Wharf Colliery, Dark Lane

Old Park Company.
Coal & Ironstone c1827 - c1882

1901 Map

Side by side map of  🡪 Wharf Colliery, Dark Lane

The Wharf Colliery was situated right next to the Shropshire canal, and had mineral railways to the Old Park Iron Works at Stirchley, the Stirchley Iron Works, and the Forge works at Old Park, it was closest to the Dark Lane Foundry but there is no mineral railway connecting it.

After the death of Thomas Botfield (1738-1801) his estate passed to his three sons, Thomas, William and Beriah. William managed the Old Park works, but the three brothers met there each quarter to divided the profits.

The business expanded considerably, as two pairs of blast furnaces at Hinksay and Stirchley, on either side of the Shropshire Canal, were brought into operation between 1825 and 1827. By 1830 the enterprise was producing 15,300 tons of pig iron a year, only slightly less than the Lilleshall company who were then the largest producers in Shropshire.

In 1830 the forge at Stirchley came into operation and within the next few years two blast furnaces at Dark Lane were also completed.