Ironbridge GorgeThe Ironbridge Gorge is a deep gorge, containing the River Severn in Shropshire, England. It was first formed by a glacial overflow from the long drained away Lake Lapworth, at the end of the last ice age. The deep exposure of the rocks cut through by the gorge exposed commercial deposits of coal, iron ore, limestone and fireclay, which enabled the rapid economic development of the area during the early Industrial Revolution.
Ironbridge Gorge Museum TrustThe Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust was an industrial heritage organisation which ran ten museums and managed multiple historic sites within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site in Shropshire, England, widely considered as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Its assets are now managed by the National Trust.
CoalbrookdaleCoalbrookdale is a settlement in the Ironbridge Gorge and the Telford and Wrekin borough of Shropshire, England, of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. It lies within the civil parish called The Gorge, and is sometimes referred to as a town. This is where iron ore was first smelted by Abraham Darby using easily mined "coking coal". The coal was drawn from drift mines in the sides of the valley.
The Iron BridgeThe Iron Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge that spans the Ironbridge Gorge of the River Severn in Shropshire, England. Opened in 1781, it was the first major bridge in the world to be made of cast iron. Its success inspired the widespread use of cast iron as a structural material, and today the bridge is celebrated as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution.
Industrial Revolution1760–1840 agrarian to industrial era shiftA Roberts loom in a weaving shed in the United Kingdom in 1835LocationGreat BritainWestern EuropeNorth AmericaKey eventsMechanised textile productionCanal constructionSteam engineFactory systemIron production increaseThe Industrial Revolution, sometimes called the First Industrial Revolution in contrast to the subsequent Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succeeding the Second Agricultural Revolution.
River SevernThe River Severn (; Welsh: Afon Hafren, pronounced) is the longest river in Great Britain, with a length of 220 miles (354 km). It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of 107 m/s (3,800 cu ft/s) at Apperley, Gloucestershire.
Madeley, ShropshireMadeley is a historic market town and civil parish in the borough of Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire, England. The parish had a population of 18,774 at the 2021 census. Madeley is recorded in the Domesday Book, having been founded before the 8th century. Historically, Madeley's industrial activity has largely been in mining, and later, manufacturing, which is still a large employer in the town, along with service industries.
Abraham Darby IAbraham Darby, in his later life called Abraham Darby the Elder, now sometimes known for convenience as Abraham Darby I (14 April 1677 – 5 May 1717, the first and best known of several men of that name), was an English ironmaster and foundryman. Born into an EnglishQuaker family that played an important role in the Industrial Revolution, Darby developed a method of producing pig iron in a blast furnace fuelled by coke rather than charcoal.
England national football teamMen's association football teamFIFA rankingCurrent 4 (20 July 2026)Highest3 (August–September 2012, September–October 2021, November 2023)Lowest27 (February 1996)First international England0–0Scotland (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872)(The first ever international football match)Biggest win England 13–0 Ireland (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882)Biggest defeat Hungary7–1England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954)World CupAppearances17 (first in 1950)Best resultChampions (1966)European ChampionshipAppearances11 (first in 1968)Best resultRunners-up (2020, 2024)Nations League FinalsAppearances1 (first in 2019)Best resultThird place (2019)Medal recordWebsiteenglandfootball.comThe England national football team, nicknamed The Three Lions, have represented England in men's international football since the first international match in 1872.
ShropshireCounty in EnglandCeremonial county in EnglandShropshire (; abbreviated Salop) is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England, on the border with Wales. It is bordered by Cheshire to the north-east, Staffordshire to the east, Worcestershire to the south-east, Herefordshire to the south, and the Welsh principal areas of Powys and Wrexham to the west and north-west respectively. The largest settlement is Telford, while Shrewsbury is the county town.
SmeltingSmelting is a process of applying heat and a chemical reducing agent to an ore to extract a desired base metal product. It is a form of extractive metallurgy that is used to obtain many metals such as iron, copper, silver, tin, lead, and zinc. Smelting uses heat and a chemical reducing agent to decompose the ore, driving off other elements as gases or slag and leaving the metal behind.
Cast ironCast iron is a class of iron–carbonalloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature.
Telford and WrekinTelford and Wrekin is a borough and unitary authority in Shropshire, England. In 1974, a non-metropolitan district of Shropshire was created called the Wrekin, named after a prominent hill to the west of Telford. In 1998, the district became a unitary authority and was renamed "Telford and Wrekin", which remains part of the Shropshire ceremonial county and shares institutions such as the Fire and Rescue Service and Community Health with the rest the county.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.