Up to 1709, furnaces could only use charcoal to produce ... In the space of 40 years, the small village of Coalbrookdale, in Shropshire, where Darby made his discovery, became a major mining ...

Nearby, the blast furnace of Coalbrookdale, built in 1708, is a reminder of the discovery of coke. The bridge at Ironbridge, the world's first bridge constructed of iron, had a considerable influence ...