COALBROOKDALE, a village and ecclesiastical district of Shropshire, England, on the G.W.R., 5 m. S. of Wellington. Pop. 1,40o. The "dale" is the valley of a stream rising near the Wrekin and following south-east for about 8 m. to the Severn. Its ironworks, founded in 1709 by Abraham Darby with Dutch workmen, were the pioneer attempt to use pit-coal for smelting iron.
The third Abraham Darby built the famous Coalbrookdale iron bridge over the Severn, which gives name to the neighbouring town of Ironbridge, which with a portion of Coalbrookdale is in the parish of Madeley (q.v.). There are also brick and tile works.