Abraham Derby’s Iron Bridge in Telford Shropshire, built in 1779, is often described as the centre of the birth place of Industry. Historians widely agree that this is where the industrial revolution started, when Iron was smelted in foundries along the Iron Bridge gorge new techniques of forging and working the metal were created and this is believed to have kick started the Industrial Revolution.

This is the first bridge to be built from Iron anywhere in the world, previously only stone or wood was used, the use of iron was so new that wood joining techniques were used to bind the bridge together. There are no rivets used in the bridge as these were yet to be invented.