The British Ironworks is an open air museum with so many fantastic sculptures you wont believe they have all been made from waste materials onsite. This Forge, silversmiths and sculpture park near Oswestry in Shropshire is a stand out attraction for many reasons which is why I travelled the 70 minutes drive to get there.
The British Iron Works is perfect for a family day out. You can enjoy an interesting and fun walk around the sculpture park, with over 100 safari park animals formed from metal or other materials. There are also characters from film and tv including a monstrous Optimus Prime, Super Heroes and plenty of Minions. As if the sculpture trail wasn't enough there is also an amazing cafe, a children's play area, an Aladdin's cave of a shop filled with wonderful home accessories, a Blacksmiths workshop, plus some independent shops too.
Top Info
🦁 Over 100 Safari Animal Sculpture
🚖 Sculptures of the famous Transformers and other film characters
😃 Minions sculptures and trail
👶Suitable for all ages
👶Pushchair / Wheelchair friendly
👣 Trails sheets available
🍭 Treats available for when complete a Trail
🎂 Amazing Cafe
🛝 Children's play area
🏠 Large showroom with lots of home accessories
🏠 Independent shops
❤ Seasonal events
🚗 Whitehall, Aston, Oswestry Shropshire SY11 4JH
Renowned for the Knife Angel, Spoon Gorilla and the Manchester Bee. All their sculptures are impressive but also have an important message. Each sculpture is sat with an information board. Telling you about the materials used and the reason behind the piece of artwork. It is the perfect place for children to explore and learn more about our Earth’s beautiful wildlife whilst burning off some of their energy!
As well as the Safari and extinction trail there are just lots of sculptures everywhere. From dragons sitting on the top of cars, or monsters towering over you as you enter the cafe they are everywhere and of everything. It is just so much fun to spot them and I couldn't help but want to photograph them all to.
The British Ironworks is proud to be the only attraction in Shropshire that is FREE for children all year round and even adults are FREE when it is off peak.
Children's Trail Sheets
If you visit with children then there are a few different trail sheets to do to make the sculpture park even more fun. These can be collected from the entrance as you pay to come in.
The trails available are:
Minion trail - These are easy to spot being bright yellow, with an extra task of translating Minion language to English for each minion you find. A couple were missing their sticker though so we couldn't complete this.
Super Hero Action Trail - Find all the Super Heroes dotted around the park.
Endangered Safari Trail - Tick off all the endangered animals as you find them with a couple of questions to answer too.
Dog Trail - try and find all the dog silhouettes along the route, and each silhouette also features a hidden fact about that breed.
On the back of each trail sheet are a few more themed games and quizzes to play so i was really impressed with these trail sheets. They are really nicely designed and help children engage with the trail.
The Extinction Trail
The Extinction trail displays all the endangered species. each has an information board full of interesting facts such as their habitat, what they eats, their natural predators and why they are endangered. It is a great trail to engage conversation with your children. We read the information outloud together and discussed it. The sculptures are as big as the real animals so even though they are made from metal or other materials it really hit homes about how these animals are being hunted or dying out. The trail is 2km long and has a good solid path to follow. It is a great way to mix education with fun and exercise. Once the trail is completed, every child will receive a certificate and be given the opportunity to make a ‘Conservation Promise’ regarding what they believe they can do to save our earth’s creatures.
School Trips
The British Ironworks offers free educational school trip, which address the climate and global wildlife crises. They also provide free refreshments for children and teachers.
Forge Cafe
The Forge Café is open every day, serving an array of delicious and mouth-watering goodies. Inside the beautifully decorated cafe you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or their monumental afternoon tea. Their food isn't complicated but simple, good food served well. The staff are so friendly and always have a smile on their face and i loved our waiter having a Union Jack Bow Tie on. The setting of the cafe is also artistic like the rest of the Ironworks. The chairs we sat on were old car seats and the ceiling and walls are full of sculptures and art work.
⭐The cafe is so good i have written a whole separate review about it. You can find it by clicking here. Forge Cafe at The British Ironworks (daysoutandmealsout.com)
Play Area
There's a children's area with a large wooden climbing frame with slides, sandpit and tunnels for your little ones to enjoy. There are picnic tables near by so parents can sit and watch their children play. In the summer there is also a small coffee stall here to grab a quick drink while they are entertained too.
Knife Angel Sculpture
The sculpture, made from over 100,000 seized blades, was specifically created to highlight the negative effects of violent behaviour whilst solidifying our critical need for social change. The Knife Angel tours around the Uk so isn't always at The British Ironworks
Manchester Anti-Violence Bee Monument
As the first UK sculpture to be made entirely of firearms, this Bee Monument is a dedicated monument for Greater Manchester, to become a catalyst for an area specific anti-violence programme.
Dog Friendly
Dog are welcome on a lead in the outside areas at British Ironworks.
Walking routes around the sculpture park have plenty of water stations and waste bins. There is also doggy ice cream and complimentary dog bags and dog biscuits. There is even a dog trail where you have to try and find all the dog silhouettes along the route, and each silhouette also features a hidden fact about that breed, so again more education and fun.
💰Prices (Feb 2024)
The prices change through out the year, sometimes its actually free but even when you do have to pay, it is so reasonably priced. Children are free all year! Yes that's right. FREE
🧑Adults between October - February are free
🧑Adults between March - Sept are £7.50
🧑Concessions are £5 which even includes Facebook top fans, NHS workers, Ukraine Refugees, Senior Citizens, Carers, Food Bank users, Blue Badge Holders, Armed Forces and SY Postcode.
🧑Schools, Groups and Coaches are FREE
Become a member
For just £20.00 a year you can join their membership club, which gives you unlimited visits for 12 months. Children are free and do not need to pay a membership fee to join the club. Your membership card will also get you fantastic discounts in the café, along with 10% off goods in the showroom.
Hire an Electric Scooter, Golf Buggy or Kick Scooter.
What better way to travel around our stunning sculpture park than on wheels
Electric scooters are perfect fun for adults. £40 for 40 minutes of electrically charged fun!
Golf Buggy for up to 4 people From just £30 for 30 minutes, or £50 for 60 minutes.
Kick Scooters are perfect for older children. Just £5 for 60 minutes
Simply enquire at their welcome desk on your next visit and scoot around!
Recycling
They are the National Champions of Sculpture and Recycling! Inside the shop you will find lots of places to recycle items. They collect all sorts such as crisp packets, bottle lids, old face masks, bras, pens etc.
Our Verdict
One of the best trails I've been to and i loved everything about the attraction. The sculptures are amazing pieces of art while being educational and fun for children. There are so many sculptures that i kept spotting new ones as walking around. The fact there are trail sheets for children ( or adults) makes it even more fun as who doesn't like ticking off things you find. Also it isn't a load of walking as the sculptures are all quite close together so its great for little legs or people who cant walk a long way. But if you do struggle you can hire a golf buggy to get around or even scooters for the kids. Plus a visit to the Forge cafe for a spot of lunch or a cheeky treat is a great bonus to the attraction. Finally, the fact that it is a cheap day out with children being free makes it even better. I was happy to drive to 70minutes to get here but i do wish i lived closer as id go a few times a year if so.
Press Visit Feb 2024
If you are after new family friendly walks in Cheshire I have created a list which you can find here. Family Walks in Cheshire (daysoutandmealsout.com)
Comments