British Waterways - Comic Relief?

Sunday, 01 February 2009 18:52

No - this is not a comment on our feelings about British Waterways (BW).

It is a reference to a fascinating fact that you will be privy to if you read on!

Here at Newbold on Avon there are two tunnels. Thank you Dot from Gypsy Rover for drawing our attention to it!

Yesterday's blog had a photo of the present tunnel which was completed in 1829, as part of the straightening of the Oxford Canal. Brindley's meanderings were not such a good proposition for the economics and timings of freight by canal! 

The Old Tunnel was part of the loop that took Brindley's canal from Newbold to Falls Bridge (48). It left the existing cut at what is now the Wharf, kept the pubs on the left and went under a small road bridge (the Rugby to Coventry "main road"?) in front of St Botolph's church and into the old tunnel.

We found the remaining bricked up portal just west of the church tower

Tunnel northern portal and remains of cut

The line of the canal can clearly be seen going South West

The tunnel was 125 yards long, 16 feet high and 12 and half feet wide. There was a towing path through it's length. The brickwork inside is still in good condition.

Photo taken through one of the gaps in the bricked up portal

This "arm" was used until 1840, after the new tunnel was cut, to serve the local brickworks and quarries.

As we strolled back to the road through the approach to the church the line of the tunnel, and its subsidence, which occured during the drought of 1976, was obvious.

Tunnel in Churchyard

At the gate we chatted to the Vicar and some members of the congregation that had been to the service, as we had! They pointed out where the tunnel had begun, by the Vicarage wall, and told us a little more about what it all must have looked like.

The fascinating fact that you have been patiently waiting for is .....

In 1995 BW sold the old Newbold tunnel to the local farmer for £1,000 in aid of Comic Relief. Now, I wonder who had the last laugh: the farmer, BW or as I hope, the folks from Comic Relief?

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