Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire is to be given a multi-million pound government grant to help save the world heritage site from collapsing.
The bridge is under threat from landslides and the £12 million will go towards fighting against constantly shifting river banks which are leading to cracking ironwork and buckling.
Ironbridge is seen as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and a symbol of British engineering ingenuity. It has been described as 'the most extraordinary district in the world'. As a world heritage site, it ranks alongside structures like the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and the Egyptian Pyramids.
Each year Ironbridge draws in over half a million tourists and contributes £20 million to the economies of Telford & Wrekin and the wider Shropshire area.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles says: