Coalport bridge and toll houses.

Coalport, set deep in the Ironbridge Gorge, has always been about crossings — turnpike roads, iron spans, and toll gates that took your money whether you were on foot, horseback, or hauling a wagonload of coal.

To this day, people still mix up the two toll houses at Coalport. In truth, they had very different roles: one collected for the bridge, the other for the road. Together, they tell a story of industry, Parliament, and the everyday lives of the people who manned the gates.

The Wooden Coalport Bridge

The first bridge at Preen’s Eddy, later known as Coalport Bridge, was completed in 1780 under an Act of 1776 to provide a much-needed crossing of the River Severn at Preens Eddy, the hamlet on the south bank of the river.

Here, the industrial settlement of Coalport on the north bank was expanding rapidly, while Broseley and Jackfield on the south bank had long-established collieries, potteries, and ironworks. A permanent bridge was essential to connect these communities, replacing reliance on ferries and giving direct access to the Coalport China Works and the growing trade of the Gorge.

The first bridge, completed in 1780, was of timber construction. Its creation was entirely funded by private subscription, with shareholders hoping to recoup their investment through tolls on every wagon, cart, horse, or pedestrian that crossed.

The bridge was designed by William Hayward and built by Robert Palmer, a Madeley timber merchant. During a flood in 1795, the middle pier was badly damaged, and the original two-span design had to be reconsidered.

Unfortunately, the wooden span did not prove durable. It was battered by floods, weakened by heavy use, and within twenty years had to be replaced.

Rebuilt in Iron (1818)

In 1818, local ironmaster John Onions rebuilt the bridge entirely in cast iron, reusing the old abutments. His design proved resilient, standing nearly 200 years.

Although less celebrated than the Iron Bridge, the Coalport crossing was far more affordable and quickly became the preferred route for locals and industry.

A Sporting Interlude (1911)

Coalport Bridge wasn’t only about tolls and trade. In May 1911, the Sutton Coldfield Automobile Club chose Coalport Hill as the venue for their annual hill climb.

A photograph from the Ironbridge Gorge Museum archives shows the start of the race right at the bridge. Six classes of cars and motorcycles competed, and the Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News announced it would be “a most sporting character … where some thrilling riding should be witnessed.”

The Coalport Bridge Toll House

The Coalport Bridge Toll House stood at the north end of the bridge. It began life as a warehouse (1793–1808), was in use as a house by 1815, and after the 1818 rebuild became the tollhouse and cottage.

Over the years, the building itself was altered several times:

• c.1860 – a two-storey rear extension was added, after the arrival of the railway, to provide more living space.

• By 1856 – a wash house stood behind the toll house; this was largely rebuilt during 1994 restoration works.

• Pre-1883 – further minor additions included a pantry and lean-to structures.

• 1994–96 – when declared “at risk,” the Buildings at Risk Trust restored and partially rebuilt the toll house, repairing brickwork, roofs, and structural stability.

The building remained in use as a tollhouse and home, owned by the Trustees of Coalport Bridge, until 1922, when tolls were abolished and the bridge passed to Shropshire County Council.

The census returns from 1841 to 1891 provide the occupations of the tenants over a 50-year span. These include schoolmaster, labourer, grocer, shoemaker, wheelwright and modeller in china, as well as the obvious gatekeeper and toll collector.

This shows the toll house was not just an office but a lived-in home, where families balanced toll duties with other trades tied to the life of the Gorge.

By the 1960s, the building had a new identity. Locals remember it as a shop run by Mrs Green, with customers entering through the stable-style door at the front.

After 1922, it carried on as a cottage but slipped into decline. By the 1970s it was semi-derelict. In March 1974, the Council moved to sell it, and by 1975 it had passed into the care of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Later, the Buildings at Risk Trust oversaw its restoration before it was sold into private ownership.

Today it is a Grade II listed building (designated 2002).

The Turnpike Toll House (the “Old Toll House”)

After crossing the bridge from Broseley into Coalport, travellers soon encountered a turnpike gate on the approach road leading down into the village and the wharves.

This was part of the Madeley–Broseley–Coalport Turnpike Trust, established in the late 18th century to maintain the steep and heavily used road. The small cottage here became known locally in later years as the Old Toll House, to distinguish it from the toll house at the bridge itself.

Locals often called it the “catchgate” — because it “caught you” for another toll right after you had crossed the bridge.

Tolls charged at the gate followed the standard Shropshire turnpike rates:

• 1d for a horse and rider

• 6d to 1s for carts or wagons, depending on how many horses pulled them

• ½d per packhorse or mule

• 5d per score (20 animals) for sheep, pigs, or calves

• 1d per head for cattle

For local industry, those pennies soon mounted up. Carts of coal, clay, or china bound for the wharf could pay here after already paying to cross the bridge, meaning some journeys cost two tolls in quick succession.

The toll house itself was built in the late 18th century, with distinctive spy holes still visible, used by the keeper to watch for toll-dodgers.

The house fell into disrepair and was semi-derelict. It was originally renovated by Mick Beers and his brother Wilson in the early 1970s. Mick and Wilson are responsible for saving various old houses locally.

Today it survives as a two-bedroom Airbnb or holiday let, but the name “Old Toll House” — adopted locally in the 20th century — still clings to it.

Strengthening and Weight Limits

Even in iron, Coalport Bridge struggled with modern traffic.

• By the 1930s, limits were set at 8 tons and 5 mph.

• In 1961 and 1969, engineers carried out patch repairs by guniting (sprayed concrete).

• In 1983, Coalport became the first bridge in Britain to be fitted with electronic weighing pads.

• In 1989, outrage followed reports of a 32-ton lorry attempting to cross.

• In 1994, County Surveyor Keith Madelin warned the bridge could close if motorists ignored the “one vehicle at a time, 2-ton limit” rule.

• In 2004–2005, the bridge closed for several weeks for a £1 million strengthening and conservation project.

It remains a Scheduled Ancient Monument, carrying cars in single file under tight restrictions.

Cheaper than the Iron Bridge

The Iron Bridge upstream was a wonder, but its tolls were heavy. Coalport, arriving later, undercut it. For a horse and cart, Coalport’s toll might only be a few pence.

For working people and hauliers, that difference mattered. By the late 19th century, Coalport Bridge was the more practical route, leaving the Iron Bridge increasingly a tourist landmark rather than a true workhorse.

Legacy

Coalport’s two toll houses — one for the bridge, one for the road — remind us that until 1922, every journey here cost.

They were homes as well as workplaces, housing toll keepers, shoemakers, grocers, wheelwrights, and even a modeller in china. In living memory, one was still a shop where locals bought their Woodbines.

The bridge itself, first wooden and then rebuilt in iron, stands as a quieter cousin to the Iron Bridge but just as vital to the life of the Gorge. Today, with its weight limits and protections as both a Grade II listed building (toll house) and a Scheduled Ancient Monument (bridge), Coalport still tells the story of how the Severn was crossed, penny by penny, trade by trade.