COALBROOKDALE: THE IRON BRIDGE 1779 Shropshire HEW136 SJ672 034 N52o 37’ 38.7” W2o 29’ 4.2”
During the 18th c, this area was the center of the growing iron industry and the resulting traffic required a bridge over the Severn. This deep gorge was the only location where the river did not keep changing its bed as it did periodically in the flat upper valley. However, a bridge at this location needed to span the entire distance because a supporting pier would interfere with the heavy barge traffic in this narrow passage. It was the ideal site to demonstrate the structural qualities of the new cast iron developed in Shropshire during the 18th century by the Darby family which would be able to span the entire distance. The architect was Thomas Pritchard and the parts were designed and built at Abraham Darby III’s Coalbrookdale foundry.
The bridge’s single arch spans the 100 feet between its stone abutments. The 800 separate cast iron parts were put together using woodworking joinery for quick and easy assembly and were brought to the site by barge and hoisted into place. The five ribs are joined at the crown forming a semi-circular arch in three parallel ribs with spacers between them. The iron work of the bridge was substantially built in three months. It was opened to traffic in 1781. It is still one of the most beautiful iron bridges of them all and seems to float magically over the river defying gravity and was a tourist destination from the day it was opened 230 years ago.