Ironbridge Gorge

The Ironbridge Gorge is a deep gorge containing the River Severn in Shropshire, England. It was formed long ago by a huge flow of water from an ancient lake at the end of the last ice age. This special place has rocks that hold important materials like coal, iron ore, limestone and fireclay. These materials helped people develop new ways to make things during the early Industrial Revolution.

The gorge was originally called the Severn Gorge, but it is now famous for the Iron Bridge, the first bridge made of iron in the whole world. This bridge was built in 1779 to connect the town of Broseley with the smaller town of Madeley and the busy industrial area of Coalbrookdale.

The Ironbridge Gorge was a great place for early industries because it had all the needed materials close by, such as coal, iron ore, limestone and clay. The wide and deep river made it easy to move products to the sea near the Bristol Channel.

Formation

The gorge carries the River Severn south towards the Bristol Channel. It was formed during the last ice age when water from the river became trapped in a lake (Lake Lapworth) created when the Irish Sea ice sheet blocked the river. The lake level rose until the water broke through the hills to the south. This created the gorge and changed the river's path forever.

The Gorge parish

The Gorge is a civil parish in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and the county of Shropshire. It includes places like Coalbrookdale, Coalport, Ironbridge, Jackfield, and Lightmoor. It is split into three areas for local government: Coalport & Jackfield, Ironbridge Gorge, and Lightmoor.

In 2011, the number of people living in this area was 3,275.

Conservation in the Gorge

The Green Wood Centre has spent many years teaching new workers how to care for forests and trees, helping bring back old ways of tree farming.

The Severn Gorge Countryside Trust takes care of most of the forests, fields, and open land in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, which covers around 260 hectares (640 acres). BTCV’s Green Gym helps the trust with forest work. Together with the Green Wood Centre, the trust also offers projects for local volunteers to help with activities like tree care, removing unwanted plants, building fences for deer, and managing the woodlands.