Boulton and Watt spent £1000 buying land next to Murray's works in order to prevent its expansion. James Watt, Jr, wrote to William Murdoch, one of Watt's engineers, in 1802:

'I have been surveying the environs of this rival establishment and making enquiries respecting the property and tenure of the neighbouring lands, with a view to seeing whether we could purchase anything under their very nose that might materially annoy them and eventually benefit ourselves.'