Review Study trip to England
Description
Review of the study trip to England from 29 April to 4 May 2008
The - jubilee - trip was subtitled 'iron pilgrimage', as the visit of 'the' iron and Industrial Revolution centre Shropshire and iron infrastructural works in Wales were central. A more or less personal retrospective, coloured from the speaker's architectural and mechanical engineering background, highlights the objects visited and the facts and special aspects observed on and near them. Because part of the study trip included a visit to Ironbridge, dating from 1779 and thus the oldest iron bridge in the world, and because there was an extensive exchange of views with top expert Dr David de Haan of Birmingham University during and after the trip, this unique cast-iron construction in Coalbrookdale forms a special and also 'coloured' accent in the presentation.
Of course, the interesting relics of iron and steel production and processing at the time, and the tools and structures that were developed with it from as early as the late eighteenth century, will be considered. Thomas Telford's bridges and the aqueducts from the period when industrial transport reached almost explosive and, above all, exploratory maturity are reviewed in their technical peculiarities, also from the point of view of conservation of built cultural heritage. We also discuss building materials, especially slate, because the part of the journey to Wales took place in the middle of slate mining since the early Middle Ages. The peculiarities and applications of this building material, also exported from Wales to our country at an early stage and widely used there, are highlighted. That there will also be a sneaky focus on the driving heritage studied by some travelling companions in LLandudno, the speaker requests his forgiveness!
10.30:00 Reception with coffee
11:00 Lecture by ir. E.J. Nusselder
11:45 Pause
12:15 Continuation of lecture with concluding discussion
12:45 End of meeting
13.00 Walking lunch for the excursion participants and their partners
Interested parties are requested to register no later than 6 October (due to catering arrangements).
ROUTE DESCRIPTION
From motorway A13 Rotterdam or The Hague, exit Delft Zuid/TU Delft. Follow TU Delft. At the end of the exit TU Delft turn right onto Schoemakerstraat. Then take the first turn left and immediately left again across the bridge. You are now in the Bouwkunde car park (Van den Broekweg). The Cultural Centre is at the end of this road, across the Mekelweg. Due to work on the newly constructed ' Mekelpark', the Mekelweg is closed. Public transport via NS Delft-Zuid (see also the website mentioned below, then follow 'Contact' and then 'Directions').
Location
Cultuurcentrum (Theaterzaal, 232),
Mekelweg 10, Delft. (PLEASE NOTE: changed location!!!
Organiser
History of Technology
Histechnica
Name and contact details for information
Further information from Rob Lutke Schipholt at the e-mail address below.