In the early 1800s, the Earl of Dudley owned a large number of mines, from which coal, ironstone, limestone and fireclay were extracted.

This required better transport links, and in 1839 contractors were invited to submit quotations for building the private Pensnett Canal.

[1] The contract for construction was awarded to Matthew Frost, a colliery owner, contractor, land-owner, and surveyor who lived at Bilston.

[3] It ran from Parkhead Basin at the southern portal of the Dudley Canal tunnel to the Wallows Wharf[4] to serve the Earl of Dudley's Old Park and Wallows Collieries and the northern part of his (now demolished) Round Oak Ironworks, where a short railway ran to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.

Development took place along its line, which included the building of brickworks, coke ovens and lime kilns.

As well as building new boats, he carried out repairs at the yard, and had a reputation for good workmanship, which he had built up over 35 years.

Horton also made boilers, tanks, colliery tubs and wagons among other iron or steel goods.

[7] Parts of the canal becoming disused in the 1940s, although the section to Harts Hill Iron Company continued to be used until 1950.

After the works closed in the 1970s, British Steel donated the vessel to the Black Country Living Museum in 1976.