Coalbrookdale Old Furnace
1709 - UNESCO site
Overview
The blast furnace where Abraham Darby first smelted iron with coke instead of charcoal in 1709, freeing ironmaking from dwindling forests. Cheap cast iron from the Severn Gorge made the Iron Bridge and countless engines possible. The furnace stands under a protective canopy within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.
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