WORLD HERITAGE SITE
In 1986 the Ironbridge Gorge was one of the first locations to be designated as a World Heritage Site within the U.K. . This designation recognised the area’s unique and unrivalled contribution to the birth of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century; the impact of which is still felt across the world today.
It was the achievements of pioneering industrialists including Abraham Darby, William Reynolds and John Wilkinson that led to the Ironbridge Gorge becoming by the close of the 18th century the most technologically advanced area in the world.
The surviving built and natural environment with its museums, monuments and artefacts, including the world famous Iron Bridge of 1779, serve to remind us of the area’s unique contribution to the history and development of industrialised society.
For over 30 years, UNESCO has been working with countries across the world to identify World Heritage Sites and ensure their safe keeping and protection for future generations. World Heritage Sites are selected because of their "Outstanding Universal Value" as natural or cultural sites. They enrich our lives and illustrate the diversity of the planet and its inhabitants. They are ours to share, cherish and respect, and their disappearance would be an irreparable loss to humanity.