The Severn Gorge was the Silicon Valley of its day, a center of innnovation that included not only the first iron bridge, but the first iron rails, flanged wheels, and iron barges, as well as novel applications of the developing steam engine, from blowing blast furnaces to powering the first locomotive.

James Watt's Improved Steam Engine

The separate condenser is located to the left of the main cylinder and below it, submerged in a pool of water. The heavy oak walking-beam (above) is powered by the main cylinder to the right, and is used to pump water to the left. A haystack boiler in a shed to the far right supplies the steam.

John Wilkinson's Cylinder-boring Machine

John Wilkinson's new cylinder boring macine was powered by overshot water-wheel (conjectural). Wilkinson kept it secret at his Bersham works for several years.

Cannon being cast

In this scene, workers divert the molten metal into cannon-molds placed vertically in sand-filled casting pits. John Wilkinson pioneered the technique for boring cannon from solid castings at his New Willey works.

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