The Iron Bridge Shop The Iron Bridge The world's first cast iron bridge was built over the River Severn at Coalbrookdale in 1779. Not only iron founders and industrial spies flocked to see this wondrous bridge, but also artists and travellers. The Bridge had a far reaching impact: on local society and the economy, on bridge design and on the use of cast iron in building. The story of the bridge's conservation begins in 1784 with reports of cracks in the Southern abutments, and is brought up to date with the English Heritage sponsored work of 1999. BUILDING BIG: Databank: Iron Bridge Purpose: Roadway (original), Pedestrian (Today) Materials: Cast iron Longest Single Span: 100 feet Engineer(s): Abraham Darby III, Thomas Farnolls Pritchard The Severn Gorge in Shropshire, England, had all the resources necessary to become a thriving industrial area. The spectacular gorge was rich in coal, iron , and limestone, and the Severn River was the second busiest river in Europe. The only thing the thriving industrial community needed was a bridge to transport raw materials across the river to the industries in the valley.

Shropshire had more iron factories within a two-mile radius than any other city in the world, so it seemed only logical to build the new bridge with iron. Click photo for larger image. In 1773, architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard proposed a single-arch bridge that would span the Severn Gorge. Arch bridges do not require supporting piers , so an arch across the Severn River would not block the passage of boats on the busy waterway. Unfortunately, Pritchard died in 1777, before the bridge was even built. Local businessmen commissioned Abraham Darby III, a local ironmaster, to complete the bridge. Darby's bridge was the first in the world to be made entirely of cast iron . 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 a British National Monument.

Here's how this bridge stacks up against some of the longest-spanning bridges in the world. (total length, in feet) Iron Bridge 100' Fast Facts: Darby severely underestimated the cost to build the Iron Bridge. He remained in debt for the rest of his life. In 1934, after years of repairs, the Iron Bridge was closed to vehicles and listed as an "Ancient Monument." So many people gathered on the Iron Bridge in 1979 to celebrate its 200th birthday, pieces of the bridge actually broke off and dropped into the river. Today, no more than 200 people are allowed on the bridge at any time. Wilkinson Iron Bridge Part 2 The Background to the Bridge The iron bridge, spanning the River Severn near Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, is universally esteemed as a monument to its presumed builder, Abraham Darby III. This has not always been the case. Abraham Darby has not always been given credit for building the bridge - which passed, during the early years of the present century, from being one of the wonders of the industrial world to being an eyesore and a white elephant.

In 1949 one Edmund Vale was moved to write ï¿½About half a mile down stream there is a free bridge, but no doubt they will, in time, make another on the old site. If so, 1 venture to hope that the authorities will use more discretion than they did at Atcham. A derelict bridge is an unsightly embarrassment and spoils the view. It would be better to take it down (as could quite easily be done in this case) and re-erect it at some place like Whipsnade where it could be both used and well seenï¿½. Mercifully, nobody heeded Mr. Vale for some years. Ownership of the bridge and its tolls had passed into the hands of the Rathbones, a Quaker family in Liverpool. Wheeled traffic was then no longer allowed but foot passengers still paid a halfpenny toll between 6 am and 9 pm. In October 1950 a ceremony took place in which Major Rathbone, representing the family, symbolically threw the key into the river and handed the bridge over into the care of the Shropshire County Council.

The traditional halfpenny toll from foot passengers was no longer worth the effort of collecting, the bridge was in a poor state of repair and it soon became an embarrassment and a nuisance to the County Council. In 1953 the original Minute Book, which provides some valuable information concerning the origins of the bridge, was discovered in the County Library at Shrewsbury. In 1956 the County Council proposed demolishing the bridge and replacing it with a more modern structure. William H. Butler, on whose shoulders the mantle of Thomas Famous Pritchard and Thomas Telford had fallen, drew up a plan for a new bridge. Following the advice of Edmund Vale, Butler proposed demolishing the original bridge (my copy of his plan makes no mention of Whipsnade) and building a new one on the same site. This seems to suggest that the original designer had chosen the ideal - possibly the only - site for a bridge over that part of the Gorge. There matters rested for a while. The late Brigadier Goulburn told me, some years ago, the story of what happened next.

As a County Councillor he had been at a meeting in Shrewsbury one evening when the proposed demolition of the bridge was discussed. After the meeting he decided to drive home by way of Ironbridge to see for himself the condition of the bridge. He was surprised to see, parked by the bridge, a London taxi-cab. The brigadier stopped his car and engaged the cab driver in conversation. He had apparently picked up a fare at London Airport, three Japanese gentlemen who had asked him to drive them to Ironbridge. They wanted to inspect and pay homage to what they regarded as an important industrial monument. Whether they had heard of the proposed demolition of the bridge and had thoughts of buying it and shipping it back to Japan we shall probably never know. The cab driver was quite happy to wait while the brigadier and the three Japanese exchanged courtesies. Brigadier Goulburn told me he had been deeply moved by this encounter. He decided there and then that the bridge must not be demolished, went straight home and telephoned anyone he thought might be interested in saving the bridge. The result of his endeavours was the formation of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. The bridge recovered from the threat, the plan it was that died.

Abraham Darby had not, at that time, been given credit for his part in the history of the bridge. On the other hand, the names of John Wilkinsonï¿½King of the Ironmastersï¿½ and Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, the Shrewsbury architect, had long been associated with it. C. V. Hancock, in ï¿½East and West of the Severnï¿½ (published in 1956) described it as ï¿½...ï¿½an ancient monumentï¿½ and a monument also to the faith of the ironmasters of genius, John Wilkinson and Abraham Darby the thirdï¿½. Gradually, over the past few decades, claims on behalf of Abraham Darby as the builder of the bridge were promoted. Almost every writer on the subject since the 1950s has credited Abraham Darby with the building of the bridge while the part played by John Wilkinson and others has been gradually eliminated from the story. Indeed, some modern accounts seem to suggest that Abraham Darby promoted, designed and built the bridge, if not single-handed, with very minimal involvement by anyone else.

On closer inspection this version of the legend proves to be of fairly recent origin. Until the discovery in 1953 of the original Minute Book of the bridge, almost the only authority quoted was John Randall of Madeley. Randall, a former painter at the Coalport factory, retired in 1880, publishing a History of Madeley in that year and an account of John Wilkinson and his family in 1886. Randallï¿½s account of the origin of the bridge is unambiguous and credits the proposal for an iron bridge to Wilkinson. Randall describes how: ï¿½Wilkinson had faith in his favourite metal. He believed in iron thoroughly... When, therefore, it was proposed to put a bridge across the Severn, to connect the Broseley and Madeley banks of the river, at that time two great ironmaking districts, Wilkinson at once proposed that his favourite metal should be employed for the purpose. But the thing was pronounced to be preposterous and Wilkinson was declared to be ï¿½iron madï¿½.ï¿½ Other nineteenth century writers, including Thomas Telford, believed Thomas Famous Pritchard was the designer and original promoter of the bridge.

Gradually though, Pritchardï¿½s assumed contribution was eroded until, in the section devoted to the iron bridge in the 1958 edition of Nikolaus Pevsnerï¿½s ï¿½Shropshireï¿½ (appearing unchanged in the 1979 edition) the blunt statement appears, ï¿½It was designed by Abraham Darbyï¿½. This is followed by a footnote which reads, ï¿½The attribution of the design to the Shrewsbury architect Thomas Famous Pritchard is not justified. The designs he submitted in 1775 were for a bridge of stone, brick and timber (see the Minute Books at the Shrewsbury Public Library, and A. Raistrick: Dynasty of Ironfounders, 1953)ï¿½. It was the shock of reading this categorical assertion by a widely respected authority that prompted me to re-examine the evidence and try to establish the truth of the matter as opposed the widely disseminated propaganda version. I was, at the time, living at John Wilkinsonï¿½s former house at Broseley.

The propaganda, or ï¿½authorised versionï¿½, has a number of minor variations but is essentially as follows: Abraham Darby II had wanted to build a bridge across the Severn but died before his dream could be realised. A group of local businessmen, including Abraham Darby III and John Wilkinson, met in 1775 and proposed building a conventional wooden bridge across the Gorge near Coalbrookdale. Abraham Darby and John Wilkinson were both devoted to iron and insisted that the bridge should be entirely of cast iron. Pritchard, who had offered the meeting a plan for a stone bridge (with cast iron brought in only to form a crown to the arch), was told to go away and design a bridge entirely of cast iron. Sixty shares were issued, of which Abraham Darby took fifteen arid John Wilkinson twelve. Abraham Darby was appointed treasurer and agreed to build the bridge. Edmund Vale thought it ï¿½remarkable that in spite of the confidence of Wilkinson and Abraham Darby III and his very capable and eminent manager Richard Reynolds, it was thought necessary to consult an architect for the design of the bridgeï¿½.

Arguments and disagreements broke out among the trustees and a ï¿½schismï¿½ developed in their ranks. The shareholders broke up into two camps, those (including Wilkinson and Darby) who approved of building in cast iron and those who thought the idea ï¿½preposterousï¿½ and ï¿½madï¿½. Almost a year had been wasted. Darby had prepared an estimate for building the bridge and, to strengthen his hand, he took over John Wilkinsonï¿½s twelve shares, taking his holding to thirty-seven* out of sixty and assuring him of a majority vote. Wilkinson must either have changed sides or had cooled off and lost interest in the project. These figures, which appeared to be confirmed in the Minute Book, disposed of any idea that Wilkinson had taken any active part in promoting, designing or financing the building of the bridge. * This apparent discrepancy will be discussed in a later part of the articleï¿½ Ed.) Matters were well advanced by 1777 when further money was raised and the specification was altered to provide a higher arch and a broader carriageway.

Pritchard was, by that time, a sick man and Darby took over the responsibility for designing the final version of the bridge and for casting the components at his Coalbrookdale foundry. Pritchard died before it could be completed. It could therefore be asserted that Abraham Darby had promoted, designed, cast and built the worldï¿½s first iron bridge while Wilkinson, Pritchard and others had played no more than a supporting role in the early stages. This version of events broadly concurred with that given by Randall and was confirmed by the Minute Book when it was rediscovered in 1953. The old myths and legends surrounding the building of the bridge could now be laid to rest and Darby given his rightful place in the history books. The statements by Raistrick and Pevsner delivered the coup de grace to Pritchard and seemed to be the last word on the subject. That, broadly speaking, is where matters stood in 1988 when I began my investigations. A cursory reading of the Minute Book appeared to support the conventional wisdom but I was left with an uneasy feeling that all was not well. The story did not ring true.

There appeared to be some irreconcilable contradictions in the various versions of the events that took place in the Severn Gorge in the 1770s. I decided the best way forward was to assemble all the available evidence and to reconstruct the story from scratch. A number of interesting facts began to emerge. Firstly, that a continuing re-appraisal of Pritchardï¿½s place in the history of Shropshireï¿½s architecture had already begun. This largely rested on the identification by John Harris, the librarian of the Royal Institution of British Architects, of a book of designs for chimney pieces. The book was discovered in a museum in America and Harris identified the designs as those of Pritchard, thus considerably extending the list of houses on which Pritchard is known to have worked. In a wry comment in an article published in Architectural History, Volume I, 1968, Harris suggested that as recently as 1954 all that had been ascribed to Pritchard had been the ï¿½rebuilding of St.

Julianï¿½s Church, Shrewsbury, in 1749-50, and his third design in 1775 for Abraham Darbyï¿½s famous Coalbrookdale cast iron bridge.ï¿½ ï¿½His ghost,ï¿½ wrote Harris, ï¿½must have been dispirited to have had even the bridge denied him in 1958, although this was happily rectified in the same yearï¿½. This referred to Pevsnerï¿½s damning footnote in the 1958 edition of ï¿½Shropshireï¿½, denying Pritchard any credit for his part in the design of the iron bridge. Harris noted that this was reinstated in the same year, a reference to an article by R. Maguire and P. Matthews, ï¿½The Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdaleï¿½, published in the Architectural Association Journal, July-August 1958, of which more later.

It was noticeable that while Pritchard was gradually being reinstated as a local architect of some importance, this was having little or no effect on the ï¿½authorised versionï¿½ that was still in circulation. An article by J. L. Hobbs in the Shropshire Magazine for September 1959 was similarly ignored although it had thrown some fresh light on the subject. Here the author quoted Tredgold, in an essay on the strength of cast iron (published in 1824), as claiming that ï¿½the original idea of applying cast iron to bridges came to Pritchard in 1773 and was communicated to John Wilkinsonï¿½. Hobbs suggested that this might have happened the other way round, that Wilkinson may have suggested the use of iron to Pritchardï¿½who had originally trained as a ï¿½mason and statuaryï¿½.

Quoting the minutes of the meeting of September 15th 1775, at which Pritchard and Samuel Thomas were desired to prepare estimates of the proposed bridge, Hobbs commented ï¿½It is difficult not to see the hand of John Wilkinson behind this proposalï¿½. Dr. Barrie Trinderï¿½s 1981 edition of ï¿½The Industrial Revolution in Shropshireï¿½ took things a stage further. Although continuing to make the claim that ï¿½Abraham Darby Ill was principally responsible for the construction of the bridge,ï¿½ he added the challenging comment that Pritchard ï¿½remained a shareholder until the time of his death, and was probably responsible for the design of the bridge which was eventually builtï¿½. There were so many contradictions appearing, so many cracks in the ï¿½authorised versionï¿½ (Michael Berthoud, 1996) that could no longer be papered over, that nothing short of a complete re-appraisal of the facts could produce a coherent and credible scenario. My dossier on Pritchard continued to grow.

All the evidence was pointing towards Pritchardï¿½s involvement at every stage of the development of the iron bridge and there remained many unanswered questions about Wilkinsonï¿½s involvement. Pevsnerï¿½s position was no longer tenable. At that stage, I found myself unable to continue my researches, having moved to Bridgnorth and the Pritchard material having been temporarily mislaid during the move. After a lapse of several years my interest in the subject was rekindled when I came across my copy of John Randallï¿½s book ï¿½The Wilkinsonsï¿½ and read once again his account of how the bridge came to be built. The iron bridge seems destined to remain the subject of paradox and contradiction. Widely advertised as the centrepiece of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, its familiar image features prominently on the ï¿½passport ticketsï¿½ giving access to the various museum sites and is used as the Trustï¿½s logo.

In fact, access to it is free, it belongs not to the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust but to English Heritage, and a commemorative plaque attached to the bridge reads, ï¿½This bridge was the first great iron bridge in the world, built between 1777 and 1781. It has a span of just over 100ft (33m), spanning the Severn Gorge. It was intended from the start to be a spectacular advertisement of the skills of the Coalbrookdale ironmasters. ï¿½The bridge is built entirely of components cast at Abraham Darbyï¿½s ironworks. It was he who developed the design in conjunction with the architect Thomas Famous Pritchard.ï¿½ John Wilkinsonï¿½s name does not appear. By Michael Berthoud Before looking at the apparent discrepancies between John Randallï¿½s account of the building of the Iron Bridge and the information contained in the Minute Book, it would be as well to consider why the bridge was proposed in the first place. It has often been described as ï¿½a bridge to nowhereï¿½.

Indeed some recent writers have gone out of their way to suggest that there was no real need for the bridge at all and that it was built chiefly to advertise Abraham Darbyï¿½s Coalbrookdale ironworks. In fact, the true state of affairs in the eighteenth century was very different. In the eighteenth century Coalbrookdale (originally Caldbrook Dale according to Randall) was an obscure village about a mile to the north of the Severn and forming part of the parish of Madeley. The spelling ï¿½Coalbrooke Daleï¿½ was retained until the end of the century at least, and the ironworks itself, usually referred to today as the ï¿½Coalbrookdale Worksï¿½, was in its day known as the ï¿½Dale Companyï¿½. The companyï¿½s reputation in the eighteenth century rested on coke, cooking pots and cannon, and Coalbrookdale was virtually unknown to the rest of the country until after the Iron Bridge was built. The difficulty of defining Coalbrookdale geographically has bedevilled generations of historians.

Not only did it apply to the village on the north bank of the Severn, but to both sides of the Severn Gorge for some distance upstream and downstream of the site where the Iron Bridge was eventually built. Obviously, before there was an Iron Bridge there could not have been an ï¿½Ironbridge Gorgeï¿½. Once the bridge had been built and the areaï¿½s international fame had become established, the name Coalbrookdale was used even more widely. By the early nineteenth century even the Coalport China Works was regarded as being in Coalbrookdale, and at one time John Rose, never a man to miss a good marketing opportunity, used it as a factory mark on his porcelain. Across the river to the south lay Broseley, an important industrial town with fast-growing coal, iron and clay industries. John Wilkinson had been making cast iron at his Willey Foundry at Broseley since the 1750s. To the north of the river lay the coal mines of Madeley and iron works at Ketley and Horsehay.

In addition, there were extensive limestone works on the north bank of the river, gradually eating their way into Lincoln Hill (the name itself doubtless a corrupï¿½tion of ï¿½Lime Kiln Hillï¿½). These two centres of local industry, Broseley and Madeley, were linked only by a ferry across the river. The geography of the gorge caused the river to rise and fall with dramatic suddenness, the current was strong and the ferry crossing was often hazardous. The only alternative to the ferry was by way of the bridges at Buildwas and Bridgnorth, an expensive detour in either direction. This combination of geographical features and industrial necessity presented a unique challenge to the eighteenth century bridge designer, a fact which has not been sufficiently taken into account in considering the history of the bridge.

Randall expressed very succinctly the problems posed by the site when he wrote, in his History of Madeley, that the Iron Bridge represented ï¿½a great advance upon the rickety wooden structures, affected by wind and rain, it was no less so upon those clumsy-looking ones of stone higher up and lower down the river, which, choking up the stream and impeding navigation, caused apprehensions at every flood for their safetyï¿½ and, in his book on The Wilkinsons, of ï¿½the heavy, clumsy looking structures of stone, that impeded navigation, and choked up the stream by their huge abutmentsï¿½. Ideally, the bridge should not further narrow the gorge but should span the river in a single arch. That was the nub of the problem. The gorge was deep and narrow but navigable; the River Severn was the main waterway to the port of Bristol. Had it simply been a matter of getting from one side to the other it would have been easy enough to build a stone bridge with two arches. Although the gorge was narrow, it was still too wide for a single span built of brick or stone.

Another important consideration was the height of the arch; it must allow tall ships to pass under it, again presenting difficulties if it were to be built of brick or stone. A single span bridge of cast iron, if such a thing were possible, would overcome all these problems. On the other hand, it had never been done before and needed great courage, faith and conviction. In national terms, the bridge itself was not of great interest or importance and did not become so until after it was built. It did not form part of a far-reaching road network. It did not link any distant towns. It was, in fact, a matter of purely parochial interest, but to local industrialists it was a matter of vital importance. What aroused the admiration of the world at large and earned the bridge international acclaim was not so much its location as the fact that it was built of cast iron. To suggest that it was built as an advertising gimmick to promote the Coalbrookdale ironworks is to trivialise the bridge and insult the memory of all who took part in its construction.

One has only to look at the muster roll of those appointed as commissioners in 1775, when the trustees of the bridge first met, to recognise the absurdity of such statements. Among those appointed were the Earl Gower, Lord Craven, Sir Henry Bridgeman (a major landowner, owner of Weston Park and father of the first Earl of Bradford), Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, George Forester (a major landowner in the Broseley area, landlord of John Wilkinsonï¿½s New Willey Ironworks and the father of the first Lord Forester of Willey Park), William Pulteney (ï¿½the richest Commoner in Englandï¿½, MP for Shrewsbury for 37 years and patron of Thomas Telford), the Rev. John Fletcher (vicar of Madeley), Abraham Darby, John Wilkinson, Edward Blakeway and Thomas Farnolls Pritchard. To these were added, in November 1775, John Stanley, the Rev. Mr. Holmes, William Ware, Daniel Onions, John Guest and Thomas Rowley.

The level of interest shown in the project may be judged by comï¿½parison with that shown in the Shropshire Canal project in 1788 (while the problems surrounding the Iron Bridge project were still unresolved), which was founded with a share capital of ï¿½50,000, with Richard Reynolds and Joseph Rathbone taking ï¿½6,000 worth each and John Wilkinson ï¿½5,000 worth. In comparison with these figures, the Iron Bridge was financed with small change, the original sum raised for its construction being a mere ï¿½3,150. Any one of the major shareholders in the bridge could have carried the cost single handed, and it is difficult in retrospect to appreciate the passions that were aroused by the proposal to build it of cast iron. Clearly it was a matter of principle rather than of money. In the eighteenth century neither central government nor local authorities had the power or the will to build bridges and these, like canals and turnpike roads, were left to private enterprise to provide. It follows that if there was a real need for abridge, there was also the potential for collecting lucrative tolls.

Local businessmen who invested in the bridge would be assured not only of a dividend but of free rights of passage. The rapid growth of Broseley and Madeley in the second half of the eighteenth century provided the spur. There was no shortage of money for investment. Wilkinson, living at Broseley, was already a wealthy man. So also was his partner and brother-in-law, Edward Blakeway, a former mayor of Shrewsbury, who had retired from his successful drapery business and invested his money in a variety of local industries, including Wilkinsonï¿½s iron foundries, banking, a new bridge across the river at what was to become Coalport and, later, the Coalport China Works itself, in which he was a partner with John Rose. On both sides of the river there were landowners, industrialists and members of the local gentry who would be willing to finance a proposed new bridge in the interests of safer and more convenient travel and the opportunity to gain a good return on their investment. Most of the potential investors would have been familiar with bridges built of stone, brick or timber and would have regarded any of these as a safe investment.

There was, however, a growing awareness of the potential of cast iron as a building material, an awareness that Wilkinson shared with the architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard. Bridges had become a matter of great concern to architects and industrialists along the Severn following severe flooding in 1770. The flooding that year was so serious that it became a yardstick by which floods continued to be measured for the next 25 years. Contemporary records refer to severe flooding in Shrewsbury in February 1794 and that ï¿½... the Severn at Cotton-hill was 9ï¿½ higher than in the flood of 1770; in Frankwell 7ï¿½, and in Coleham 2ï¿½ï¿½. The Severn rose at Coalbrookdale 25ï¿½ï¿½ higher than it did in November 1770. These figures are useful in showing the exaggerated rise in flood levels caused by the constriction of the river as it flows through the Gorge. Any new bridge contemplated would need to be designed to withstand the pressures of such flooding, which must also have increased the hazards of crossing the gorge by ferry.

Some years later, in 1779, while taking 43 workers from the Coalport China Works home to Broseley, the ferry did capsize with the loss of 28 lives. Pritchard had left Shrewsbury in 1769 to live at Eyton Tower, the only remaining part of an Elizabethan house close to the river, from where he would have been well placed to observe the effects of flooding. He seems to have occupied himself at this time in designing buildings and bridges rather than in undertaking practical estate work. He must have been well aware of another incident in the Gorge which had occurred in 1773 and was widely reported at the time. This was the landslip at Buildwas which may well have affected Pritchardï¿½s thinking on bridge design. ï¿½Next the riverï¿½, according to a contemporary account, ï¿½on the east side, there was a coppice, in which grew twenty or thirty large oaks. This coppice was forced into the Severn, and entirely choked up the channel, one side resting on the opposite shore.

Most of the trees still stand erect; some few lean on one side and three or four are fallen down. The Land, which came down from the higher part of the hill, brought the hedges and trees standing in their proper position, a few only excepted. A turnpike road, at the bottom of the hill, which ran parallel to the river, is removed about thirty yards nearer the river and is, in all probability, made forever impassable. ï¿½The coppice...forced the waters of the Severn in columns like a fountain into the air, heaving the bed of the river up, and throwing out the fish upon the dry land, and leaving the channel dry below! It is not said how far, but we may suppose from the time the current was stopt, that it must have been for some miles.

The stoppage of the river caused a sudden inundation above and a fall below, which happened so quick that some boats were heeled over and, when the stream came down, were sunk.ï¿½ It was against this background of a volatile river, subject to sudden floods and associated landslips, that Pritchard was asked to design a new bridge across the Severn at Stourport in Worcestershire. The story of this bridge, like so much of Pritchardï¿½s history, has been lost. His grandson John White, himself an architect, wrote in 1832 that Pritchard had originally intended to build a wooden bridge but changed the design to one built of bricks around an iron centre. An advertisement in Berrowï¿½s Worcestershire Journal in 1774 invited trustees, to attend a meeting at which a ï¿½matter of some consequenceï¿½ was to be discussed. It seems that Pritchard had designed for Stourport ï¿½a commodious wooden bridgeï¿½ with a single arch but in the end built one of either brick or stone (accounts vary as to detail) around a core of iron crossing the river on three arches.

The Stourport bridge was completed in September 1775, the same month in which the first meeting of the iron bridge trustees took place at Broseley. It was damaged by the severe floods of 1795 and was demolished soon afterwards. It is just possible that Pritchardï¿½s design for a wooden bridge, set against his friendship with Wilkinson, the fanatical promoter of cast iron for all purposes, may have ignited the first spark in Pritchardï¿½s mind. Suppose that, on looking at his design in wood, the thought struck him that, if the individual members could be cast in iron instead, with all the traditional timber joints exactly reproduced in the casting, the bridge would be much stronger and could be made to span a broader stream. Suppose that, on presenting his proposals to the trustees at Stourport, he was met with sheer horror and incredulity. What could be more natural than that the trustees should call a special meeting, advertising in the local newspaper that it concerned ï¿½a matter of some consequenceï¿½?

Suppose that, at that meeting, Pritchardï¿½s plan was rejected out of hand and he was forced to compromise and design a bridge of brick with only an incidental use of iron. What more natural than that he should then write to his friend John Wilkinson, on whose full support he could rely? All this is, of course, pure speculation but it does have the merit of being fully consistent with the known facts. Whatever the facts of the matter the possibility must remain that Pritchard had decided on an iron bridge at Stourport but had been forced by the trustees to comï¿½promise and build a bridge partly of brick and only partly of iron, a bridge that in the end proved unsatisfactory and was destroyed in 1795. John White wrote later that ï¿½Pritchard made a gradual progress in the application of iron to the erection of bridgesï¿½ suggesting that the Stourport bridge was only partially of iron and that he was working towards the idea of a bridge built entirely of iron.

In 1773, the same year in which Pritchard designed the Stourport bridge and the year in which the Buildwas land slip occurred, Pritchard wrote to John Wilkinson suggesting the idea of an iron bridge across the Severn Gorge, linking Broseley with Madeley. In this project he could not have found two more ideal supportï¿½ers than Wilkinson, the fanatical man of iron, and Edward Blakeway, his partner and financier in many schemes, both men then based in Broseley. The idea surely could not fail. Nor is it surprising that, of the two principal ironmasters of the area, he chose to confide in Wilkinson rather than in Abraham Darby. For one thing, he already knew Wilkinson well and had had dealings with him over the past seventeen years. For another, Wilkinson was an older and more experienced man as well as being an adventurous and dedicated user of iron. By contrast, Abraham Darby III was then only twenty-three years of age and, although he had been managing the day-to-day running of the Dale works since he was eighteen, he could obviously not have matched Wilkinson in experience, ingenuity or force of personality.

Wilkinsonï¿½s reaction to Pritchardï¿½s proposal is not recorded but it was doubtless an enthusiastic one. As early as February 1774 the Shrewsbury Chronicle reported that the people of Broseley and Madeley were proposing to build an iron bridge of one arch over the Severn near Coalbrookdale with a span of 120ft. The wording of this announcement is crucial to what followed and to the way the story has been presented in more recent times. The first mention of the possibility of an iron bridge seems to have come in Pritchardï¿½s letter of 1773, supported by the subsequent newspaper advertisement. Failing any stronger claim, the credit for the concept itself must go to Pritchard who has, for too long, been left out of the reckoning. A contemporary portrait of Pritchard bears the anonymous inscription: ï¿½Thomas Famous Pritchard Inventor of Cast Iron Bridgesï¿½ ï¿½ .a fitting epitaph for the designer of the worldï¿½s first Iron Bridge.

ï¿½ Michael Berthoud 1997 Images like 'Coalbrookdale from Ironbridge' (Showing 1 - 62 of 62) Images like 'Coalbrookdale from Ironbridge' ORDER BY Showing 1 - 62 of 62 RM Coalbrookdale iron works Ironbridge Telford Shropshire Description Looking towards Coalbrookdale from Ironbridge RM Coalbrookdale, iron works, Ironbridge, Telford, Shropshire, Church Hill, house , folly Description Looking towards Coalbrookdale from Ironbridge, Church Hill house with folly RM Coalbrookdale iron works Ironbridge Telford Shropshire Description Looking towards Coalbrookdale from Ironbridge RM Britain; Shropshire; Civil; Engineering; Transport; Water; Road Description Abraham Darby III's iron bridge across the Severn at Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, England. First iron bridge in world, built between 1776 and 1779. In front of left abutment are 4 'hobblers' pulling a boat. Engraving.

RM Britain; Shropshire; Civil; Engineering Description Abraham Darby III's iron bridge across the Severn at Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, England. First iron bridge in world, built between 1776 and 1779. Hand-coloured engraving published 1809. RM Britain; Shropshire; Civil; Engineering; Transport; Water; Road Description Abraham Darby III's iron bridge across the Severn at Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, England. First iron bridge in world, built between 1776 and 1779. Lithograph from Samuel Ireland 'Picturesque Views of the River Severn', London, c. 1795.... RM 2379 x 3543 px Keywords Shropshire; Telford; Ironbridge; Coalbrookdale; antiquity; historic; heritage; Industrial-heritage; iron; bridge; England; Industrial Revolution; river; Severn; span; Abraham Darby; portrait-format Description SHROPSHIRE - IRONBRIDGE : spanning the River Severn and opened in 1779, this was the World's first iron bridge.

RM 9474 x 6255 px Keywords Shropshire; Salop; Ironbridge; Telford; Ironbridge Gorge; Cast Iron; Iron Bridge; Coalbrookdale; Abraham Darby; River Severn; Industrial Revolution; Description The worlds first iron bridge. RM 9450 x 6255 px Keywords Shropshire; Salop; Ironbridge; Telford; Ironbridge Gorge; Cast Iron; Iron Bridge; Coalbrookdale; Abraham Darby; River Severn; Industrial Revolution; Description The worlds first iron bridge. RM 9306 x 6375 px Keywords Shropshire; Salop; Ironbridge; Telford; Ironbridge Gorge; Cast Iron; Iron Bridge; Coalbrookdale; Abraham Darby; River Severn; Industrial Revolution; Description The worlds first iron bridge.

RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Britain ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; horizontal ; Iron Bridge ; Ironbridge ; Ironbridge Gorge ; River Severn ; Shropshire ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description The Iron Bridge Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Britain ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; horizontal ; Iron Bridge ; Ironbridge ; Ironbridge Gorge ; River Severn ; Shropshire ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description The Iron Bridge at Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Britain ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; horizontal ; Iron Bridge ; Ironbridge ; Ironbridge Gorge ; People ; River Severn ; Shropshire ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description People on the Iron Bridge Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Britain ; Church ; Coal

brookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; horizontal ; Iron Bridge ; Ironbridge ; Ironbridge Gorge ; People ; River Severn ; Shropshire ; St Luke's ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; West Midlands ;...

Description On The Iron Bridge at Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 5360 x 3560 px Keywords Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, Cast Iron Bridge, River Severn, Shropshire, England, UK, United Kingdom, English, UNESCO, World Heritage Site, Abraham Darby, 18th Century, Visitor Attraction, Tourist, Tourism, Heritage, IPSV1811, IPSV5054, RM 5360 x 3560 px Keywords Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, Cast Iron Bridge, River Severn, Shropshire, England, UK, United Kingdom, English, UNESCO, World Heritage Site, Abraham Darby, 18th Century, Visitor Attraction, Tourist, Tourism, Heritage, IPSV1811, IPSV5054, RM 2369 x 3543 px Keywords 18th century; Abraham Darby; antiquity; architecture; art; brickwork; building; clock; clock-tower; Coalbrookdale; colourful; England; factory; folly; Foundry; heritage; historic; industrial-heritage; Industrial Revolution; iron; Ironbridge; portrait...

Description SHROPSHIRE - COALBROOKDALE : the magnificent iron tower of the Coalbrookdale Foundry. Here, in 1709, Abraham Darby the Elder discovered how to smelt iron using coke, heralding in the Industrial Revolution.

ref: 01.5/6/7(16) RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Bridge ; Britain ; Church ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; horizontal ; Iron Bridge ; Ironbridge ; People ; Shropshire ; St Luke's ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description The Iron Bridge Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Britain ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; horizontal ; Ironbridge ; Ironbridge Gorge ; Museum ; Shop ; Shropshire ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description Ironbridge Gorge Museum Shop High Street Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 3276 x 6390 px Keywords Iron; Dome; Exhibited; Coalbrookdale; Company; Group; Listening; One; Messrs.; Collard's; Piafortes; Great; Display Of Works Of Art; Exhibition; London; Uk; 1851 Engraving; Engraved Image; History; Illustrative Technique; Engravement; Victorian

;...

Description The Iron Dome Exhibited by the Coalbrookdale Company, Group Listening to One of Messrs. Collard's Pianofortes, Great Exhibition RM ; Dawsonoceras annulatum ; Coalbrookdale ; Shropshire ; Fossil ; Ancient ; Natural ; Nature Description Dawsonoceras annulatum from Coalbrookdale Shropshire. RM ; Dawsonoceras annulatum ; Coalbrookdale ; Shropshire ; Fossil ; Ancient ; Natural ; Nature Description Dawsonoceras annulatum from Coalbrookdale Shropshire. RM 2381 x 3543 px Keywords Shropshire; Wrekin; view; landscape; landform; distance; Telford; Ironbridge; Coalbrookdale; power station; industry; power; chimneys; cooling tower; rural; farm; woods; fields; patchwork-landscape; portrait-format; countryside; England; geographical Description SHROPSHIRE : the COALBROOKDALE POWER STATION at the head of the Ironbridge Gorge on the River Severn in seen to the S.E.

from the summit of the WREKIN (1,334 ft / 407m.) RM 2379 x 3543 px Keywords Shropshire; Wrekin; view; landscape; landform; distance; Telford; Ironbridge; Coalbrookdale; power station; chimneys; cooling tower; rural; farm; woods; patchwork-landscape; rocky; portrait-format; countryside; England; geographical; power; industry Description SHROPSHIRE : view to the south-east from the WREKIN (1,335 ft /407m. ) towards the Coalbrookdale Power Station near Ironbridge on Severn. RM 3625 x 1900 px Keywords first iron bridge world heritage site Thomas Pritchard architect 1775 Abraham Darby 1777 1779 Coalbrookdale foundry iron masters ironbridge Description Ironbridge, near Telford. The first Iron bridge in the world. Completed in 1779.

RM 4000 x 6000 px Keywords Ironbridge, gorge, Shropshire, England, Europe, heritage, history, UNESCO, world, site, Abraham Darby, Coalbrookdale, 18th, century, built, 1779, open, 1781, Guy Standen, iron, bridge, span, trees, Autumn, green, orange, yellow, forest, woods,...

Description The Iron Bridge in Ironbridge, Shropshire, in the Autumn Sunshine RM 5280 x 3500 px Keywords Ironbridge, Parish, Church, St Luke, Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, England, UK, United Kingdom, English, UNESCO, World Heritage Site, IPSV3368, IPSV0772, IPSV0770, IPSV6986, IPSV3325, RM 3600 x 5400 px Keywords Ironbridge; Metalwork; iron; rivet; workmanship; girders; pattern; steel; engineering; rivet; rivets; pattern; shape; shapes; patterns; Shropshire; Coalbrookdale; gorge; heritage; historic; first; architecture; environment Description Britain; Industrial; Revolution; Manufacture; Metal Description Blast furnaces for production of iron at Coalbrookdale, Monmouthshire, c1830. This scene is on the river Severn a few miles from Ironbridge. On the left, behind the tall chimney, it is possible to see the iron walkway giving access to the two blast...

RF Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, Power, Electricity, Power station, Stacks, chimney.Industrial, U.K. RM 4800 x 3200 px Keywords IIronbridge, gorge, Shropshire, England, Europe, heritage, history, UNESCO, world, site, Abraham Darby, Coalbrookdale, 18th, century, built, 1779, open, 1781, Guy Standen, iron, bridge, span, trees, Autumn, green, orange, yellow, forest, woods,...

Description The Iron Bridge in Ironbridge, Shropshire, in the Autumn Sunshine RM Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Museum of Iron, Shropshire, Plaque, Cast Iron, Coalbrookdale Company, The Last Supper RM 2912 x 4368 px Keywords ; Alley ; Alleyway ; Bed and Breakfast ; Britain ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; Footpath ; GB ; Great Britain ; Ironbridge ; Severn Bank ; Shropshire ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; vertical ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description Severn Bank Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Britain ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; High Street ; horizontal ; Ironbridge ; Shops ; Shropshire ; streetscape ; Traditional ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description Shops on the High Street Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Book Shop ; Britain ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; horizontal ; Ironbridge ; Post Office ; Shops ; Shropshire ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United

 Kingdom ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description Shops in The Square Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Britain ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; High Street ; horizontal ; Ironbridge ; People ; Shops ; Shropshire ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description High Street Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 4368 x 2912 px Keywords ; Awnings ; Britain ; Coalbrookdale ; England ; GB ; Great Britain ; horizontal ; Ironbridge ; Shops ; Shropshire ; streetscape ; travel ; UK ; UNESCO ; United Kingdom ; West Midlands ; World Heritage Site Description Shops in The Square Ironbridge Shropshire England RM 5041 x 3296 px Keywords Coalbrookdale selection, marriage of art & industry, ironworks, metal, ornaments, ornamental.

The Great Exhibition of 1851, The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London, England, World fair,... Description Engraving from The Illustrated Exhibitor published in September 1851. Many see the exhibition as a turning point a sort of marriage of art & industry. Coalbrookdale had already decided to target a market of newly well off middle classes with useful... RM Shropshire; Salop; Telford; Coalbrookdale; Industrial Revolution; Locomotive; No.5; Saddle Tank Engine; Description Built between 1864 & 1866 at Coalbrookdale for use on the company's railway system. RM 3264 x 5310 px Keywords The Eagle Slayer, statue, John Bell, Cast iron sculpture, based on one of Aesop Fables, shepherd boy, bow & arrow, revenge, Exhibit, Coalbrookdale dome, The Great Exhibition of 1851, The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations,... Description Engraving from The Illustrated Exhibitor published in September 1851. The Eagle Slayer statue by John Bell in the Coalbrookdale Dome.

Made from Cast Iron. Previously only ever used for industrial use. Based on the Aesop fable of a shepherd boy who finds... RM Brantacan 2016 | UK bridges | - Severn Arches Arches in Gloucester and Cheltenham Maisemore Bridge Going upstream from the mouth of the Severn, the first arch bridge that you will see that is in use is the single span at Maisemore, completed in 1956, after an interruption caused by the war. Both walls carry a plaque, facing the road, at the east end of the bridge. This bridge cannot be photographed properly without a boat. Just above Maisemore the weir marks the limit of tidal effects and of the Severn bore. The pictures below show the bridge partially submerged by deep water. Just below Maisemore the A417 is not infrequently under water, as are the neighbouring fields. The picture below shows one disadvantage of low, flat single span arches, namely the ease with which the river can engulf parts of the structure.

Such a bridge avoids the presence of piers in the river, with the attendant dangers of scouring, but at times of extremely high water, it presents a significant obstacle to the flow of water. The next masonry bridge downstream, that of Telford at Over , has the cornes de vache shape which is intended to ease the flow of flood water. We can see from the picture above that this flood is far from being the worst that has happened. This picture shows the line of higher floods in the past. Remembering that the water flows fastest near the surface, we see that the bridge is a very substantial obstacle in time of flood. Numerous Severn bridges from Gloucester upwards have flood relief openings, sometimes many. This picture, of the bridge at Burford, over the river Windrush, shows what can happen in times of flood. Some bridges in the north of England have large cutwaters and large stone pavements around those, to prevent scouring, which can be a severe threat to a bridge. Telford's Mythe Bridge The next arch upstream from Maisemore is the Mythe bridge, an iron structure, which is one of Telford's designs. Click here to read about it.

A44 Road Bridge in Worcester Worcester. like Gloucester, is situated almost entirely east of the river Severn. The ground to the west is liable to flooding, and is presumably unsuitable for building. At any rate, Worcester has only one road bridge, one railway bridge, and one foot bridge. The road bridge is the first multiple arch bridge, and only the fourth arch of any kind, found as we go upstream from the mouth of the Severn. The only lower arches are the single spans at Over and Maisemore, near Gloucester, and at the Mythe.. A plaque, illustrated below, on a wall at the north-west end of the road bridge at Worcester, refers to the legend of Sabrina, and the possibility that the name "Severn" is derived from Sabrina, or Sabern. This bridge was built in 1781 and widened in 1931-1932. The plaque shown above is not actually on the bridge, but on the wall of the Vesinet Walk on the east bank, about halfway from the road bridge to the railway bridge. It marks the position of the medieval crossings.

So Worcester, unlike so many other places, does not use the site of the older crossings. Bevere Bridge Just north of Worcester, Bevere Island divides the river. The left channel flows over a fearsome weir, while the right channel has a lock for boats. A small iron arch connects the island to the left bank. If you go downstream under the bridge it means you have taken the wrong channel. You will very shortly be going over the weir. Telford's Holt Bridge or Holt Fleet Bridge Holt Fleet bridge was built by Telford between 1826 and 1828, and strengthened in 1928. It is quite similar to Mythe bridge. Click here for more details. Stourport Bridge These pictures above show the A451 road bridge at Stourport-on-Severn, dating from 1870. After crossing the iron arch you pass over some masonry arches and then the long line of brick arches shown at right. All this is a strong hint that you are in an area which is prone to severe flooding. Bewdley Bridge This elegant three arch bridge spans the River Severn at Bewdley, carrying the B4190 road.

Some flood arches with grills can be seen at the right. Unfortunately the scale of the flooding in recent years has rendered such measures irrelevant, because of the very large volumes of water coming down from the Welsh mountains. Thomas Telford built this bridge in 1798. Bridgnorth Bridge In the pleasant town of Bridgnorth there is a multi-arch bridge. It is not easy to photograph in summer because of trees. It has been widened to cope with traffic. This always presents a problem of preservation. On the south, downstream side, concrete beams from pier to pier carry a footpath. On the upstream side the changes are more drastic. Very wide beams make the roadway much wider, but obscure the old bridge. This solution at least leaves one side relatively unscathed, and was probably the best that could be done. At the north east of the bridge, on a brick tower, a plaque commemorates the engineer Richard Trevethick. Just south of the bridge, a small trussed footbridge connects the left bank of the Severn to a bowling club on an island. Bridgnorth has an interesting arched building in the main street, and some sandstone arches at the top end of the street.

It has a steep railway from the lower town to the upper, with cars that are perhaps reminiscent of buses modified by Kienholz , and a church designed by Thomas Telford. Downstream from the town, the A458 bypass is taken over the river by a neat concrete beam bridge. From there you can see a cable-stayed footbridge across a valley in the town. Several bridges have yet to be photographed in this region. Ironbridge in Coalbrookdale The abutments are asymmetrical: on the north side the footpath passes under a stone arch: on the south side, inaccessible to the public, there are two iron arches. This very famous bridge was built between 1777 and 1779, and is reputed to be the first cast iron bridge. The detailing is perhaps more like that of carpentry than that of modern metalwork, but perhaps it is enough to be innovative in material without the added risk of using new ideas in assembly. At any rate, the bridge still stands. A plaque states that the bridge was built to advertise the skills of the workers in cast iron, and that in this it succeeded.

Under the river, an inverted arch prevents inward movement of the abutments, which evidently push inwards more than the bridge can withstand, probably because the river is in a steep valley. Although built in a brittle material, the bridge has survived the insidious thrust, but the orange lines in the fourth picture above show that distortions have occurred. Free map of Ironbridge area A large area of the valley is given over to industrial museums, which are all well worth visiting. You probably need more than one day if you want to visit all the sites. The Iron Bridge may have been made as a demonstrator model, and in this it was very successful; the use of cast iron spread around the industrial world quite quickly. Unfortunately the material acquired a bad reputation through its use in components for which it was completely unsuitable. Numerous railroad bridges failed in the USA, and failure was not uncommon in the UK also. One of great weaknesses of cast iron is its poor performance in tension. Cast iron has little ability to absorb energy, and is brittle rather than ductile. It therefore gives little or no warning when it is close to failure. Wrought iron and steel, on the other hand, can absorb far more energy because they are ductile and deform under stress.

At stresses near to failure, the deflection will probably provide warning of impending disaster. Buckling of the lower chords in the first Quebec bridge did just that, but nobody on site was able to interpret the signs, and many lives were lost. Cast iron is still in use for things which are not highly stressed in normal use, such as stoves, drain covers, garden furniture, and numerous other artefacts. These pictures show a cast iron drain cover which has been broken by a heavy vehicle, and a part of steel gate and a steel fence which have both been damaged by moving vehicles. The difference between the brittle fracture of the iron and the distortion of the steel is evident. What is cast iron? Cast iron contains iron and a small proportion of carbon, roughly 2% to 4%. It can be poured into moulds, in which it has the ability to take up quite complicated shapes with reasonably fine detail. Severn Boating Information Visit Severn bridges book for details of a very useful book by Chris Witts, who has spent much of his working life on the River Severn.

This book, called "A Century of Bridges", includes information, a grid reference, and a drawing by the author for every bridge, even including notes about demolished bridges and some history. A Century of Bridges, ISBN 0 9532711 0 2, is published by River Severn Publications, Gloucester. Another very interesting book by the same author is called "Along the Severn from Source to Sea", ISBN 1 873877 31 5. This book is published by Reardon Publications, Leckhampton, Glos. World Heritage Site - World Heritage Site - Telford & Wrekin Council We use cookies on your computer or mobile device to help make this website better. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. Don't show this message again × Telford & Wrekin Council World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ). UNESCO supports and encourages the protection and conservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world which is considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.

This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which was adopted by UNESCO in 1972. The list of World Heritage Sites was established in 1978. In 2015, there were 1,031 properties (802 cultural, 197 natural, and 32 mixed properties), which form the cultural and natural heritage that the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value (UNESCO, 2014). Inscription on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO does not confer any additional legal protection but it does convey a significant international prestige. Moreover, by nominating a site for inscribing on the World Heritage List, national governments are explicitly stating their commitment to the conservation and protection of the site in situ in perpetuity. As of 2015, there were 29 World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom (23 cultural, 4 natural, and 1 mixed). The Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site was inscribed as one of the first World Heritage Sites in the UK in 1986.

Telford & Wrekin Council, is the managing authority of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site and since 1994 it has been UK Government policy that all UK World Heritage Sites should have Management Plans. The production of the management plan for the IGWHS is overseen by the IGWHS Steering Group . The majority of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site is also designated a Conservation Area . The Ironbridge Gorge The Ironbridge Gorge is a World Heritage Site and is a very special place where history and nature have combined over many years to produce a landscape and environment of great beauty. Nature endowed the area with many of the raw materials of industry - coal, limestone, wood, iron ore, clay and water. Combine with that the genius and entrepreneurial skills of people like Abraham Darby and John Wilkinson and it is no surprise that this once rural area was transformed in the 18th century into "the most important industrial area in the world". The Ironbridge Gorge is now often referred to as the Birthplace of Industry because it was here that in 1709 Darby perfected a technique for manufacturing iron using coke which enabled, for the first time, the mass production of high quality iron.

The iron works of Coalbrookdale and surrounding area gave the world the first iron rails and iron wheels and in 1779, the famous Iron Bridge, the world's first bridge constructed from iron and now an internationally recognised symbol of the Industrial Revolution. Two hundred years ago, the Ironbridge Gorge would have been a harsh, industrial environment, the air filled with the acrid smell and relentless noise of industry. With the exception of the AGA Rayburn Company, which still produces cast iron cookers and stoves in the historic Coalbrookdale Works, heavy industry has long since disappeared from the valley. Fortunately however, many of the historic buildings, structures and monuments remain, standing testimony to the area's illustrious past. Since the mines closed and the ironworks fell silent, nature has re-established her presence and the woodlands that were felled to provide wood for the furnaces and mines have regenerated and the spoil tips and old workings have become green and attractive. Today, the Ironbridge Gorge is a place of beauty, attractive historic buildings set in a wooded valley landscape with the River Severn flowing through on its way from the hills of Mid Wales to the Bristol Channel.

The Iron Bridge At the very heart of the World Heritage Site stands the famous Iron Bridge built by Abraham Darby III and designed by Shrewsbury architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard. The bridge was completed in 1781 and as the first bridge in the world to be built completely of iron, it immediately became a visitor attraction. It attracted artists, engineers, entrepreneurs and sightseers from across the world, all of whom wanted to view this wonder of the industrial age. Two centuries later, the Bridge has withstood the test of time and it continues to span the River Severn. The years have not reduced interest in the Bridge and it continues to be a popular attraction drawing visitors from near and far. Further information Pages in World Heritage Site World Heritage Site

Question: The world's first iron bridge was completed in 1781 at Coalbrookdale, which river does it span?
Answer: Severn