1-232-946 - Reproduced by permission of Historic England/Heritage Images

The Iron Bridge, Ironbridge, Shropshire, 1945-1980. A detail showing a section of the arch structure. The development of coke smelting in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, by Abraham Darby I and his family in the 18th century revolutionised the production of iron and helped fuel the Industrial Revolution. This iron bridge was designed and built in the Darby foundry. It was the first in the world to use cast iron structurally and was designed by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard and built between 1776 and 1779 by Abraham Darby III (1750-1791).