Tunnel Syndrome

Monday, 26 October 2009 08:30

I survived Harecastle!

The last Lock (41)

Ahead of us was Hardings Wood Junction and the entrance to the Macclesfield Canal. I hope you have been noticing the change in water colour as we progressed up the locks. No? Well, it is obvious in these photos! It is from iron ore that is possibly leaking from the earlier tunnel. (see below!)

Looking back at the Junction

Oh look, what is ahead?

My heart rate began to go up - would I cope with a long tunnel again? Thomas Telford's tunnel ( the one on the left) is 2,926 yards long. James Brindley's earlier tunnel on the right, (built between 1770 and 1777) is only 2,880 yards long.

Brindley's tunnel had no towpath, so the horse was led over the tunnel via "Boathorse Road" and the boat men legged through in about 3 hours.  After subsidence early in the 20th Century, the tunnel collapsed in 1914 and was finally closed.

A second tunnel was commissioned, as Brindley's tunnel was becoming a bit of a bottleneck. Telford's tunnel was completed in 1827 and constructed with a towpath so that the horses could pull the boats through. For a while both tunnels were in use, with one-way working through each tunnel.

Between 1914 and 1954 an electric tug pulled boats through Telford's tunnel. A large fan was then installed at the south portal. When all the boats are in, an "air tight door" is shut there and the fans switched on, pulling air through the tunnel, allowing diesel boats through without suffocating the helmsmen!

Late last century this tunnel suffered subsidence too and was shut, and the towpath was removed giving a larger air draft to the tunnel. We were about to enter this tunnel.

Approaching Harecastle Tunnel

As we arrived, the British Waterways Tunnel Keeper waved us in, I just had time to take photos of his office and the aptly named BW boat moored outside.

Office and boat

We shouted out our index number and number of people on Epiphany for his records and he recorded the time of our entry to the tunnel. This is for safety purposes as BW time boats through and if we were late at the other end they would investigate. He also told us the emergency procedure and handed me a leaftet detailing it too.

In we go - speck in middle is the other end!

The tunnel roof changes levels quite often

The yellow band (reflecting the flash) warns of the level change. John's hat brushed the roof at the lowest point, I sat in the bows and contained my nervousness! Surprisingly, the doors at the end remained open all the time we were in there so the fans did not cut in, this helped with the claustrophobia I felt last time we came through.

The end is nigh

We were counted out (note the doors)

The doors shut after us, Gypsy Rover was still in there!

Looking back at the South Portal

A straight cut under a number of bridges follows

Under Goldendale Bridge

After a bend the moorings at Westport Lake Park appeared - our mooring for the night.

Trent and Mersey Canal, Hardings Wood Bridge (133) to Westport Lake Park - 1 hour 32 minutes, 3.29 miles, 1 lock