The Bedlam Furnace, Ironbridge, Telford and Wrekin
The remains of a coke-fired blast furnace. It was among the first in the country to be built specifically for coke smelting. It was built in 1756-7 by the Madeley Wood Company. Then bought by Abraham Darby III in 1776 and taken over by the Reynolds Brothers in 1796. The furnace fell into disuse when Blistshill Ironworks was built in the early 19th century. It is believed that this is the furnace depicted by Philip James de Loutherbourg in his well-known painting of 1801, 'Coalbrookdale by Night'. It is now part of the of the Ironbridge Gorge open air museum.
