A little while ago I went away with my parents to Shrewsbury. Whilst there we took a visit to the rather beautiful Iron Bridge which crosses over the river Severn in Shropshire. It opened in 1781 and was the first arch bridge in the world to be made of cast iron. You can read more about it’s history via this wiki page. The bridge and the Gorge are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Iron Bridge and Tollhouse is one of ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums. All of which are well worth a day trip to visit.
The website suggests allowing around 45 minutes for your visit here, there are lots of little shops, pubs and cafes close to the bridge and there is also a gift shop. We were there quite early on a weekday during late summer so the Tollhouse wasn’t open, it is usually open every weekend during local school holidays, so you may want to plan your visit around that. We were able to park in a small carpark close to the bridge. It is very hilly around here so unsure how accessible it may be for wheelchair users or those with mobility problems.
Dad and I walked right across the bridge to the other side where the Tollhouse is.
I had fun working out how much it would have cost me to cross the bridge if I was Old Macdonald using the handily placed toll charges board. Although, speaking as actual royalty, I think it’s a little unfair that I still would have to pay the toll charge. Does being the Queen get you no perks?!
It is so beautiful here, the river and the views are just spectacular.
We also visited an amazing teddy bear shop whilst we were there. It was called Bears on the Square and was full of the most beautiful teddy bears and a big collection of Steiff bears. I managed to con my parents into buying me a rather lovely jointed bear as well.
On the way out of Ironbridge we pulled up on the side of the road to admire the lovely view and some cows.
Have you ever been to the Iron Bridge, or any of the other Ironbridge museums? Let me know below.
It looks like you had such a lovely day out 🙂 Those views are gorgeous! I’ve never been to an Ironbridge before, but it would be interesting to visit one. I love history and I think it’s cool how you can still see the tolls people had to pay. Awww, you should totally post a photo of your new bear x
Sarah | Raiin Monkey
Thank you! The views were fabulous, I love history too – I love finding places like these! Xx