The Iron Bridge, Shropshire |
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The Iron Bridge & Toll House
The Iron Bridge , is the true jewel of Shropshire ’s Iron-making past, you can see it spanning the majestic river Severn.
The bridge itself was opened by Abraham Darby III and architect Thomas Pritchard on New Years Day 1781, (having been cast from 1779 onwards) and it became so famous that now the town proudly boasts the name ‘Ironbridge’.
Whilst Abraham Darby III received a gold medal from the Royal Society of Arts, the architect, Thomas Pritchard died before the bridge was complete.
Originally the bridge was conceived to allow traffic to cross the Gorge. However, today the bridge is only open to walkers, who wish to stroll across and get a better view of the river.
The Toll House on the south side of the iron bridge was originally where people would have paid a toll to cross the bridge. The original prices are still displayed on the wall outside. However today the Toll House houses Ironbridge Tourist Information Centre and a small museum about the history of the bridge.
