| Ironbridge | |
|---|---|
 Ironbridge, seen from theIron Bridge | |
  Ironbridge Location withinShropshire | |
| Population | 2,582 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SJ6724903350 |
| • London | 126 mi (203 km) SE |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TELFORD |
| Postcode district | TF8 |
| Dialling code | 01952 |
| Police | West Mercia |
| Fire | Shropshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Ironbridge is a riverside village in the borough ofTelford and Wrekin,Shropshire, England. Located on the bank of theRiver Severn, at the heart of theIronbridge Gorge, it lies in thecivil parish ofThe Gorge. Ironbridge developed beside, and takes its name from,the Iron Bridge, a 100-foot (30 m)cast iron bridge that was built in 1779.
The area around Ironbridge is described by those promoting it as a tourist destination as the "birthplace of theIndustrial Revolution".[2] This description is based on the idea thatAbraham Darby perfected the technique ofsmelting iron withcoke, inCoalbrookdale, allowing much cheaperproduction of iron.[citation needed] However, the industrial revolution did not begin in any one place. Darby's iron smelting was but one small part of this generalised revolution and was soon superseded by the great iron-smelting areas. However, the bridge – being the first of its kind fabricated from cast iron, and one of the few which have survived to the present day – remains an important symbol representative of the dawn of the industrial age.[citation needed]
The grandson of the first Abraham Darby,Abraham Darby III, built the bridge – originally designed byThomas Farnolls Pritchard – to link the two areas. Construction began in 1779, and the bridge opened on New Year's Day 1781.[3][4] Soon afterwards the ancientMadeley market was relocated to the new purpose-built square andGeorgian Butter Cross. The former dispersed settlement of Madeley Wood gained a planned urban focus as Ironbridge, the commercial and administrative centre of theCoalbrookdale coalfield.
The Iron Bridge proprietors also built theTontine Hotel to accommodate visitors to the new bridge and the industrial sites of theSevern Gorge. Across a square facing the hotel, stands Ironbridge's war memorial, which was erected in 1924. It is a bronze statue of aFirst World War soldier in marching order, sculpted byArthur George Walker, whose signature appears as does that of A.B. Burton, the foundry worker who erected it.[5]On the hillside above the river are situated the stone-built 16th-century hunting lodge at Lincoln Hill, many 17th- and 18th-century workers' cottages, some imposing Georgian houses built byironmasters and mine and river barge owners, and many earlyVictorian villas built from the various coloured bricks and tiles of the locality.
St Luke's Church (1837) in simpleCommissioners' Gothic by Samuel Smith ofMadeley, hasstained glass by David Evans ofShrewsbury. Its design is unusual in that the sanctuary is at the west-end and the tower at the east, in reverse to the majority of churches. This is because the land at the west-end was unstable and unable to take the weight of a tower. The bells in the church tower were installed in 1920 as a memorial to parishioners who died in the First World War, and the external church clock was illuminated in memory of those who died inthe Second.[5] The living was endowed as a rectory when the parish was created from Madeley in 1847, and is now a united benefice with Coalbrookdale andLittle Wenlock, in theDiocese of Hereford.
The formerIronbridge and Broseley railway station, on the Severn Valley line (GWR) fromHartlebury to Shrewsbury, was situated on the south side of the Iron Bridge until 1966. Ironbridge was the birthplace ofEngland National Football Team captainBilly Wright.
By the 19th century, Ironbridge had had many well-known visitors, includingBenjamin Disraeli,[citation needed] but by the mid-20th century, the settlements and industries of the gorge were in decline. In 1986, though, Ironbridge became part of aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site (which covers the wider Ironbridge Gorge area) and has since become a major tourist attraction within Shropshire. Most industries in Ironbridge are now tourist-related; however, theMerrythoughtteddy bear company (established in 1930) is still manufacturing in Ironbridge and has a small museum there too. Amongst other things, the centre of Ironbridge is host to a post office,pharmacy, variouspubs,cafés and many small independent shops.
Ironbridge was struck byan F1/T2 tornado on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day.[6] On Thursday 10 July 2003The Queen and theDuke of Edinburgh made a visit to Shropshire which included a visit to Ironbridge, and a walk over the bridge itself.[7]
An annualCoracleRegatta is held in August on theRiver Severn at Ironbridge, along with many other events throughout the year. This is mainly because the coracle-making family of Rogers lived in Ironbridge for several generations. Just outside Ironbridge in Coalbrookdale is theIronbridge Institute, a partnership between theUniversity of Birmingham and theIronbridge Gorge Museum Trust offering postgraduate and professional development inheritage.
Ironbridge has an annually reoccurring problem of flooding from theRiver Severn, as do many other parts of Shropshire. Flooding has previously caused much damage and disruption to the Wharfage, which accommodates bothThe Swan andWhite Hart pubs, and various private homes. Starting in February 2004,DEFRA, in association with theEnvironment Agency, implemented a portable barrier which is erected at times of floods. At its peak, the flood water has reached a depth of one metre (3 ft 3 in) against the barrier.
On 26 February 2020, after large amounts of rainfall brought by stormsCiara andDennis, the portable barrier was compromised; it required an evacuation of all residents from the wharfage.[8] Ironbridge flooded again in February 2022.[9][10]
The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust owns and operates 10 museums throughout theIronbridge Gorge World Heritage Site; they collectively tell the story of theIndustrial Revolution.
The museums include:
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
