|
|
Touring the Ironbridge Gorge: a short walk
into realms of our industrial past Revolutions have happened since time immemorial. And in a hitherto unknown rural county, the start of the industrial
age began in earnest at the end of the 18th century. Once an entirely rural county,
Now preserved as a World Heritage site, the Ironbridge Gorge was the
first place ever in the world to have a bridge constructed entirely of iron. Stone and wooden ones abounded around the globe. But using coke, not
charcoal in the creation of iron, allowed structures to be built that had
only ever been dreamed of before. Coke, just to add not the fizzy drink, was coal-derived fuel that was
created by heating coal in an oxygen free environment, to eliminate volatile
compounds. In turn, metal ores could be converted into solid iron products at
greater purity levels and at faster and more productive rate - especially in
the blast furnaces that were created to bring this about. At what is now Ironbridge Gorge, 80 acres of land were transformed
into a hive of industrial activity. Iron-making works, a tile producing
factory, china ware makers and pipe producers all churned out their products
to meet demand not just in Britain, but from the four corners of the world. The abundance of highly valuable natural resources were pivotal in
making this place the industrial powerhouse that it became. Since the last Ice Age, a glacial lake west of here, transformed the
area in to its gorge-like topography, and with that it eroded and uncovered
vast seams of coal, iron ore, limestone and clay. And several bridges over time were built to ford the mighty River
Severn that had also ploughed a furrow through this region since the
pre-historic era.
The jewel in the crown of this set of bridges came to be the
Ironbridge its very self. Constructed entirely of cast iron, it is believed
to be the first ever solid iron bridge structure ever created in the world. Prior to this, six ferry services would ferry people and goods across
the river, at where it now stands, but this proved to be not without its
problems. Industry and people were at the mercy of the river, which was often
either too shallow in summer to be crossed, or too high and flood-like in
winter to be safely traversed. So local businessmen, including Abraham Darby III and an 'iron mad'
John Wilkinson, pooled their ideas and resources and decided to do away with
convention, and build a bridge entirely out of iron. Using around 384 tonnes of iron in all, it was said to have taken
three months to cast all the component parts at furnaces within the immediate
locale. One of the said furnaces was mooted to have been a mere 500 yards away
from the bridge site itself, and this is where our planned walk begins. The walk, which should last about 45 minutes, takes in the key areas around the bridge
and offers an interesting glimpse of the riverbank and sights in its surrounds.
The remains of the Bedlam blast furnaces were and still are a truly
amazing labyrinth of chambers, pipes and air ducts that were obviously
created to meet the needs of this leviathan project, and others of an industrial
scale. Fortunately, there is free parking in front of it, which is a
blessing, because most other places require a small, or not so small, fee or
tariff. The furnaces can be found about a 5 minute drive past the Ironbridge
itself. Surprisingly, they were only recently exacavated and could be said to
act as proud testimony to this area's industrial past. Originally situated in
Coalbrookdale, it's only within modern times, that this area has collectively
been renamed Ironbridge. Leaving the car park, people need to follow the narrow footpath that
goes over and above the furnaces. You have a wonderful, aerial view of all its different chambers and
sections. As it's still standing, the old adage: 'they don't make things like
they used to' was never truer. It was obviously built to last. A small section of park should then come into view and a wide walkway
should be traversed until you meet a cluster of buildings near the Ironbridge
its very self. However, just to be a little bit different, people should cross over
the road, and take the riverside path (the
And as you go down some wide steps and pass some pretty riverside
cottages, you can glimpse the 100ft high bridge and all of its arched
sections, which were said to have taken two years to fully construct from
1777 to 1779. It was so records state, slotted together like a timber-framed
construction and was formally open for business on New Year's Day 1781. It passed the ultimate test some 15 years later, when it survived the
severe beating of a great flood in 1795. This caused the earlier, and further
upstream Interestingly, this writer believed, quite wrongly, that famous civil
engineer, Thomas Telford, was central to the whole of the building of the
Ironbridge. But he did have associations with this area, and was commissioned
to replace the However, it was Abraham Darby III who was one of the most crucial
members of the actual Ironbridge construction project team, the bridge itself
being located a few miles upstream from its Buildwas neighbour. (Darby's
grandfather, also Abraham, had settled in the area in the early 18th century
and was the entrepreneur that had first used coke in the production of iron). The design brief for the bridge's development, moreover, was awarded
to a Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, who had an architectural practice in He was famous for restoring grand houses and for designing stone and timber
bridges. He cleverly used techniques that had only previously been the preserve
of timber style fabrications, and with a budget of £6,000, he used dovetails,
wedges, mortise and tennons, which is thought to have helped the bridge
withstand floodlike conditions. It's worth noting that in modern day money,
the bridge's cost would equate to some £1.5 million. Indeed, as you walk the area today, you can only admire the
magnificent and superlative lattice framework of iron as it towers above you
across the Pictures always seem to show the gorge and bridge, however, as being
much vaster and wider than it actually is.
However, it still was a major accomplisment for the time, and has had
experts ever since puzzled as to how the exact bridge was pieced and fastened
together. A recent history programme on television surmised that lots of timber
scaffolding and frameworks were set up to help build up the bridge until it
was in its present form. Traffic today, is not allowed to traverse it, but initially this was
its primary concern as well as a mission to allow the free movement of people
from one side of the However, the free part was anything but. It did unfortunately prove
too costly for many local labourers, with wages being kept low, and some
could not afford the halfpenny crossing toll that was required.
It's certainly free to cross the bridge itself today, which is a haven
for day-trippers and tourists alike. At its centre, a fantastic view of the Again this river was crucial to the gorge's success, because it
allowed fast and efficient transportation for the time, of goods to the south
western But in its prime, it was supposedly a smoky and smoggy area as factory
smoke billowed throughout the gorge, and furnace flames were a common and all
too prevalent sight. This 'birthplace of industry', as it is often called, has now been
reclaimed by nature itself. Vast swathes of pleasant greenery adorn the
valley sides. While buildings, many with links back to the 18th century if
not even earlier, peek out behind the foliage. Half-hidden, but a constant
reminder of this area's magnificent hey-day, they offer a well preserved
slice of britannic history, with only cars and modern dress seeming a tad out
of place. Many visitors want to preserve memories of their day here in
photographic form. And it was quite interesting on the day this walk was
taken to see three spaniels reluctant to pose for the camera at their owners'
diktat. The flow across the bridge was held up for quite a few minutes until
the dogs finally and cautiously did as they were bid. Once at the other side, people can take time out to buy souvenirs or more
information about the area from the erstwhile tollhouse. But to continue the walk, people should take a turn to the left and
follow the other side of the river bank, along the route of the former Severn
Valley Railway.
Now dedicated as a leisure route for walkers and cyclists and renamed
the But today, the wide and level trackway, gives people a quiet and
woodland lined route along the banks of the River Severn. In Ironbridge's industrial prime, people could have expected to see
much boat traffic, mainly in the form of 70ft long barges or trows. This was
the transportation of choice for many merchants and producers, who used them
to take their wares to The coming of a steam railway soon put paid to that, but again new
modern inventions of any age soon become obsolete, and it too was soon
consigned to the past. It did initially, however, run from Jackfield where
there were tile factories, kilns and iron works, brick factory and a tar
factory right through to the nearby industrial town of You cannot see the river that closely as you ramble onwards, because
of all the verdant foilage and woodland masks your view; but as you continue
you soon become parallel to the Bedlam Furnaces, which were created in 1757,
and are said to be among the first blast furnaces ever created in the world. A few keen walkers can usually be spied on this route as you walk
along its more serene setting. Then you soon approach the modern face of the This too over the course of time has been unable to withstand the
erosion and corroding force of the river. It was built as a free bridge in 1908 out of poured, reinforced
concrete. No tolls or charges were levied at all to ensure people could move
effectively and really freely from one side of the river to the other. But by 1937 the force of the river had made the bridge become so
unstable, that it then went just under 50 years of constant repairs, until it
was decided that a new bridge just had to be built. From 1986 onwards, a bailey bridge was set up to take traffic and
people across the It wasn't until some seven years later that the local authority
allowed the
Today, the However, its A pylon and cable-stayed structure has withstood the test
of time and all the battering that the river and elements could give it. It took 9 months to complete and its various components were
prefabricated in Weatherby in It was opened on 18 October 1994 when a 13.9 tonne steam roller was
sent across it as a load test, and it was subsequently dubbed as an
'overwhelming success' by the Royal Fine Art Commission - an opinion that is
perhaps somewhat divisive. From here you can walk along the river with iron railings to your
left, and you will soon, after a few hundred yards, arrive back at the Bedlam
Furnaces - interestingly they have nothing to do with the infamous asylum of
a similar name, which was actually based in Then people can either wend their way back to the Ironbridge and some
of the cafes nearby, or perhaps then take in one or two of the museums that
fill out the expansive 80 acres that make up remarkable Ironbridge. Take in the slideshow of For more details about the museums, please see below, or go to the
following website www.ironbridge.org.uk: IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUMS: Blists Hill is an ambitious recreation of an entire Victorian town.
The 52 acre site contains period shops such as a grocer, chemist and draper.
All transactions are carried out in old fashioned money and re-enactors give
the site an authentic feel by dressing in clothes of reminiscent of the time. This site produced a variety of china ware right up until 1926. Today
however its museum acts as a tribute to the outstanding contribution Coalport
Tar In 1787, miners at Ironbridge hit the jackpot, and struck a spring of
natural bitumen. It still oozes this black treacle like substance today, and visitors
can walk the 100 yard length of the tar tunnel. Coalbrookdale This site celebrates the achievements of the iron industry in this
area and houses a variety of household iron wares, in addition to fine art
castings such as statues, plaques and fire surrounds. Darby Houses, TF8 7DQ The Darby family resided predominantly in Rosehill House and Dale
House within the immediate locale. Visitors can have a chance to dress in
quaker-style costumes and see mementoes and personal effects that belonged to
generations of the Darbys. As this museum's name suggests, it is devoted to all things to do with
inventions. However, it looks solely towards the future, and has displays of
robots and other cutting edge, scientific exhibits. Museum of the Gorge, TF8 7NH At the museum of the Gorge, visitors can see the history of Ironbridge
charted and analysed on film, as well as through the various inventive and
colourful displays. The abundance of clay locally, provided the perfect raw material for
clay pipes, which were de rigeur throughout much of the 18th century and a
while later. Broseley was a signficant world player in this market and
churned out clay pipes in their millions at this site. This museum showcases
life as it would have been during its hey-day. Directions: From Woodhey Hall, follow the A49 to Whitchurch. Then after this join
the A41 at Prees Heath. Then take this A road to Ternhill, where you should
turn off and join the A53 towards |
