Here are just a few sites from the Post Medieval Period.
- Cromford, Derbyshire
- This water powered cotton mill can lay claim to being one of the first true modern mills in the world. Built between 1771 and 1790, most the mill still survives. The mill declined after 1840, being used for a variety of other things. It was bought for preservation in 1979 and is now a World Heritage Site.
- Forth Rail Bridge, Scotland
- The world’s first major bridge made out of steel, the Forth Bridge is an iconic symbol of Scotland and the railway. It was built in 1883 to 1890, and 57 men died during its building. The bridge had to be painted continuously to stop rust and weathering. It is now painted with a new coating which mean sit only has to be repainted every 20 years.
- Ironbridge, Shropshire
- The world’s first iron bridge was built in 1779 across the River Severn near Telford. A new industrial town arose and took its name from the bridge. It began a revolution in bridge design, and is for many people the symbol of the Industrial Revolution.
- Longleat House, Wiltshire
- The home of the Marquis of Bath, Longleat was built in 1567 to 1579. It is one of the finest Elizabethan country houses and symbolises the new style of building that replaced earlier, medieval styles of architecture. There were no Gothic arches or medieval style decoration. Instead there were large rectangular glass windows and decoration copied from classical Rome and Greece.
- Manchester Town Hall, Lancashire
- Built between 1868 and 1887, the town hall is one of the best examples of Victorian grand architecture in the country. It was built in the Victorian version of medieval style. The inside is highly decorated and the outside is very grand. It was designed to show off the civic pride of Manchester, the home of the cotton industry and one of the wealthiest cities in Britain. Cities would compete with each other to build grand town halls and show off. Just as today they build large towers of glass and steel.
- Menai Bridge, north Wales
- The Menai Bridge links the mainland to the Isle of Anglesey and was one of the first suspension bridges in the world in 1826. The road on the bridge is hung from large chains suspended from curving horizontal wire cables. It was designed very high to allow sailing ships to sail underneath it. It is now a World Heritage Site.
- New Lanark, Lanarkshire
- Begun in 1786 by a group of people who believed in providing a fairer life for the workers in the mills, New Lanark was a cotton mill and town built deliberately to be an example of a good and healthy community. The first infant school in Britain was built here for the workers’ children in 1816. Workers were treated well and looked after by the mill’s owner. For example, when electricity became available in 1898, it was provided free to all houses by the owners. It is now a World Heritage Site.
- SS Great Britain, Bristol
- The world’s first steam ship with an iron hull and screw propeller, the SS Great Britain was launched in 1843. She was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and was the largest ship ever built until then. The ship was 98 metres long, and carried passengers across the Atlantic. She sailed until 1886, and went 32 times round the world. After use as a warehouse, she was left to rot in the Falkland Islands, until rescued and brought back to Bristol in 1970 where she can be visited.
- St Pancras Station, London
- Built in 1866 to 1868, St Pancras was the largest enclosed space in the world at that time. The Victorian “medieval” hotel at the front was finished in 1876 and is one of the finest buildings in London. The whole station is almost a cathedral of the railways. It is now the station where the Eurostar trains to the continent begin. Plans to demolish the station were defeated by a big public campaign in 1967, marking an important landmark in the conservation of heritage in Britain.
- St Paul’s Cathedral, London
- The old London cathedral was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Sir Christopher Wren designed a replacement, built between 1675 to 1710. The design was very different to any other cathedral of its time in Britain. The top of the cathedral is 108 metres above the ground and made of a huge dome. It was bombed during the 2nd World War but survived, and is famous as a symbol of London’s resistance to the bombing.
