Encyclopedia > Ironbridge

  Article Content

Ironbridge

Ironbridge is a settlement beside the Severn in Shropshire, England that grew up beside the cast-iron bridge that was built across the river there in 1779. This was the first cast-iron bridge ever constructed. It still stands.

The bridge was designed by the architect Thomas Pritchard and built by the iron-master Abraham Darby. Darby's cast-iron works at nearby Coalbrookdale were the site of important improvements in iron smelting technology that, among other developments, led to the Industrial Revolution in England.

Ironbridge Gorge was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. The bridge is in the care of English Heritage.

External Links



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
Father Damien

... May 24, 1864. On May 10, 1873, at his request, he was permitted to travel to Molokai to help the lepers who had virtually nothing to keep them warm or fed. After twelve ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 37.2 ms