In Shropshire, not far from the Welsh border, is Ironbridge Gorge; birthplace of the Industrial revolution and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The world’s first iron bridge crosses a beautiful valley gorge. Once a mining community, about 4 000 people live in Ironbridge today. It’s a charming village, with nice little cafes, shops and, amazingly, ten museums. Our stop in Ironbridge was quick but we all enjoyed it heaps. Alex, my oldest, even found a stone house on a hill she wanted to buy.
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Welcome! I'm Sophie - writer, dreamer, negotiator, wanderer - mostly with my daughters, sometimes solo.
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I’ve actually been to Ironbridge. It really is a charming little village around that bridge.
Thanks for joining in Photo Friday! I’m curious what makes Ironbridge the birthplace of the industrial revolution (and I fully admit that my history is shaky). Was the first mechanized factory there?
Debbie,
That’s a good question. A man called Abraham Darby first smelted iron woth coke in this area (thus making iron much cheaper). His grandson, also called Abraham Darby, built the bridge, which in 1781 was the world’s first cast iron bridge.
One might argue that the Industrial Revolution began in several places in Britain at the same time, though. But – UNESCO recognizes Ironbridge as the symbol of the Industrial Revolution.
I love bridges, so I particularly enjoyed this story. The UNESCO link made interesting reading, thanks for pointing me there as well. Pretty impressive when you consider how long ago this bridge was built.
I love that whole area of England.