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The gorge at Ironbridge is a deep natural valley cut by flood waters from a huge lake left
behind by the retreating ice at the end of the last ice age, about 15,000 years ago.
For over 400 years the area has been exploited for its mineral wealth resulting in numerous
major industrial developments such as the first successful commercial smelting of iron with coke.
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The iron bridge was built in 1779 and has been attracting visitors to the area ever since,
and in November 1986 UNESCO designated the Ironbridge Gorge a World Heritage Site, for both its
natural and cultural features, confirming the exceptional nature of this area
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