This is the famous Iron Bridge. The first bridge in the world made of iron. The bridge was raised in the summer of 1779. This bridge was instrumental in the engineering of consecutive bridges all over the world. The stud man Thomas Telford had a major influence in many architechtural breakthroughs; his name is practically everywhere as he was the mind behind the first steel building, the first aquaduct, and needless to say...the iron bridge.
Just a few years after the construction of the bridge, cracks were appearing in the masonry abutments, caused by ground movement. Some of the present-day cracks in the cast iron may date from this time, although others are probably casting cracks. Some were pinned with wrought iron straps, but others have been left free. By 1802, the southern stone abutment had to be demolished, and replaced with temporary wooden arches, before eventually being replaced by iron arches. Many of the cracks visible today in the bridge have been left untouched, however. The bridge was over-designed, and subsequent bridges such as those built by Thomas Telford used much less cast iron.
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