The Iron Bridge spanned a wild gorge of the River Severn near Coalbrookdale in 1779. Iron founders and budding industrialists rushed to see it.
Photo credit: britainonview-Pawel Libera
The Iron Bridge - first opened in 1781 (part of the UNESCO Ironbridge Gorge
World Heritage Site) spans the Severn Gorge at Ironbridge.
A huge number of early industries gathered around this strikingly beautiful river gorge in rural Shropshire in the late 18th century. Soon, contemporaries described it as "the most extraordinary district in the world".
So much of that early industrialization survived into the 20th century, that the story of the products that set the industrial revolution on its path, and the machines that made them, is still visibly told. With its 18th century furnaces, factories, workshops and canals, the Ironbridge Gorge became known as "The Birthplace of Industry".
Today, there are 10 museums on 80 acres at the Iron Bridge Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site. The award winning museums range from china and tile makers to an entire, recreated Victorian town. Ironbridge Gorge is enormously popular with families and anyone interested in the early industries.