The Hay Inclined Plane at Coalport near Ironbridge, Shropshire
 

Travelling South to Ludlow in late October, I came across an example of a Canal Inclined Plane at Coalport, Shropshire. It qualifies as a railway although its primary purpose was the carrying of canal boats between the Shropshire Canal and the River Severn. ....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/10/21...ine-ironbridge

In March 2021, Tony Jervis, an on-line acquaintance, sent me some photographs from visits that he made over the years to the inclined plane at Coalport. These are shared below with his kind permission.

https://rogerfarnworth.com/2021/06/1...-addendum-2021

Tony comments: "The site has been tidied up somewhat since I was first there, with more clearance of overgrowth at the summit, but has there been a landslip pushing the tracks sideways partway down? The Gorge area has been prone to landslips for years. ..... Much work has been done in recent years to landscape and stablilise the area."

There is an inclined plane marked on a map from the late 19th Century going down from the Wyrley and Essington Canal to or near the Anson Branch of the Walsall Canal. I can’t find anything about it anywhere. The Walsall Canal is 65 feet lower than the Wyrley, the inclined plane would short circuit the 8 locks joining the two. I don’t know if boats or just goods were moved up or down; frustrating! Thomas Anson was made Earl of Lichfield at the same time the branch was opened, it served a quarry he owned, extracting basalt roadstone. There were other industries also.

Interesting Hereward. I wonder what else is available about this across the internet?