Wraps are off the Iron Bridge and scaffolding is coming down

The world famous bridge was covered up with a white protective plastic in November 2017, and although there has been ample opportunity to see the landmark up close, this is the first time we’ve been able to see it without any cover at all for 12 months.

And while there is still work to do before all the scaffolding can come down, visitors to one of Shropshire’s most popular tourist attractions will now be able to see what they’ve come for.

Tom Jones, of English Heritage, said: “We are making good progress with the project and everything seems to be going according to plan. We are looking forward to the community getting their bridge back.”

The white protective covering was put up so that the original bridge could be stripped and restored without having to worry about the effects of the elements.

During the work, analysis was carried out on traces of the original paint, and engineers confirmed the bridge’s original brown-red colour.

There had been speculation that its original colour had been different in its original years due to artwork of the bridge from the time.

But until the analysis, nobody could be sure whether the paintings from the time were using artistic licence or if they were accurate.

The work is being done as part of the current £3.6 million conservation project by English Heritage.

The work was started after extensive surveys of the area revealed that the historic structure was under threat from cracking.