© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)
The Iron Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge spanning the River Severn near Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, completed in 1779 and designed by Thomas Pritchard with ironwork by Abraham Darby III. It represents a milestone in engineering history as the first major structure to be constructed entirely from cast iron, marking a significant transition in bridge building technology and demonstrating the viability of iron as a structural material. The bridge's single elegant arch of approximately 30 metres span exemplifies eighteenth-century industrial innovation and remains substantially intact, retaining its original cast iron framework and decorative elements. Its construction was made possible by the exceptional quality of iron produced at nearby Coalbrookdale and epitomises the Shropshire region's central role in Britain's Industrial Revolution.
The Iron Bridge is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1015325. View the official record →
The Iron Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge spanning the River Severn near Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, completed in 1779 and designed by Thomas Pritchard with ironwork by Abraham Darby III. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1015325.
The Iron Bridge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1015325.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bedlam Furnaces (0.6 km), Lilleshall Beam Blowing Engines (2.1 km), Blists Hill Iron Furnaces (2.2 km).
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.
Research the area around The Iron Bridge