Collections
Themed routes through the archive. An article can sit in more than one.
Crossing the River Severn
Two thousand years of getting from one bank to the other — fords, ferries, passage boats and the bridges that finally replaced them.
5 articles 71
The Ferries of the Gorge
Benthall Edge, the Meadow, Madeley Wood, Tuckies and Coalport — the boats, the ferrymen and the families who worked them.
2 articles 56
The Fords
The low-water crossings that came before everything else, and the places where they can still be traced.
1 article 18
The Bridges
The Iron Bridge, Albert Edward, the Free Bridge, Coalport Bridge and the Memorial Footbridge — and the toll houses that paid for them.
4 articles 46
Historic Inns & Public Houses
Twenty-six pubs of Madeley Parish, the ferry inns of the riverside, and the buildings that outlived their licences.
2 articles 38
Industries & Ironworks
Tileworks, foundries, china works and the inclined plane — the industry that gave the Gorge its shape.
4 articles 56
Villages Through Time
Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale, Jackfield and Coalport — streets, squares and shopfronts, then and now.
8 articles 149
Railways & Transport
The station, the sidings and the lines that ran the length of the Gorge — including a season of motor racing.
2 articles 8
Historic Maps
Plans, surveys and schematic maps of the Gorge, its crossings and its works.
1 article 9
Original Documents
Leases, agreements, letters and newspaper reports, reproduced in full with transcriptions.
1 article 21
Historic People
Ferrymen and ferrywomen, landlords, manufacturers and the families whose names still attach to places here.
3 articles 42
Then & Now
Historic views paired with the same viewpoint today. Drag to compare.
4 articles 38
Building features
The Old Market Hall Building
Georgian market bays, Picasso's Hair Design, and today's Pharmacy & Post Office.
The Bartlett Memorial Fountain
Clean water for the town in 1862 — and the campaign to bring it back to the Square.
Which is the oldest pub in the Ironbridge Gorge?
Ranking all 18 pub crawl pubs from the Golden Ball of 1728 to the Coracle of 2018.
All articles
Sources & Acknowledgements
Our history archive has grown from many different sources, including historic photographs and postcards, maps, documents, published research, local archives, private collections and material shared by local residents.
We would particularly like to acknowledge Telford Media Archive, whose extensive collection has been an important source of historic images of the Ironbridge Gorge and wider Telford area.
We also thank everyone who has shared photographs, information, memories and corrections with us.
Many historic images have been copied, shared and circulated over many years, and in some cases the original photographer or source is no longer known. Where an original source or copyright holder is known, we aim to acknowledge them. If you recognise an image and can provide further provenance or attribution, please contact us so that we can update our records.