© Paul DanielsIronbridge 1781
Ironbridge 1981
The Bridge
The Iron Bridge is a world renowned symbol of the 18th century Industrial Revolution. The River Severn created a deep gorge and exposed natural resources such as coal and iron ore. It was also a key trading route but a barrier to travel across the gorge.
In March 1776 Abraham Darby III, an ironmaster working at Coalbrookdale, was commissioned to cast and build an arch bridge with a single span. It became the first to be built of metal and pioneered the use of cast iron as the preferred material for bridges constructed in the late 18th and early 19th century.
The Iron Bridge
The world's first cast-iron bridge
Key Facts
Grade I listed structure
Also known as the Coalbrookdale Bridge
Location
Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, England
Across the River Severn
Linking Broseley, Madeley and Coalbrookdale
Designers / Engineers
Abraham Darby III
Thomas Farnolls Pritchard
Description
Cast-iron arch bridge
30.63m main span
60m total length
Main contractors
Abraham Darby III
Construction
Other long-span bridges
