Bedlam Furnaces, Ironbridge, Shropshire, England
N 52° 37.617 W 002° 28.611
30U E 535410 N 5830901
Bedlam Furnace is situated in the Ironbridge Gorge of Shropshire, England.
Waymark Code: WM790E
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/21/2009
Views: 16
The enigmatic remains of the iron furnaces at Bedlam are located on the north bank of the River Severn between Ironbridge and Coalport. They were built in the 1750s and represent the earliest survivors of a 'new generation' of blast furnaces built specifically to use coke as a fuel. The blast was powered by a water-wheel which used water pumped from the river by a steam engine. Castings were made in the area between the furnace and the river, and the location was ideal for transporting products to market.
It is likely that the Bedlam Furnaces were used to make components of the Iron Bridge.They went out of use in the early nineteenth century, having been superseded by more advanced, steam powered furnaces which could smelt even larger quantities of iron. These furnaces were the subject of Philip de Loutherberg's famous 1801 painting 'Coalbrookdale by Night'
There is free parking next to the furnaces, with two information boards detailing the site.