Proof of stress such as breaks in ties linking structural ribs of the world’s first cast iron bridge at Ironbridge, Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire, UK, were obvious by 2008, the date of this image. They were caused by decades of increasing traffic, weak River Severn banks and the make-up of the iron itself. Conservation work in 2017-18 saw the cast iron structure repaired and cleaned and the bridge repainted in its original red-brown colour, rather than grey. The Iron Bridge, opened in 1781, is an icon of the Industrial Revolution and Ironbridge Gorge is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Ironbridge, Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire, England, UK: the world’s first cast iron bridge was showing very obvious signs of decay and stress when this image was captured in 2008, around 227 years after it first opened to traffic. For more than 150 years, it had carried ever-increasing volumes of people, goods, carts and carriages across the River Severn before it was finally closed in 1934 to all but pedestrians. Even without the wheeled traffic, the Iron Bridge continued to deteriorate. This was due to the composition of the iron used in its construction, combined with ground movement over the centuries caused by weak river banks. An earthquake in the late-19th century also played a part. Massive works to strengthen it included a reinforced concrete strut laid across the river bed in 1973 to brace the two abutments. But by 2008, as shown in this photograph, gaps and breaks were clearly visible in the decorative ties linking the structural ribs. In 2017, English Heritage embarked on its biggest-ever conservation project. The cast iron elements were repaired, the masonry conserved, the deck resurfaced and the entire structure cleaned and repainted - in its original red-brown rather than grey. The work was completed in 2018. The Iron Bridge, the largest cast-iron structure of its time, opened to road traffic on 1 January 1781. It was designed by architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard (c. 1723-1777) and was forged and constructed by Quaker ironmaster Abraham Darby III (1750-1789) at the ironworks in neighbouring Coalbrookdale. The bridge is an iconic symbol of Britain’s Industrial Revolution and Ironbridge Gorge is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Size: 2592px × 3872px
Location: Ironbridge, Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire, England, UK
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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