Iron Bridge, Coalbrookdale, Shoropshire Apr '10

[boxfrenzy]

The last time I visited here was on a school trip and I had my best pint of bitter of all time, still unsupassed over a number of decades (Marston's Pedigree, for reference). Anyway, Ironbridge is cool, and more importantly, the location of the world's first Iron Bridge. I love the irony that they erected it actually as a place called Ironbridge. You couldn't make it up.
Abraham Darby perfected the technique of smelting iron with coke, in Coalbrookdale, and using the technique this, the bridge was built.


It took two years to build and was opened on New Year's Day 1781. The writing round the edge says 1779, the year it was started. A couple of shots.


It was designed by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard. The Queen visited in 2003.


The bridge crosses the River Severn. Perhaps you have heard of it? It is the longest river in England.


This is the toll pricing structure (that sounds wrong) for crossing the bridge in the pst. I have made it big so you can see it. I'm kind like that.


A view across the bridge.


Ok, not that exciting. If you are visiting here with out your kids and parents, unlike me, there does seem to be a decent factory which looks abandoned nearby and the fenced off remains of Bedlam furnaces, a place definitely worth of scaling the fence to check out. This is one of my all time favourite paintings, and was done by Philipp Jakob Loutherbourg of Bedlam furnaces in 1801. It is called Coalbrookdale at Night.

[Neosea]

It's a cool location, pity about the crowds that seem to converge on it every time I go...

[ceejam]

superb pics. nice but very busy place.

[sqwasher]

Nice shots of a piece of bridge history Rich. Is there a toll to pay in the present day?

[KingElvis]

Nice mate, I remeber Mr Fred Dibnah messing around here

Stopped and walked it many times.

[Only2Eyes]

I remember going here as a kid. Can you still get old money to pay for stuff?

Nice pics, it is an impressive structure