A TALE OF TWO TUNNELS
Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:44 pm
Today I decided to have a look at the famous Harecastle Tunnel which is situated at Kidsgrove in North Staffordshire. I parked up in Cheshire at the intersection of two canal systems, one being the Trent Mersey Canal and the other The Macclesfield Canal that runs for 26 miles towards Marple in the county of Cheshire. I crossed over a bridge that spans the later canal at a point where it is carried over the Trent Mersey Canal via an aqueduct and proceeded to follow it for a short distance until it makes a ‘T' into the main Trent Mersey Canal.
The bridge on the aquaduct
This 'T' branch off the main Trent Mersey system was built in 1829 by the engineer Thomas Telford and the bridge shown below bears the inscription date of when it was built
Turning right over the bridge onto the Trent Mersey Canal, it is only a short walk to the Harecastle tunnels. As we approach we can see that the water has a distinct brownish orange colour and has a slight odour to it. This is not the result of industrial pollution but rather the leeching of iron ore into the water from the surrounding hills. The bulk of which seeps from the original 'legging' tunnel.
The Harcastle Tunnels viewed from the North end.
The original 'Brindley' tunnel is right of center.
The later 'Telford' tunnel is left of center.
The Trent Mersey canal was built by that other great canal engineer James Brindley who also constructed the original tunnel that can be seen on the right in the above picture. It was built between 1770 & 1777 to cut through the ‘Harecastle Hill’ which was a major obstacle in the path of the new canal system.
The Brindley tunnel was very low and narrow and the barges would have to be ‘legged’ through in complete darkness. This involved the 'bargee' having to lie on his back on a plank and walk along the tunnel roof to propel the barge through, this would take several hours with the horses being led over the hill to meet up with them at the South end, a distance of 2,880 yards or around 1.6 miles.
At the time of its construction it was twice the length of the longest tunnel anywhere in the world!
The original 'Brindley' legging tunnel.
As can be seen by the photograph this tunnel would soon prove to be a bottleneck and so another tunnel was commissioned, complete with a towpath for the horses to use. It was built between 1824 and 1827 by the builder of the Macclesfield canal Thomas Telford as James Brindley had died during the period his own tunnel was being constructed.
Both tunnels were in use at the same time for many years until the Brindley tunnel was eventually closed due to collapses along its length. I have been into this tunnel a short way and can confirm that in places the tunnel roof actually touches the water!
Within my lifetime the second Telford tunnel had to be closed due to the towpath collapsing into the canal and it becoming impassable, thankfully this has now been removed and it is now a navigable tunnel with forced air ventilation that allows diesel powered barges to pass through.
A one way system is in use and it takes around 45 minutes for a barge to pass through, when I asked the friendly water board official how many barges were permitted to pass through at any one time, he said he could allow up to eight to go in together.
The second 'Telford' tunnel, still in use today.
I have been through this tunnel and it is a strange experience. As you enter from the South end a large metal door slams closed behind you and a powerful fan starts up. This creates an eerie fog that envelopes the boat as you plunge into the blackness of the narrow tunnel.
The tunnel itself is brick lined along its length and strangely enough it actually steps in or out by about 12” (305mm) in places so it is not a smooth wall, but a series of joggles. Due to its length you cannot see “the light at the end of the tunnel” until you are about halfway in and then it is just a speck. The picture above shows a barge on its way out with light just visible and reflecting on the water.
As they emerge there is very little room to swing the boat into the main canal as may be seen by this series of pictures: The moored barge on the right is to guide boats and stop them hitting the opposite side as they make the sharp turn. It is worth noting that some of these barges could be 90 feet in length (27.45 metres)
It can get a little bit crowded with boats coming out of and waiting to go into the tunnel.
Once the tunnel is clear the procedure is reversed with boats entering to go in the opposite direction. As can be seen by this series of pictures, it can be a little tight.
And sometimes a little help is required.
Then in we go!
We (my dog and I) completed the walk by making a circular return along the Trent Mersey canal, stopping off along the way at the ‘Blue Bell’ for a pint of ‘real ale’. We rejoined the Macclesfield canal at this aqueduct by crossing over the locks before returning to my car and heading for home where Mrs H’s Roast Lamb, Roast Parsnips, Carrots, Cauliflower, Green Beans, Young Cheshire Potatoes and ‘Aunty Bessies’ duck fat basted, roast potatoes topped off with fresh made mint sauce were awaiting us.
The bridge on the aquaduct
This 'T' branch off the main Trent Mersey system was built in 1829 by the engineer Thomas Telford and the bridge shown below bears the inscription date of when it was built
Turning right over the bridge onto the Trent Mersey Canal, it is only a short walk to the Harecastle tunnels. As we approach we can see that the water has a distinct brownish orange colour and has a slight odour to it. This is not the result of industrial pollution but rather the leeching of iron ore into the water from the surrounding hills. The bulk of which seeps from the original 'legging' tunnel.
The Harcastle Tunnels viewed from the North end.
The original 'Brindley' tunnel is right of center.
The later 'Telford' tunnel is left of center.
The Trent Mersey canal was built by that other great canal engineer James Brindley who also constructed the original tunnel that can be seen on the right in the above picture. It was built between 1770 & 1777 to cut through the ‘Harecastle Hill’ which was a major obstacle in the path of the new canal system.
The Brindley tunnel was very low and narrow and the barges would have to be ‘legged’ through in complete darkness. This involved the 'bargee' having to lie on his back on a plank and walk along the tunnel roof to propel the barge through, this would take several hours with the horses being led over the hill to meet up with them at the South end, a distance of 2,880 yards or around 1.6 miles.
At the time of its construction it was twice the length of the longest tunnel anywhere in the world!
The original 'Brindley' legging tunnel.
As can be seen by the photograph this tunnel would soon prove to be a bottleneck and so another tunnel was commissioned, complete with a towpath for the horses to use. It was built between 1824 and 1827 by the builder of the Macclesfield canal Thomas Telford as James Brindley had died during the period his own tunnel was being constructed.
Both tunnels were in use at the same time for many years until the Brindley tunnel was eventually closed due to collapses along its length. I have been into this tunnel a short way and can confirm that in places the tunnel roof actually touches the water!
Within my lifetime the second Telford tunnel had to be closed due to the towpath collapsing into the canal and it becoming impassable, thankfully this has now been removed and it is now a navigable tunnel with forced air ventilation that allows diesel powered barges to pass through.
A one way system is in use and it takes around 45 minutes for a barge to pass through, when I asked the friendly water board official how many barges were permitted to pass through at any one time, he said he could allow up to eight to go in together.
The second 'Telford' tunnel, still in use today.
I have been through this tunnel and it is a strange experience. As you enter from the South end a large metal door slams closed behind you and a powerful fan starts up. This creates an eerie fog that envelopes the boat as you plunge into the blackness of the narrow tunnel.
The tunnel itself is brick lined along its length and strangely enough it actually steps in or out by about 12” (305mm) in places so it is not a smooth wall, but a series of joggles. Due to its length you cannot see “the light at the end of the tunnel” until you are about halfway in and then it is just a speck. The picture above shows a barge on its way out with light just visible and reflecting on the water.
As they emerge there is very little room to swing the boat into the main canal as may be seen by this series of pictures: The moored barge on the right is to guide boats and stop them hitting the opposite side as they make the sharp turn. It is worth noting that some of these barges could be 90 feet in length (27.45 metres)
It can get a little bit crowded with boats coming out of and waiting to go into the tunnel.
Once the tunnel is clear the procedure is reversed with boats entering to go in the opposite direction. As can be seen by this series of pictures, it can be a little tight.
And sometimes a little help is required.
Then in we go!
We (my dog and I) completed the walk by making a circular return along the Trent Mersey canal, stopping off along the way at the ‘Blue Bell’ for a pint of ‘real ale’. We rejoined the Macclesfield canal at this aqueduct by crossing over the locks before returning to my car and heading for home where Mrs H’s Roast Lamb, Roast Parsnips, Carrots, Cauliflower, Green Beans, Young Cheshire Potatoes and ‘Aunty Bessies’ duck fat basted, roast potatoes topped off with fresh made mint sauce were awaiting us.
we had boned rolled minted lamb 
