Learning English - Lesson Sixty Three - ( Ironbridge ) [Bc-ziS7s0Nc].txt

[00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:10.000]   [music]
[00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:45.000]   You know, the world of English is a fun and exciting place to be.
[00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:50.000]   I'm so glad you could join me for another lesson.
[00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:55.000]   [music]
[00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:40.000]   A long time ago, in this sleepy rural idyll, a big change took place.
[00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:46.000]   One which would alter the course of our industrial development and go on to change the world forever.
[00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:52.000]   That change was made by one man. His name? Abraham Darby.
[00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:57.000]   [music]
[00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:12.000]   Abraham Darby was born in 1678 at Woodsetton near Sedgley,
[00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:17.000]   which at that time was part of the County of Staffordshire.
[00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:22.000]   Abraham's father, John, was a farmer and a locksmith. His mother's name was Anne.
[00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:29.000]   Abraham's early working life revolved around the brass making trade, first of all in Bristol.
[00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:36.000]   Later he would set up a brass foundry near to where we are now, in an area known as Colbrookdale.
[00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:44.000]   This expansion would lead Abraham on to experiment with different methods of casting or moulding metal,
[00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:53.000]   which eventually led to him devising a unique method of extracting one of the most useful metals for constructing large objects.
[00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.000]   Iron.
[00:03:55.000 --> 00:04:01.000]   [music]
[00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:06.000]   Abraham Darby revolutionised the production of iron for use in construction.
[00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:11.000]   It was not so much the material itself, but the way in which it was obtained.
[00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:18.000]   Using coke instead of charcoal allowed the iron to be collected from the crude iron ore more easily.
[00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:22.000]   It brought iron to the forefront of construction material.
[00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:27.000]   [music]
[00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:54.000]   Coke is derived from certain types of coal. It can occur naturally or it can be created.
[00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:59.000]   Coke burns without creating ash and contains very little moisture.
[00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:05.000]   The production of iron requires very high temperatures and it must be done cleanly.
[00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:09.000]   This is the process that Abraham Darby created.
[00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:15.000]   The iron was produced in tall blast furnaces. These became larger and more widespread,
[00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:21.000]   thus making the production of iron cheaper as well as making it more abundant.
[00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:27.000]   This helped to create a period that we now refer to as the Industrial Revolution.
[00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:49.000]   [music]
[00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:51.000]   Not all changes are for the better.
[00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:55.000]   The Industrial Revolution may have introduced a more efficient way of making things,
[00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:58.000]   but it also created its own problems.
[00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:03.000]   Not least of all, the pollution caused by the coal-burning furnaces.
[00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:09.000]   In the West Midlands, iron production was rife, especially around the city of Birmingham.
[00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:14.000]   The large amounts of smoke produced and all the coal needed to fuel these furnaces
[00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:19.000]   gave the surrounding area a nickname which has stuck to this very day.
[00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:23.000]   The area became known as the Black Country.
[00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:26.000]   [music]
[00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:05.000]   Abraham Darby, the man who helped kick-start the Industrial Revolution,
[00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:10.000]   died in 1717 at the very young age of 39.
[00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:14.000]   But by no means does our story end here,
[00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:20.000]   for the village I am visiting today is named so for one very special reason.
[00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:26.000]   For Ironbridge was given this name after yet another magnificent achievement
[00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:30.000]   by no less than another member of the Darby family.
[00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:33.000]   [music]
[00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:04.000]   So, here it is, the world's first Ironbridge.
[00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:11.000]   Construction began in 1779 and the bridge was officially opened on New Year's Day in 1881.
[00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:14.000]   The original design was by Thomas Pritchard
[00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:18.000]   and the iron used for the bridge was produced by Abraham Darby III,
[00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:21.000]   the grandson of the original Abraham Darby.
[00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:25.000]   The purpose of the bridge was to connect the two halves of the town,
[00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:27.000]   which was divided by the River Severn.
[00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:30.000]   [music]
[00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:02.000]   Before the Ironbridge was constructed, the only way of crossing the River Severn was by ferry,
[00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:07.000]   but this proved to be a very slow way of getting from one side to the other.
[00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:09.000]   A quicker method was needed.
[00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:13.000]   Designs were drawn up in 1775
[00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:20.000]   and it was decided that iron from the nearby Coalbrookdale foundry would be used to construct it.
[00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:25.000]   A very large amount of iron would be needed to do this.
[00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:30.000]   In the end, over 379 tonnes of iron was used.
[00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:34.000]   The final cost of the bridge came to over £6,000,
[00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:39.000]   which was £3,000 more than the original budget.
[00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:44.000]   Abraham Darby agreed to pay the overspend from his own pocket.
[00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:48.000]   The bridge itself has a span of 30.5 metres
[00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:51.000]   and the total length is around 60 metres.
[00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:56.000]   The clearance beneath the arch is 18 metres.
[00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:59.000]   The way in which the bridge was constructed is very interesting.
[00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:04.000]   Most of the original joints are identical to those used in woodwork.
[00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:08.000]   The structure slots together like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
[00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:14.000]   This method was implemented because, at that time, rivet bolts had not come into use.
[00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:31.000]   MUSIC
[00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:37.000]   The bridge was privately owned, so a charge was made to anyone who wanted to cross.
[00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:42.000]   The price depended on who or what was being taken across.
[00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:48.000]   The charge is called a 'toll', so this was a toll bridge.
[00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:52.000]   Vehicles were barred from using the bridge in 1934,
[00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:58.000]   when it was given the status of ancient monument, which it still holds to this very day.
[00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:08.000]   MUSIC
[00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:11.000]   Over the years, the bridge has suffered from corrosion.
[00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:17.000]   Small weaknesses formed and cracks appeared in some of the supports.
[00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:22.000]   Some of these cracks have been here since just after the bridge was erected.
[00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:25.000]   Metal plates were added to some of the supports
[00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:29.000]   and one end of the bridge was completely rebuilt.
[00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:37.000]   Two major renovations were carried out, once in 1972 and again in 1999.
[00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:40.000]   MUSIC
[00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:46.000]   On a sad note, its designer, Thomas Pritchard, never got to see his bridge built,
[00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:50.000]   as he died shortly after its construction began.
[00:11:50.000 --> 00:12:01.000]   MUSIC
[00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:56.000]   Ironbridge still considers itself to be the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
[00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:01.000]   Despite this assured claim, there are those who see this as an untruth.
[00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:05.000]   The reason for this is because at the same time as Abraham Darby's discovery,
[00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:11.000]   there were many other forms of Industrial Revolution taking place all over the country.
[00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:15.000]   The birth of the railway, along with innovations within the weaving industry,
[00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:18.000]   as well as all the other new inventions,
[00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:22.000]   also played a part in the way things were being produced and transported.
[00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:26.000]   So it would be fair to say that the true Industrial Revolution
[00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:31.000]   took place through many different changes and innovations over a much larger area,
[00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:34.000]   instead of just one in a single place.
[00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:38.000]   The change in attitude towards this area in no way diminishes
[00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:41.000]   the importance of the Darby family's achievements,
[00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:44.000]   or the impact that this magnificent bridge had.
[00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:50.000]   To this day, it remains one of the most impressive industrial monuments in Britain.
[00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:55.000]   Ironbridge is a popular place for tourists,
[00:13:55.000 --> 00:14:01.000]   all eager to set foot on the world's first arched bridge made out of cast iron.
[00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:08.000]   [MUSIC]
[00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:11.000]   There are plenty of museums here too,
[00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:15.000]   for those who want to see exactly how it all began.
[00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:41.000]   [MUSIC]
[00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:46.000]   I hope you have enjoyed my little trip back in time here at Ironbridge,
[00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:50.000]   and that you will join me again for another lesson very soon.
[00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:55.000]   This is Mr Duncan in England, saying take care and stay happy.
[00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:59.000]   And of course, ta-ta for now.
[00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:09.000]   [MUSIC]