Ironbridge, England, is a small town in rural Shropshire, which once dominated the world in the production of iron. It is located on the upper reaches of the River Severn, about 30 mi/50 km northwest of Birmingham.
The town is named after a magnificent iron bridge that still spans the gorge (and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Built in 1779 to showcase the possibilities of iron, the world's first cast-iron bridge became the triumphant symbol of the Industrial Revolution in England.
Ironbridge is now almost entirely a museum town—there are 10—and well worth a visit.
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