BROSELEY is a small Shropshire town, population around 4,900, which made major contributions to the dramatic industrial developments taking place in the Severn Gorge during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Iron Bridge itself connected the town to Coalbrookdale across the River Severn.

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During the period of the Industrial Revolution Broseley produced iron, pottery and clay pipes, the manufacture of the earliest pipes being recorded in 1590. Millions of pipes were made here and exported worldwide, proving extremely useful in dating when found on archaeological sites as they do not decay and their date of manufacture is included in the maker's stamp. The former pipeworks has now become the town's museum.

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Among the town's architecture are the grand houses of famous ironmasters and other major industrial figures. Abraham Darby I, who developed his iron smelting process, is buried here. John Wilkinson lived here when he constructed the world's first iron boat and designed steam engines and precision boring machines so important to the rapid expansion of industries based on cast iron during the Industrial Revolution.

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