Ironbridge Gorge

The trip began by visiting Blists Hill Victoria Town and seeing how a town may have looked at the beginning of the industrial revolution. This town was created to preserve the history of the industrial revolution, and many buildings, equipment, and artifacts are from the original time period. When I first entered the town, there was a sweet shop, old fashioned pub, butcher, pharmacist, and many other stores that helped take you back in time. However, my favorite stop on the tour was the shop where liquid metal would be molded into various decorative objects. It was interesting to see that they used sand to press the shape into the metal and more astonishing to think they did not use any protective gear while performing these dangerous jobs!
The town’s industry was clearly centered on iron, which could be made for a fraction of the price due to the new technology of smelting coke. This town proved to be an excellent location for making iron due to its closeness to the river, and the last ice age left clay, coal, and limestone all over the area. A canal was created to provide transport within the coal fields and made the process of moving heavy material much more efficient. Coal could be brought down the canal into large blast furnaces or taken to the Hay incline plane.
The tour guide challenged the class to find a way to get the coal from the canal to the Severn River some 100 yards below. For much of the walk, I pondered how such a task could be completed and was unable to think of a solution. This same challenge was presented to the people of the 18th century, but one person’s solution stood out from the rest of the competition. I was amazed to see how simple yet ingenious the winning method of the incline plane was. Without this system, 27 canal locks would be needed over a period of 3 hours to lower the coal; however, the hay incline plane allowed this to be completed in four minutes. The push and pull system took basic elements of physics and applied them in a practical way. Although it was a great idea, technology constantly improves and the hay incline plane along with the canal was deemed inefficient after the introduction of the railway.
Numerous houses were restored or brought to this location to portray the standard of living at the Victorian times. It was very clever for the toll collector to be given a nicer house as an incentive to be honest and deliver all the money he collected to the government. It was clear to see the life style distinctions between the toll house and the rudimentary squatter cottage; the squatters had one day to erect a residence and claim the area as their own. The schoolhouse also shed light on the drastically different beliefs the Victorians held. For example, they believed that each child should have 60 cubic ft of air so they created schoolhouses with high ceilings and tall buildings. They did not, however, take into account that warm air rises and the children in the back of the room were left to freeze in the cold winter months.
The canal system also helped spur the development of other businesses, such as Coalport China Works. Ironbridge was the most industrialized area during the industrial revolution, and even china making changed into mass production. This are was an optimal location due to its large amounts of coal, cattle, and water. The canal was a vital form of transportation because the 18th century roads were too rocky to transport the delicate china. The business began in 1796 by John Rose, and his brother bought another factory shortly after. They aided and competed with each other; however, Rose eventually bought his brother out and turned his business into one of the most famous porcelain factories in the world.
Before visiting the China Museum, I did not have much of an appreciation for the art form. However, I learned of the time, effort, and skills required in making just one piece and now understand why it is viewed as a luxury. The process begins by the grotesque task of cleaning animal bones and firing them in the oven. These bones are used for their whiteness, strength, and the artists performed this material. The mixture consisted of 50% animal bone and 25% each of china clay and china stone. New techniques emerged during the revolution which sped up the china making process that allowed works to create 800 pieces a day as opposed to the earlier 80. Much precision was also needed in the creation of china, and the kiln had to be 1250 °C for the optimal product. The fireman used “buller rings” which shrank by 10% when fired correctly to gauge the temperature. It makes much sense that this occupation was the highest paid because he also had the highest amount of responsibility. However, I was surprised to learn the meaning of “they broke the mold when they made you.” This derives from the master mold carpenters would use to make china, and they would destroy it after a piece was discontinued.
While it was fascinating to reflect on the elaborate techniques involved in the beautiful art form, it was saddening to hear of the working conditions for the employees. Potters had a much shorter lifespan than the rest of the population due to the massive amount of dust and glaze which contained arsenic and lead. Many lady painters also had lead poisoning from licking the brushes, and their artistic discretion was taken away when industrialization instituted painting by numbers. Heavy saggers also had to be carried on the heads of men causing them to bring in their wives stockings for extra cushion under their hats. I gained much respect for the people and the physical and mental stress they had to endure to make a living.
On the other hand, it was nice to hear about how the Quakers treated and provided for each other. Having grown up in Philadelphia, I had a basic knowledge of the Quaker religion and was surprised to learn that Abraham Darby was a Quaker as well. Furthermore, I come from the town of Upper Darby, which was established by Quakers causing me to wonder if there is any relation between the man and the town name. The Quakers focus on peace and equality between all people but were limited to what jobs they could take because they were considered religious dissenters. They were excluded from occupations such as doctors and soldiers; therefore, much focus was put onto commerce and industry. This along with their belief in a lot of education pushed the Quakers to become extremely innovative. The wealthy were not as creative because they could just sit back and collect money without much hard work.
Abraham Darby kick started the industrial revolution by successfully using coke in the smelting of iron. He bought an old furnace in Coalbrookedale, and generations after him continued to use this facility throughout the industrial revolution. Coke came from a local coal and replaced charcoal making the process much cheaper and faster. This led to the wide scale production of iron, which was poured into sheets known as pig iron because it resembled a mother pig with four piglets. Abraham II next used the steam engine which increased the production of iron. He also spent 6 days experimenting with different amounts of limestone and coal to produce a type of iron that could be easily used for wrought iron.
Obviously, the trip to Ironbridge would not have been complete without a visit to the Ironbridge that Abraham Darby III built in 1779. Everybody thought it was an insane idea at the time of its creation until a massive flood swept all the other bridges away a few years later. However, it is understandable that people may have been hesitant to accept the bridge because it is human nature to be skeptical of new ideas. It is still unclear exactly how the bridge was erected, but many ideas have surfaced, and the BBC recently did a program in which they attempted to build a replica at Blists Hill Town. The economic challenges for footing the bill of such a structure is equally difficult as the technological feats. Darby believed it would cost £3200 and agreed to pay any extra costs. Unfortunately, he forgot to include the cost of labor and spent the rest of his life attempting to pay off the extra £3000. Although he did not make sound financial decisions, Darby’s creation still stands today as a testament to the industrial revolution and the amazing possibility of new, innovative ideas.
The final stop on our excursion was the Museum of Iron which gave a great history from the first uses of iron to modern day applications. The first floor showed how the Darby family made iron production cheaper and quicker with their new ideas. It was interesting to see how the technology progressed, but even more stimulating to see the great masterpieces from the Great Exhibition of 1851 on the second floor. The exhibition was originally held in Hyde Park and used to showcase the endless possibilities for which iron could be used. Everything from detailed chairs to large dogs was cast in iron for people of every class to admire. Looking at these beautiful pieces made me wish I could go back in time and experience the exhibition how it was intended to be viewed. The world saw lots of industries shut down between 1912 and the 1950’s, and unfortunately, this Coalbrookedale area experienced many closures; however, people had the foresight to preserve the past and the Iron Bridge Gorge Museum was opened to the public in 1973.
The information presented above shows how Hobsbawn’s statement of the industrial revolution being acceleration of growth through and of economic and social transformation stands true. For example, the industrial revolution is largely due to the Quaker’s and their determination to succeed. They gained social power through industry because they were prohibited from entering certain sectors. The people of the time were also focused on finding ways to economically produce goods. This lead to the invention of the canal, incline plane, and various methods of mass production.