AGA Foundry, Coalbrookdale

The Coalbrookdale AGA Foundry in Shropshire occupies a unique place in British industrial history. Located in the Ironbridge Gorge, it stood on the site where the Industrial Revolution began. In 1709, Abraham Darby I successfully smelted iron using coke instead of charcoal, making iron production more efficient and affordable. This innovation transformed ironmaking and laid the foundations for modern industry.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Coalbrookdale Company became one of Britain's leading iron manufacturers. The foundry produced a wide range of cast-iron goods, including domestic cookware, machinery, ornamental ironwork, and components for bridges. Most famously, it cast many of the iron sections for the Iron Bridge, completed in 1779, the world's first cast-iron bridge and an enduring symbol of the Industrial Revolution.

In 1929, the Coalbrookdale Company became part of Allied Ironfounders, and the foundry later specialised in producing cast-iron components for AGA cookers. By the mid-twentieth century, Coalbrookdale had become the principal casting site for AGA products, with skilled workers using traditional sand-casting techniques to create the durable iron parts for which the cookers became renowned. These castings were then enamelled and assembled elsewhere before being sold throughout Britain and overseas.

Following several changes in ownership, including the acquisition of Aga Rangemaster by the Middleby Corporation in 2015, the historic foundry faced increasing economic pressures. In May 2017, its closure was announced, and the final iron was poured later that year. This marked the end of more than 300 years of continuous iron founding at Coalbrookdale.