Darby Houses
With a National Art Pass you get
Darby Houses are two neighbouring 18th-century homes of Quaker ironmasters in Ironbridge Gorge, offering a glimpse into their lives.
Located within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, the Darby Houses are a unique museum experience offering insight into the lives of the Darby family, Quaker ironmasters who played a pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution.
Step back in time
The museum comprises two of the Darby family's surviving homes, Rosehill House and Abraham Darby House. Rosehill House, in particular, is a captivating time capsule where you can explore grand rooms, meticulously furnished to reflect the lifestyle of a wealthy 1850s industrialist family. Here, you’ll also find original family heirlooms, from furniture and clothing to personal belongings. You can even dress up in period costume to add to the experience.
Legacy of innovation
The Darby Houses is that they overlook the very ironworks that the family helped establish, Coalbrookdale Ironworks. See where their innovations were put into practice, including designing the world’s first iron bridge.
A part of Ironbridge
The Darby Houses are one of ten museum sites within the Ironbridge Gorge World UNESCO Heritage Site telling the story of the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Other nearby Ironbridge attractions include the Museum of the Gorge and Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron and Blists Hill Victorian Town.
Visitor information
Address
Darby Road, Coalbrookdale, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 7EW
01952 433424
Opening times
Unfortunately it is not currently possible to visit the rooms where the Darby family lived as the Darby Houses are closed in 2025 while conservation work funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund takes place.
Visitor information
The more you see, the more we do.
The National Art Pass lets you enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, while raising money to support them.