England Guide
The West Midlands and the Peak District
Ironbridge Gorge
Ironbridge Gorge was the crucible of the Industrial Revolution, a process encapsulated by its famous span across the River Severn – the world's first iron bridge, engineered by Abraham Darby and opened on New Year's Day, 1781. The area's factories once churned out engines, rails, wheels and other heavy-duty iron pieces in quantities unmatched anywhere else in the world, but manufacturing has now all but vanished and the surviving monuments make the gorge the most extensive industrial heritage sight in England – and one that has been granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO.
The gorge contains several museums celebrating the area's industrial craftsmanship – from tiles through to iron – and an assortment of other industrial attractions spread along a five-mile stretch of the River Severn Valley. A thorough exploration takes a couple of days, but the highlights – the iron bridge itself, the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, and the Jackfield Tile Museum – are easily manageable on a day-trip. There are several pleasant B&Bs in Ironbridge village, close by the bridge.
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