Dudley Tunnel at the Black Country Museum (Scan from 1992)

“The Dudley Canal’s original Act was passed in 1776, on the same day as that of the Stourbridge Canal, and it opened from the junction to Ox Leasowes in 1779.

Back in 1775, Lord Dudley had started a cut from the Birmingham Canal at Tipton into his coal and limestone mines. An Act of 1785 allowed Dudley Canal to take this over and extend it through a tunnel 3,154 yards (2,882m) long to join its line, but it was not open until 1793.”