IRONBRIDGE Gorge Museum Trust has been named as a finalist in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2014.

As a finalist the museum goes forward to an awards ceremony, on Monday, May 12, at Cheltenham Racecourse, where it is guaranteed to receive a gold, silver, bronze or highly commended award.

The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2014 celebrate the best of English tourism. They promote healthy industry competition and high standards, helping to ensure England's place as a world-class destination. This year, they have attracted 368 applications, an increase of 15 per cent over 2013.

James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland, said: “I would like to congratulate all those nominated as finalists for this year’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.

"We receive hundreds of applications each year of an extremely high standard, so it is a tremendous achievement for the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust to become a finalist and to represent the top five in their category in England. I wish all the finalists the very best of luck at the awards ceremony in May.”

The 10 Ironbridge Gorge Museums are spread across six square miles of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, together attracting more than 500,000 visitors during 2013. Intended for venues that welcome more than 50,000 visitors per annum, the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Category will be judged on the overall quality of the experience they provide.

Anna Brennand, chief executive at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “To have reached the shortlist of these highly regarded, national awards is a testament to the dedication of our team, many of whom are volunteers, and their passion towards achieving excellence.”