Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale is a village in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England. It is a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. This is where iron ore was first smelted by Abraham Darby using easily mined "coking coal".[1]
The coal was drawn from drift mines in the sides of the valley. As it contained far fewer impurities than normal coal, the iron it produced was of a superior quality. Along with many other industrial developments that were going on in other parts of the country, this discovery was a major factor in the growing industrialisation of Britain. It was the Industrial Revolution.[2]
Today, Coalbrookdale is home to the Ironbridge Institute, a partnership between the University of Birmingham and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust offering postgraduate and professional courses in heritage.
References [change]
- ↑ Thomas E. 1999. Coalbrookdale and the Darby family: the story of the world's first industrial dynasty. York: Sessions/Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. ISBN 1-85072-217-X
- ↑ Trinder B. 2000. The industrial revolution in Shropshire. 3rd ed, Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 1-86077-133-5
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