In this activity, students will examine the role that coal and iron production played in driving industrial growth in 18th and 19th-century Britain. They will explore key developments in iron production technology, from Abraham Darby’s coke smelting method through to Henry Cort’s puddling furnace, and consider how these advances made large-scale engineering projects such as the Iron Bridge at Ironbridge Gorge possible.

It has 10 questions for students to answer, as well as a paragraph response section for them to demonstrate their understanding of the topic.