Do you want to learn more about the history, industries and innovations of the Ironbridge Gorge? This reading list suggests some of the best works on these subjects and we advise that you use these as a starting point for your research.
Many of these books are available to view in our Research Library which is accessible by appointment only. To make an appointment please contact collections@ironbridge.org.uk
Alfrey, Judith and Clark, Catherine
The Landscape of Industry. Patterns of change in the Ironbridge Gorge. Routledge. 1993.
Atkinson, D.R.
Tobacco Pipes of Broseley, Shropshire. D.R. Atkinson. 1975.
Austwick, J. and Austwick, B.
The Decorated Tile. An illustrated History of English Tile-making and Design. Pitman House. 1980.
Axe, John
The Magic of Merrythought – A Collector’s Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Merrythought Limited. 1998.
Bannister, G.F.
Branch Line Byways. Volume One. The West Midlands. Atlantic Transport Publishers. 1986.
Barnard, Julian
Victorian Ceramic Tiles. Studio Vista/Christie’s. 1972.
Barrett, Franklin D.
Caughley and Coalport Porcelain. F. Lewis. 1951.
Baugh, G.C. editor
A History of Shropshire. Volume XI. Telford. (Victoria History of Shropshire) OUP. 1985.
Baugh, G.C. editor
A History of Shropshire. Volume X. Wenlock, Upper Corve Dale and the Stretton Hills. (Victoria History of Shropshire) OUP. 1998.
Benson, Joseph
The Life of the Rev. John W. De La Flechere, compiled from The Narratives of The Rev. Mr. Wesley; The Biographical Notes of The Reverend Mr. Gilpin; from His Own Letters; and Other Authentic Documents. T. Blanshard. 1822.
Birt, David
Victorian & Edwardian Ironbridge. A miscellany of old photographs and prints of the region from the archives of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Longman Group Ltd. 1985.
Blackwall, Anthony
Historic Bridges of Shropshire. Shropshire Libraries/Highways & Transport Department, Shropshire County Council. 1985.
Bracegirdle, Brian and Miles, Patricia
The Darbys and the Ironbridge Gorge. Great Engineers and Their Works. David & Charles. 1974.
Bracegirdle, Brian and Miles, Patricia
Thomas Telford. Great Engineers and Their Works. David & Charles. 1973.
Briggs, Asa
Iron Bridge to Crystal Palace. Impact and Images of the Industrial Revolution. Thames and Hudson/IGMT. 1979.
Brown, Ivor J.
The Coalbrookdale Coalfield. Catalogue of Mines and Mining Bibliography. Shropshire County Library. 1968.
Brown, Ivor J.
The East Shropshire Coalfields. Images of England. Tempus. 1999.
Brown, Ivor J.
An Interim Report on the Lincoln Hill Limestone Mines near Ironbridge, Shropshire. Shropshire Caving and Mining Club. 1981.
Brown, Ivor J.
A List of Fatal Accidents in Shropshire Mines from 1850 – 1979. with some details of the major incidents. Shropshire Caving and Mining Club. 2005.
Brown, Ivor J.
The Mines of Shropshire. Moorland Publishing Company. 1976.
Burns, J.
Life of Mrs Fletcher ; with A Brief Sketch of the Character of Her Beloved Husband, The Rev. John Fletcher, of Madeley : to which is annexed, Several of their Letters, with select Beauties from his Writings. Milner and Company. 1843.
Christiansen, Rex
The West Midlands. A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Volume 7. 2nd edition. David St. John Thomas. 1983.
Clark, Catherine
English Heritage Book of Ironbridge Gorge. B.T. Batsford/English Heritage. 1993.
Cossons, Neil and Trinder, Barrie
The Iron Bridge. Symbol of the Industrial Revolution. 2nd edition. Phillimore. 2002.
Cossons, Neil and Sowden, Harry
Ironbridge. Landscape of Industry. Cassell. 1977.
Davies, Ron
John Wilkinson. Dulston Press. 1987.
de Soissons, Maurice
Telford. The Making of Shropshire’s New Town. Swan Hill Press. 1991.
Denton, John Horsley
A Tour of the Railways and Canals between Oakengates and Coalbrookdale. Railway & Canal Historical Society, West Midlands Group. 1961.
Dickinson, H.W.
John Wilkinson, Ironmaster. Hume Kitchin. 1914.
Duckett, Bernard
A Telford Tour by Rail. Telford (Horsehay) Steam Trust. n.d.
Durbin, Lesley
Architectural Tiles: Conservation and Restoration. From the Medieval Period to the Twentieth Century. Elsevier. 2005.
Elderwick, David
Captain Webb. Channel Swimmer. K.A.F. Brewin books. 1987.
Fletcher, John
The Works of The Rev. John Fletcher, Late Vicar of Madeley. 9 vols. Wesleyan Conference Office. 1877.
(Fogerty, Joseph)
Lauterdale. A Story of Two Generations. 3 vols. Strahan & Co. 1873.
Forrest, H.E.
The Old Houses of Wenlock and Wenlock Edge. Their History and Associations. 2nd edition. Wilding & Son Limited. 1915.
Forsaith, Peter S. editor
Unexampled Labours. Letters of the Revd John Fletcher of Madeley to leaders in the Evangelical Revival. Epworth Press. 2008.
Gale, W.K.V and Nicholls, C.R.
The Lilleshall Company Limited a history 1764 – 1964. Moorland Publishing Company Ltd. for The Lilleshall Company Ltd. 1979.
Gibb, Alexander
The Story of Telford. The Rise of Civil Engineering. Alexander Maclehose & Co. 1935.
Godden, Geoffrey A.
Caughley and Worcester Porcelains 1775 – 1800. Antique Collectors’ Club. 1981.
Godden, Geoffrey A.
Coalport and Coalbrookdale Porcelains. Antique Collectors’ Club. 1981.
Greene, John
Brightening the Long Days. Hospital Tile Pictures. Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society. 1987.
Griffiths, Samuel
Griffiths’ Guide to the Iron Trade of Great Britain. Samuel Griffiths. 1873.
Hack, Mary Pryor
Richard Reynolds. Headley Brothers. 1896.
Hadfield, Charles
The Canals of the West Midlands. 2nd edition. David & Charles. 1969.
Hayman, Richard, Horton, Wendy and White, Shelley
Archaeology and Conservation in Ironbridge. Council for British Archaeology. 1999.
Hayman, Richard and Horton, Wendy
Ironbridge. History & Guide. Tempus. 1999.
Herbert, Tony and Huggins, Kathryn
The Decorative Tile in Architecture and Interiors. Phaidon Press Limited. 1995.
Ionides, Julia
Thomas Farnolls Pritchard of Shrewsbury. Architect and ‘Inventor of Cast Iron Bridges’. Dog Rose Press. 1999.
Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
Caughley in Colour. Exhibition Catalogue 2005. IGMT. 2005.
Jenkinson, Andrew
On the Trail of Thomas Telford in Shropshire. Scenesetters. 1993.
Jewitt, Llewellynn
The Ceramic Art of Great Britain from Pre-Historic Times Down to the Present Day. Being a History of the Ancient and Modern Pottery and Porcelain Works of the Kingdom and of Their Productions of Every Class. Virtue and Co. 1878.
Jones, Ken
Pitmen, Poachers and Preachers. Life and the Poor Law in the Madeley Union of Parishes 1700-1930. Dog Rose Press. 2009
Jones, Ken
The Wenlock Branch. Wellington to Craven Arms. Oakwood Press. 1998.
Klingender, Francis D.
Art and the Industrial Revolution. 2nd edition edited and revised by Arthur Elton. Evelyn, Adams & Mackay. 1968.
Labouchere, Rachel
Abiah Darby 1716 – 1793 of Coalbrookdale. Wife of Abraham Darby II. William Sessions Limited. 1988.
Labouchere, Rachel and Thomas, Emyr
Adelaide Darby of Coalbrookdale. Her Private Journal from 1833 to 1861. Sessions Book Trust/IGMT. 2004
Labouchere, Rachel
Deborah Darby of Coalbrookdale 1754 – 1810. Her visits to America, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and the Channel Isles. William Sessions Limited. 1993.
Lambert, Anthony J.
West Midlands Branch Line Album. Ian Allan. 1978.
Lewis, M.J.T.
Early Wooden Railways. Routledge & Kegan Paul. 1970.
Lockett, Terence A.
Collecting Victorian Tiles. Antique Collectors’ Club. 1979.
Mackenzie, Compton
The House of Coalport 1750 – 1950. 2nd edition. Collins. 1953.
Messenger, Michael
Coalport 1795 – 1926. An introduction to the history and porcelains of John Rose and Company. Antique Collectors’ Club. 1995.
Messenger, Michael
Pottery and Tiles of the Severn Valley. Remploy Ltd. 1979.
Messenger, Michael
Shropshire Pottery and Porcelain. A Brief Guide to the Collection Displayed in Clive House Museum. 2nd edition. Shrewsbury Museums. 1976.
Moore, Henry
The Life of Mrs Mary Fletcher, Consort and Relict of The Rev. John Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, Salop. 14th edition. John Mason. 1856.
Morriss, Richard K.
Canals of Shropshire. Shropshire Books. 1991.
Morriss, Richard K.
Railways of Shropshire. A brief history. Revised edition. Shropshire Books. 1991.
Muter, W. Grant
The Buildings of an Industrial Community. Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge. Phillimore/IGMT. 1979.
Nabarro, Gerald
Severn Valley Steam. Routledge & Kegan Paul. 1971.
Peet, Graham
The Ironbridge Book. The recent history of life in the Ironbridge Gorge. Ironbooks. 1991.
Penfold, Alastair editor
Thomas Telford : Engineer. Proceedings of a seminar held at the Coalport China Works Museum, Ironbridge, April 1979. Thomas Telford Ltd. 1980.
Penfold, Alastair E.
Thomas Telford ‘Colossus of Roads’. Telford Development Corporation/IGMT. 1981.
Plymley, Joseph
General View of the Agriculture of Shropshire : with Observations. G. and W. Nicol. 1803.
Powell, John
Ironbridge Gorge Through Time. Amberley Publishing. 2009.
Powell, John and Vanns, Michael A.
South Telford. Ironbridge Gorge, Madeley and Dawley. The Archive Photographs Series. Chalford. 1995.
Raistrick, Arthur
Coalbrookdale 1709 – 1959. Coalbrookdale Company Limited. 1959.
Raistrick, Arthur
Dynasty of Ironfounders. The Darbys and Coalbrookdale. 2nd ed. Sessions Book Trust/IGMT. 1989.
Raistrick, Arthur
Quakers in Science and Industry. Being an Account of the Quaker Contributions to Science and Industry during the 17th and 18th Centuries. Revised edition. David & Charles. 1968.
Randall, J.
Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway. Illustrative and Descriptive of Places along the Line, from Worcester to Shrewsbury. John Randall. 1863.
Randall, John
Broseley and Its Surroundings. Being a Complete History of Broseley, Willey, Barrow, Benthall and Linley; with notices of Remarkable events, facts, phenomena, and Manufactures. Salopian and West-Midland Journal. 1879.
Randall, John
Captain Webb, the Intrepid Champion Channel Swimmer : A Comprehensive Account, from Materials supplied by Friends, with Faithful Photographic Portrait. Salopian and West-Midland Monthly Illustrated Journal. 1875.
Randall, John
The Clay Industries including the Fictile & Ceramic Arts on the Banks of the Severn : with notices of the Early Use of Shropshire Clays, the History of Pottery, Porcelain, &c., in the District. Salopian and West-Midland Journal. 1877.
Randall, John
History of Madeley, including Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale and Coalport, from the earliest times to the present, with notices of Remarkable Events, Inventions, and Phenomena, Manufactures, &c. “Wrekin Echo”. 1880.
Randall, John
Industries, Arts, and Manufactures. (Victoria History of Shropshire.) Archibald Constable & Co., Ltd. 1908.
Randall, John
Our Coal and Iron Industries, and the Men who have Wrought in Connection with them. The Wilkinsons; with Portrait of John Wilkinson, “The Father of the Iron Trade”, and descriptions of the First Iron Vessel and First Iron Bridge, Wilkinson’s Invention of Hot Blast, His Wealth, Eccentricities, &c. Salopian and West-Midland Monthly Illustrated Journal. 1876.
Randall, John
The Severn Valley : A Series of Sketches, Descriptive and Pictorial, of The Course of the Severn, from Its Rise on Plinlimmon to its Fall in the Bristol Channel; containing Notices of its Topographical, Industrial and Geological Features; with Glances at its Historical and Legendary Associations. 2nd edition. John Randall. 1882.
Rathbone, Hannah Mary
Letters of Richard Reynolds. With a Memoir of His Life. Charles Gilpin. 1852.
Rayska, Urszula and Carr, Anthony
Telford Past and Present. Shropshire Libraries and Telford Development Corporation. 1978.
Rayska, Urszula
Victorian and Edwardian Shropshire from old photographs. B.T. Batsford. Ltd. 1977.
Rolt, L.T.C.
Thomas Telford. Longmans. 1958.
Rowley, Trevor
The Shropshire Landscape. The Making of the English Landscape. Hodder and Stoughton. 1972.
Rush, Pat
More Merrythought Magic. The bears, pandas and koalas. Merrythought Limited. 2003.
Shropshire County Library
Two Shropshire Ironmasters. Biographical Extracts, Letters and Memoranda relating to Richard & William Reynolds. Shropshire County Library. n.d.
Shropshire Libraries
Shropshire Canals articles from the Shropshire Magazine 1950 – 1965. Shropshire Libraries. 1980.
Shropshire Railway Society
Shropshire Railways Revisited. Shropshire Libraries. 1982.
Smith, Stuart
A View from the Iron Bridge. IGMT. 1979.
Stratton, Michael
Ironbridge and the Electric Revolution. The History of Electricity Generation at Ironbridge A and B Power Stations. John Murray/National Power. 1994.
Tew, David
Canal Inclines and Lifts. Alan Sutton. 1984.
Thomas, Emyr
Coalbrookdale and the Darby Family. The story of the world’s first industrial dynasty. Sessions Book Trust/IGMT. 1999.
Trinder, Barrie
Barges & Bargemen. A Social History of the Upper Severn Navigation 1660 – 1900. Phillimore. 2005.
Trinder, Barrie
The Darbys of Coalbrookdale. New edition. Phillimore/IGMT. 1991.
Trinder, Barrie
The Industrial Archaeology of Shropshire. Phillimore. 1996.
Trinder, Barrie
The Industrial Revolution in Shropshire. 3rd edition. Phillimore. 2000.
Trinder, Barrie and Cox, Nancy
Miners & Mariners of the Severn Gorge. Probate Inventories for Benthall, Broseley, Little Wenlock and Madeley 1660 – 1764. Phillimore. 2000.
Trinder, Barrie
‘The Most Extraordinary District in the World’. Ironbridge & Coalbrookdale. 3rd edition. Phillimore. 2005.
Trinder, Barrie and Cox, Jeff
Yeomen and Colliers in Telford. Probate Inventories for Dawley, Lilleshall, Wellington and Wrockwardine, 1660 – 1750. Phillimore. 1980.
Tripp, Basil H.
Grand Alliance. A Chapter of Industrial History. Chantry Publications Limited for Allied Ironfounders Limited. 1951.
van Lemmen, Hans
Tiles – A Collector’s Guide. Souvenir Press. 1979.
Vanns, Michael A.
Severn Valley Railway. A View From the Past. Ian Allan. 1998.
Vanns, Michael A.
Witness to Change. A Record of the Industrial Revolution. The Elton Collection at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum. Ian Allan. 2003.
Vialls, Christine
Coalbrookdale and the Iron Revolution. Cambridge University Press. 1980.
Williams, W. Howard and Denton, J. Horsley
A Tour of the East Shropshire Canals. Cottage Press. 1962.
Wrekin Local Studies Forum
William Reynolds 1758 – 1803. Proceedings of the Events held in June 2003 to commemorate his Life and Achievements. Wrekin Local Studies Forum. 2004.
Yate, Bob
The Shropshire Union Railway. Stafford to Shrewsbury including the Coalport Branch. Oakwood Press. 2003.
