The first ominous cracks appeared in the apparently fragile arch of ironwork slung across the river Severn by Abraham Darby III within three years of its construction in 1779. Among engineers, royalty, artists, writers, aristocratic travellers and a Swedish spy who flocked to see the Iron Bridge, the world’s first single-span cast-iron bridge, there were many who looked at the lacy structure and predicted its imminent collapse. English Heritage has now launched a project to secure its future, its most expensive conservation scheme since it was hived off from Historic England to become an independent charity in 2015. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Conservationists begin repair work on the bridge, which dates from 1779, over the river Severn. “Not only do we we admire the Iron Bridge as an important technical landmark, but we also see it as a potent reminder of our continent’s common cultural roots and values ...

Source: The Guardian November 13, 2017 00:00 UTC