Ironbridge (original) (raw)
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, using carpentry- style joints, 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.