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Iron Bridge

English Heritage School Trips

Why book 'Iron Bridge' with English Heritage for School Trips and Educational Visits?

A symbol of the Industrial Revolution, the Iron Bridge is much more than just a bridge. As the first bridge made of cast iron, the Iron Bridge is one of the wonders of the modern world.

Spanning the River Severn at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, discover why this much-loved icon continues to inspire locals, tourists and engineering enthusiasts today.

The Iron Bridge underwent an extensive conservation project in 2018 to preserve the bridge for future generations to enjoy.

Teacher Checklist

Inspection Visits
Free Places for Teachers
Free Places for Students

What activities are available during group visits?

Use the online resources available from the English Heritage website, including information on the history of Iron Bridge, a summary of the conservation project in 2018, and videos to enhance your school trip.

Which Curriculum Subjects do you cater for?

Design Technology

Mechanics and engineering

Nestled in a spectacular wooded gorge stands a monument to British industry – the world’s first iron bridge. Crossing the River Severn, it was completed in 1779 and opened to traffic in 1781. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and remains an iconic feature of Britain’s industrial past.

Although Darby commissioned many paintings and engravings of the finished bridge, a lack of images or eyewitness accounts meant that, for over 200 years, little was known of exactly how Darby managed to erect this structure of almost 400 tons.

But in 1997 a small watercolour sketch by Elias Martin, which illustrated the building of the bridge, was discovered in a Stockholm museum. This exciting find, along with recent research, revealed much about the building process.

While Darby’s accounts suggest the use of scaffold poles, timber and rope during construction, Martin’s painting shows a wooden framework used to raise the half-ribs from the deck of a vessel.

Research also revealed that 70% of the components of the bridge – including all the large castings – were made individually to fit, and all differ slightly from one another as a result. Darby’s workers employed joining techniques used in carpentry, such as dovetail and shouldered joints, adapting them for cast iron.

Industrial

Engineering

A symbol of the Industrial Revolution, the Iron Bridge is much more than just a bridge. As the first bridge made of cast iron, the Iron Bridge is one of the wonders of the modern world and set a new, exciting precendent for engineers around the world. It was 1779 and the surrounding area was a bustling hub of industrial activity at the forefront of what would become known as the Industrial Revolution. The bridge was so successful that it gave its name to the whole Ironbridge Gorge.

Physics

Forces

Your students can learn about how science can be used practically to conserve world heritage sites like Iron Bridge.
In 2017-18 we undertook a major conservation project to restore the Iron Bridge, due to stresses in the ironwork since its original construction. There has also been disruptive ground movement over the centuries and an earthquake at the end of the 19th century.

We cast more than 300 bespoke iron wedges to replace those which support the deck. A team of six painters then applied 2,400 litres of paint to return to bridge to its original red-brown hue after new evidence came to light during the conservation process.

Engineering

What size groups do you cater for?

There are generally no limits to the size of education group, provided the group meets our ratios for leaders to learners. Our Discovery Visit workshops are suitable for groups of up to 30. Please see our school visit terms and conditions on our website for further details.

Do you offer on-site classroom facilities?

Many of our sites have education rooms that can be booked. Please check the relevant schools property page before making a booking.

Is there first aid on site?

Yes.

Do you offer access for visitors with disabilities?

Yes – please see our website for further details.

Do you cater for visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

Our facilities have been designed to be as accessible as possible in order to meet the different needs of our visitors. A summary of the facilities provided can be found on our schools property pages. If you or anyone in your group has particular access needs, please let us know at the point of booking or get in touch with our bookings team before you visit. Please note that some facilities may require booking in advance.

Who are English Heritage?

English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to a Cold War bunker. Through these, we bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year, over 300,000 of whom are education visitors.
We’re the largest heritage provider of school trips and provide a wealth of free educational resources, alongside expert-led, paid-for workshops for KS1-4. The high-quality of our education provision has been recognised most recently with a number of Sandford awards. Caring for our places and their collections, for the benefit of this and future generations is a cornerstone of everything we do.
We are a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.