He became the most innovative and able of the various Shropshire ironmasters, and met with several engineers who visited Coalbrookdale regularly, including Matthew Boulton, James Watt, John Wilkinson, Lord Dundonald and Thomas Telford.

In 1786, he constructed the Coalport Tar Tunnel, originally intended as a low-level access to mines further to the north,[1] but discontinued when the excavations reached a source of natural bitumen.

[3] It ran in a westerly direction from Oakengates, passing through a tunnel where Shepherds Lane crossed Red Lake Hill, and ended to the north of Ketley Hall.

The ropes and chains used to secure the boats were connected to a single winding drum which was housed in a structure spanning the top of the incline.

"[6] A system to carry boats on an inclined plane had only been tried once before in the United Kingdom, on Dukart's Canal in Tyrone, Ireland, and had failed.

[8] Download coordinates as: The points of interest represent the furthest extent of the canal that can be traced on the 1882 Ordnance Survey map.

At its western end, the remains terminate above Ketley Hall,[9] but the final two points are based on a map in Williams.