Ironbridge Gorge
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 'birthplace of the Industrial Revolution', home to the world's first cast-iron bridge (1779) spanning the River Severn and ten museums within the gorge.
Ironbridge Gorge was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1986. It is where Abraham Darby first smelted iron using coke in 1709, and it is regarded as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Its emblem is the world's first cast-iron arch bridge, completed in 1779, which gives its name to the riverside town of Ironbridge on the Severn. The gorge contains ten museums. The most popular are Blists Hill Victorian Town (an open-air museum), the Enginuity science centre, the Coalport China Museum and the Tar Tunnel, and a combined ticket is available. It lies about 50 kilometres northwest of Birmingham, roughly one hour's drive, or take a train to Telford and then a bus. Allow a full day for a visit.
Opening hours
Iron bridge open all day; museum about 10:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Black Country Living Museum
- Dudley Zoo and Castle
- Lickey Hills Country Park
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Barber Institute of Fine Arts
- Cadbury World
- Winterbourne House and Garden
- Museum of the Jewellery Quarter