ABSTRACT
During the last quarter of a century, there has been a burgeoning of popular interest in the recent past.1 One of the most remarkable aspects of this trend has been an enthusiasm for visiting and studying machines, buildings and landscapes associated with the Industrial Revolution. This chapter will consider popular support for industrial museums and heritage centres, approaches to interpretation, and their potential in educational terms. Particular attention will be given to the Ironbridge Gorge in eastern Shropshire where many key developments in iron production and engineering occurred in the eighteenth century; the maritime museum at Albert Dock, Liverpool, one of the finest examples of British industrial architecture; and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester housed in the world’s earliest surviving passenger station.
