Seven miles from Bridgnorth, and thirty-six from Worcester, the Severn is
crossed by a handsome iron bridge, at the opposite extremity of which is
the London and North-Western Company's line to the Shropshire Union at
Hadley.

The China Works are about five minutes' walk from the station; they are
extensive, and were established during the latter half of the last
century, at which time they were removed here from Caughley. The
productions are of a high order of merit, and combine those distinctive
characters for which Caughley and Nantgarw were celebrated. They were
successful, some years ago, in obtaining a medal awarded by the Society
of Arts; in obtaining a First Class Exhibition Medal in 1851, also in
1855, and again in 1862. The works are very advantageously situated,
having the river, the canal, and two railways adjoining.

The _Art-Journal_, in giving the history of these works, thus speaks of
them: "The productions of the Coalport Works at the present day, thanks
to the determination, energy, and liberality of the proprietor, take rank
with the very best in the kingdom, both in body, in potting, in design,
and in decoration; and there can be no doubt, from what is now actively
in progress, that the stand taken by Coalport is one of enviable eminence
among the ceramic manufactories of the world."

Edge and Son's chain and wire rope works are situated not far from these;
and between the two, at the foot of the inclined plane, an ingenious
device for transferring boats from one canal to the other, is the
celebrated "Tar Tunnel," driven into the coal measures, from which
petroleum was formerly exported on a large scale, under the name of
Betton's British Oil.