English Heritage’s first ever crowd-funding campaign drew to a close yesterday (Sunday 10 December), with a total of £47,545 raised to support vital conservation works on the Iron Bridge.

The charity launched its crowd-funding campaign on 13 November, the first day of its vital conservation project on the world’s first iron bridge, and by midnight on 10 December 911 supporters had responded to the call, helping the charity raise more than £47,545 to support the project. The funds have provided a much-needed boost to the charity’s conservation project to save the Iron Bridge.

The Iron Bridge has spanned the River Severn in Shropshire since 1779, but English Heritage’s extensive surveys and investigations have shown that it is under threat from cracking due to stresses in the ironwork dating from the original construction, ground movement over the centuries, and an earthquake at the end of the 19th century.

The £3.6m conservation project to save the bridge - English Heritage’s largest conservation project since becoming a charity - has also been supported by a €1m donation from German funder the Hermann Reemtsma Foundation. Work started on the 13 November and the crowd funding campaign was launched on the same day to raise the final funds needed to undertake the works.

Morgan Cowles, Head of Conservation Maintenance at English Heritage said: “The response has been truly overwhelming. We are in awe of all those who have given so generously to support our vital conservation project on the Iron Bridge. This is English Heritage’s first ever crowd funding campaign, and all the money raised goes directly to the project, which is why we are so grateful to everyone who has stepped up to help. The conservation works are already making great progress, and now we can see the project through knowing we have another 911 people with us every step of the way. I can only offer my sincere thanks on behalf of English Heritage to everyone who has made this possible.”

The Project Iron Bridge crowd-funding campaign reached its initial target of £25,000 in less than 48 hours, raising £40,000 towards the target in a little over a week. In total, the campaign received donations from nearly 911 supporters pledging £47,545 to support the project. As well as helping with English Heritage’s vital conservation project to save the iron bridge, donors could choose to join special ‘conservation-in-action’ tours of the Iron Bridge or get their hands on a limited edition print of the Iron Bridge by renowned designer Paul Catherall.