Iron Bridge

Iron Bridge, located in the picturesque town of Ironbridge in Shropshire, is the world's first iron bridge. Cast by ironmaster Abraham Darby III, it was erected over the River Severn in 1779. The view of the wooded gorge from the railings of the bridge is spectacular, the sky no longer obscured by smoke and acrid with sulphur, as it must have been in the early Victorian period. Nature has reclaimed the gorge, aided in no small part by UNESCO which proclaimed Iron Bridge Gorge a World Heritage Site in 1986.

The spectacular gorge was rich in coal, iron, and limestone, and the Severn River was the second busiest river in Europe, providing access downstream to the bustling port of Bristol. The tollhouse on one side of the bridge provides an interesting history of the bridge, which was built largely of "made to fit" components and proved a financial burden to Darby who severely underestimated the cost to build the structure. He remained in debt for the rest of his life.

The bridge's arch spans 100 feet and has five arch ribs, each cast in two halves. All the major parts were put together in three months without a single accident or the least obstruction to the boats in the river. When it was finally complete, artists, writers, and engineers came from all over the world to marvel at the unique design. Today, the Iron Bridge is considered an important symbol of the Industrial Revolution.

Date of Our Last Visit: July 2005