Thursday, July 4

The fifth day of our trip saw our longest field trip yet, this time to the Ironbridge World Heritage Site.  Though most of us did not know what to expect, we did know that this site was often mentioned in the same conversation as places such as the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China, which was quite intriguing.   Upon arrival, we immediately learned why.  Ironbridge Gorge is a place of beauty and wonder – set in a wooded valley landscape with the River Severn flowing through en route from the hills of Mid Wales to the Bristol Channel.   Within the World Heritage Site, an area of about six square miles, are ten museums, the Iron Bridge itself, and numerous other historic and attractive buildings, not to mention an array of shops, pubs and restaurants. All this is connected by a network of roads and footpaths running through the idyllic Shropshire countryside. Our first stop was the Iron Bridge itself, where we were able to walk across this piece of history.  This was the world's first bridge built in iron and it opened in 1779.  In addition to the bridge itself, we visited the Museum of the Gorge, the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, the Darby Houses, and the Blists Hill Victorian Town.  At all of these places, we were able to learn about the industrial revolution and one man in particular, Abraham Darby.  We were even able to see the furnaces which Darby used to smelt iron with coke instead of charcoal.  This trip took up all of the afternoon and tired most of us out, but luckily we were able to sleep on the 3 hour car ride back to Oxford (SO MUCH TRAFFIC).  We concluded our Fourth of July with an excellent and filling meal of hamburgers.  Hope all of our families back home don't celebrate too much without us.  Cheers.

Submitted by Kiefer McDowell  

Iron Bridge - first bridge constructed of iron and a World Heritage site.

Mr. Kendall describing a fish he caught on the Severn River as a young lad.

A delightful bag lunch by the Coalbrookdale old iron furnances.

From the "charging level", looking into the remains of the first ironworks furnance at Coalbrookdale (1638)

Tommy and Sterling exploring the "casting floor" level of the Old Furnance at Coalbrookdale.

Tommy portraying Abraham Darby III in the Darby House.

Christian dress-up as Coalbrookdale partner Richard Reynolds.

Steve enjoying the costums of Darby House.

A steamroller rolling through Blists Hill, a Victorian town exhibit in Iron Gorge

Mr. Kendall take a look at a "squatter's home" in Blists Hill.

Class enjoys 4th of July burgers and coke in Oxford.