Broseley
Broseley is a tiny English town in Shropshire, with a population of 4,929 at the 2011 Census. The River Severn flows to its north as well as eastern. The initial iron bridge on the planet was constructed in 1779 throughout the Severn, connecting Broseley with Coalbrookdale as well as Madeley. This was part of the early industrial advancement in the Ironbridge Gorge, which is currently part of a World Heritage Site. A settlement existed in 1086 and also is listed as Bosle in the Domesday Publication. The town lies on the south bank of the Ironbridge Gorge therefore shares a lot of the history of its much better known, yet more recent neighbour, Ironbridge. In 1600, the town of Broseley consisted of only 27 houses and also was part of the Shirlett Royal Forest. The location was understood for mining; some of the rock utilized to develop Buildwas Abbey was extracted from Broseley and there is proof that wood wagonways existed in Broseley in 1605, giving Broseley a serious claim to the earliest railways in Britain. The wagonways were probably built for the transport of coal as well as clay and it was these resources that brought about the big expansion of the town throughout the Industrial Revolution. A lot of the advancements celebrated by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust's collection of maintained industrial heritage websites either started in Broseley or were linked to the town. Broseley was a centre for ironmaking, ceramic and clay pipes; the earliest recorded pipemaker was working in the town in 1590. The Broseley Pipeworks is one of the count on's 10 museums, as is the Jackfield Tile Museum, which is located in Jackfield, simply north-east of the town. John Wilkinson created the world's first iron boat whilst living in the community, and the plans for the Iron Bridge were prepared in Broseley. Abraham Darby I, that established the process of smelting iron making use of coking coal, is buried here. In the last fifty percent of the 19th century the location experienced a decrease, as markets relocated elsewhere. This left a tradition of uncapped mineshafts, derelict buildings, deserted quarries, spoil loads and pit mounds. In the last thirty years of the 20th century Broseley experienced a modern revival with the development of Telford across the River Severn. New estates were constructed to the east of Broseley centre, whilst several older homes were established or renovated, however the town is still much less inhabited currently than it would certainly have been 200 years back, when population numbers were over 5,000.