Tar Tunnel
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The Tar Tunnel is located on the north bank of the River Severn in Coalbrookdale near the village of Coalport, England, and now forms part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.
Miners struck a gushing spring of natural bitumen, a black treacle-like substance, when digging the tunnel in 1787, probably in connection with the nearby coal mine workings. It was a great curiosity in the 18th century and bitumen still oozes from the wall today. Its chief commercial use at the time was to treat and weatherproof ropes and caulk wooden ships, but small amounts were processed and bottled as a remedy for rheumatism.
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Categories: 1787 establishments | Museums in Shropshire | Industry museums in the United Kingdom | Archaeology museums in the United Kingdom | Industrial archaeology | Industrial Revolution | Visitor attractions in Shropshire | History of Shropshire | Tunnels in Shropshire | Tunnels in England | Underground mines in England | Shropshire geography stubs
