Restorations to the world's first bridge made of iron have been unveiled, following a year-long conservation project to save the structure for future generations.

From this month the Iron Bridge is once again fully open to the public. The bridge was built in 1779 across the River Severn in Shropshire and is considered a symbol of the Industrial revolution.

The £3.6 million investment by English Heritage included meticulous repairs to the bridge including bespoke replacements for hundreds of iron wedges that hold the structure together.

Visitors will also notice a change in colour. It took six painters and 2400 litres of paint to return the bridge to its original red-brown hue after new evidence came to light during the conservation process. The paintwork is now the same colour as depicted in William Williams' 1780 painting, Cast Iron Bridge near Coalbrookdale, which is one of the earliest depictions of the structure.