charge still inside. A foundry on the site carried on for some decades using imported pig iron.

Afterwards the bridgehouse and engine house were used as homes. By the 1970s the buildings were derelict and damaged by mining subsidence, and the engine house was lost. Campaigners won protection for the furnace and bridgehouse as a scheduled monument, and North West Leicestershire District Council bought the site in 1981 and restored it as a museum and country park.

Today the museum is run by Moira Furnace Museum Trust, a charity formed in 1989. The Museum of Iron Making explains how iron was made from ore, coal and limestone, and a social history gallery tells of the families who lived at the furnace and engine house for more than a century. The site also includes a section on the history of the Ashby Canal, a shop with a refreshment counter, and a vintage narrowboat that gives short trips on the restored canal in season. The surrounding country park is free to enter and is open all year.

Highlights

• Restored blast furnace of 1804 and bridgehouse
• Museum of Iron Making in the bridge loft
• Social history gallery on the furnace families and local coal mining
• Narrowboat trips on the Ashby Canal on the Joseph Wilkes
• 36-acre country park in the National Forest

Permanent exhibitions

• Museum of Iron Making – Shows how ore, coal and limestone were combined to make iron and how the furnace looked more than 200 years ago.
• Social History Gallery – Tells the story of the families who lived at the furnace and engine house and of life in a North Leicestershire coal mining area.
• Ashby Canal display – Explains the history of the top section of the Ashby Canal and why the canal came to Moira.

Founded

1985

Operated by

Moira Furnace Museum Trust Ltd (registered charity 702783)

Admission & discounts

Museum tickets are bought at the museum during opening hours. The country park is free to enter. Private boat hire is available for up to 12 passengers by arrangement.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

A family ticket is available for the museum and for the boat trips.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the National Forest between Leicester, Derby and Tamworth. Drive via the M42, A42 or A444 and follow the brown signs; the postcode for satellite navigation is DE12 6AT.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

A takeaway refreshment counter in the museum shop sells hot and cold drinks, ice cream, cakes and snacks. There is no indoor seating, but there are picnic benches outside.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit