The steep sided, beautiful valley is home to a sequence of historic works and factories dedicated to ironworking, fine china, tiles and clay smoking pipes. Here also are the clues to a transport revolution - canals, early railways, inclined plane, wharves and, of course, the Iron Bridge over the River Severn. Preserved in historic factories and houses are nationally important collections of machines, fine china, tiles and ironwork that were among the first modern mass-produced articles.