Iron Bridge, Ironbridge, Shropshire
Date: Sunday, 9th June 2019
Start time: 10:45
Grade: Moderate
Distance: 4.0 miles
Walk description
The walk is 4 miles long and should take around 3 hours including a lunch stop.
It is relatively short in distance, however it includes two steep woodland climbs
and a final descent of over 200 steps back to the starting point. As stated below there is approx. 850 feet of climbing and descending involved.
The village of Coalbrookdale is credited with being the site of the birth of the Industrial revolution in the Victorian era, when Abraham Darby built his factory to smelt locally sourced iron ore using the readily available supplies of coal and water. Cast iron from this foundry was used in 1779 to build the famous Iron Bridge which opened in 1781.
Several of Coalbrookdale’s industrial heritage sites are to be found on this walk including:
The Quaker Burial Ground, the Darby Houses, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, the Upper Furnace Pool and the Great Western Railway Viaduct. Another interesting feature is the viewpoint over Ironbridge from the ‘Rotunda’ in Lincoln Hill.
If you are interested in the history of this region there is a vast amount of information available online and at the various museums in the area.
Meeting point and parking
Joining Us
If you wish to attend your first walk with Sheffield Walkers walking group please contact us a minimum 48 hours before the start of your chosen walk and we will add you to our list of walkers, notify the Walk Leader to expect you, and provide you with details of the meeting point and start time.
Please note: New walkers can join any easy or moderate walk for their first walk with us, but not a strenuous walk. Once they have walked with us all walks are open for them to join. For further information regarding membership please click here.