The Iron Bridge

bridge that crosses the River Severn in Shropshire, England.

The Iron Bridge was the first arch bridge in the world to be made out of cast iron.[1] It crosses the River Severn at the Ironbridge Gorge near the village of Ironbridge, in Shropshire, England.

The Iron Bridge
The Iron Bridge (February 2019)
Coordinates52°37′38″N 2°29′08″W / 52.627245°N 2.485533°W / 52.627245; -2.485533 (The Iron Bridge)
CarriesPedestrian traffic
CrossesRiver Severn
LocaleIronbridge Gorge near Coalbrookdale
OwnerTelford and Wrekin Council
Heritage statusGrade I listed
Characteristics
Designcast-iron arch bridge
Width250
Longest span100 ft 6 in (30.63 m)
History
Construction startNovember 1777
Construction endJuly 1779
Opened1 January 1781
Location
Map

The bridge is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1] It is maintained by English Heritage who launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2017 to support a conservation project which began in 2018.[2] As well as repairing rusted parts of the bridge, it was painted red to match a painting from 1777 showing how the Iron Bridge looked soon after it was finished.[3]

Gallery change

Related pages change

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 UNESCO, "Ironbridge Gorge"; retrieved 2012-4-25.
  2. "English Heritage's first ever crowd funder raises final total of £47,545 to support vital conservation of the Iron Bridge | English Heritage". www.english-heritage.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  3. Growcott, Mat. "Back to the future as Iron Bridge set to return to its original red". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.

Other websites change

  Media related to The Iron Bridge at Wikimedia Commons