In the early eighteenth century, the only way to cross the Severn Gorge was by ferry. Nevertheless, the industries that ended up expanding in the space of Coalbrookdale and Broseley required a additional trusted crossing.
In 1773, Thomas Farnolls Pritchard[1] wrote to a regional ironmaster, John Wilkinson of Broseley, to counsel making a bridge out of forged iron. By 1775, Pritchard experienced finalised the strategies, but he died in December 1777, only a month after get the job done experienced started.[2]
Abraham Darby III, who was the grandson of the to start with foundry operator and an ironmaster doing work at Coalbrookdale in the gorge, was commissioned to forged and develop the bridge. The iron for the new bridge was forged at his foundry.
Shares have been issued to raise the £3,200 necessary, and Darby agreed to fund any overspend. While it experienced been predicted that 300 tons of iron would be wanted (costing £7 a ton), in the finish 379 tons ended up employed, costing Darby and his organization virtually £3,000. There would be quite a few other expenses to bear (masonry abutments, assembly, and so forth.), so that the task was significantly far more costly than very first envisaged. Darby bore most of the expense more than-run, and bought into debt for the relaxation of his quick existence.
Staying the initially of its sort, the construction experienced no precedent the technique picked to build the composition was for that reason based on carpentry. Every member of the body was forged individually, and fastenings followed those people utilized in woodworking, such as the mortise and tenon and blind dovetail joints. Bolts had been applied to fasten the 50 %-ribs together at the crown of the arch. Incredibly large sections were being required to make a structure to span 100 ft climbing to 60 ft over the river. The biggest sections were the 50 %-ribs, each and every about 70 ft very long and weighing 5.25 tons. The bridge includes far more than 800 castings of 12 standard styles.
The bridge was lifted in the summer season of 1779, and it was opened on New Year’s Day 1781.
Posted by Adrian J Walker on 2012-06-24 11:43:45
Tagged: , Ironbridge , Shropshire.
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