£1.25m conservation project for '˜inspirational' Iron Bridge

But now the Iron Bridge that gave its name to the Shropshire town of Ironbridge Gorge is in need of £1.25m of repairs.

Crossing the River Severn, the Iron Bridge erected in 1779 became the first single span arch bridge in the world to be made of cast iron. But it is suffering the toll of time, with cracks due to stresses in the ironwork dating back to the original construction, ground movement over the centuries and an earthquake late in the 19th century. Now English Heritage is to embark in its single largest conservation project to date to repair the bridge, now at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.

English Heritage chief executive Kate Mavor said: “An iconic symbol of the Industrial Revolution, it is arguably the most important bridge ever built and without doubt, one of the most important sites in our care.

“This conservation project will ensure that both its revolutionary structure and the story those cast iron arches and beams tell will continue to inspire us for generations to come.”