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List of canal tunnels in the United Kingdom facts for kids

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This is a list of canal tunnels in the United Kingdom.

Listed by name

Tunnel Canal Length Designer Coordinates Notes Image
Ashford Tunnel Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal 375 yards (343 m) Thomas Dadford 51°53.195′N 3°16.525′W / 51.886583°N 3.275417°W / 51.886583; -3.275417 (Ashford) Brecknockshire/Powys Tunnel narrows considerably between northern and southern portals due to repairs to its fabric but is nevertheless navigable by a narrowboat with relative ease.
Approaching the northern portal of Ashford Tunnel on the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal
Ashford Tunnel, northern portal
Ashperton Tunnel Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal 400 yards (370 m)
Aylstone Tunnel Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal 440 yards (400 m)
Berwick Tunnel Shrewsbury Canal 970 yards (890 m) Josiah Clowes 52°42′4.97″N 2°41′22.22″W / 52.7013806°N 2.6895056°W / 52.7013806; -2.6895056 (Berwick) Claimed to be the first canal tunnel with a towpath throughout.
Berwick tunnel, the Shrewsbury canal - geograph.org.uk - 81562
Berwick Tunnel, northern portal
Blisworth Tunnel Grand Union Canal 3,056 yards (2,794 m) Northamptonshire
Blisworth Tunnel southern portal
Blisworth Tunnel, southern portal
Branwood Tunnel Stratford-upon-Avon Canal 352 yards (322 m)
Narrowboat leaving the east portal of Brandwood Tunnel, Birmingham - geograph.org.uk - 1726035
Brandwood Tunnel, eastern portal
Braunston Tunnel Grand Union Canal 2,042 yards (1,867 m) Jessop & Barnes 52°16.976′N 1°10.041′W / 52.282933°N 1.167350°W / 52.282933; -1.167350 (Braunston) Northamptonshire
Braunston Tunnel
Narrowboat leaving Braunston Tunnel
Bruce Tunnel Kennet and Avon Canal 502 yards (459 m)
Bruce tunnel stowell
Bruce Tunnel's Eastern Portal (in 1992)
Butterley Tunnel Cromford Canal 3,063 yards (2,801 m) 53°3.3841′N 1°22.3994′W / 53.0564017°N 1.3733233°W / 53.0564017; -1.3733233 (Butterley) Derbyshire
The Butterley Reservoir Adit where it enters the Butterley Tunnel
The Butterley Reservoir Adit where it enters the Butterley Tunnel, in 2006
Chirk Tunnel Llangollen Canal 459 yards (420 m) 52°55′46.91″N 3°3′46.77″W / 52.9296972°N 3.0629917°W / 52.9296972; -3.0629917 (Chirk) Near Chirk
Chirk Tunnel
View taken from the Chirk Aqueduct
Cookley Tunnel Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal 65 yards (59 m)
Cookley Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 1252427
Cookly Tunnel, western portal
Drakeholes Tunnel Chesterfield Canal 154 yards (141 m)
Drakeholes Tunnel Chesterfield Canal
Dudley Tunnel Birmingham Canal Navigations 3,172 yards (2,900 m) 52°31′18″N 2°04′42″W / 52.52173°N 2.07840°W / 52.52173; -2.07840 (Dudley) Part of Dudley Canal Line No 1
Dudley Canal Tunnel Southern Portal
The southern portal of the Dudley Tunnel
Dunsley Tunnel Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal 25 yards (23 m) 52°27′25″N 2°12′34″W / 52.4568191°N 2.2093904°W / 52.4568191; -2.2093904 (Dunsley)
StaffsWorcs Dunsley Tunnel
Dunsley Tunnel, west portal, near Kinver
Edgbaston Tunnel Worcester and Birmingham Canal 105 yards (96 m)
Foulridge Tunnel Leeds and Liverpool Canal 1,630 yards (1,490 m) Robert Whitworth/Samuel Fletcher 53°52′28″N 2°10′56″W / 53.8745°N 2.1821°W / 53.8745; -2.1821 (Foulridge) Also known as the Mile Tunnel
Southern entrance, Foulridge Tunnel
Southern portal, Foulridge Tunnel
Gosty Hill Tunnel Birmingham Canal Navigations 557 yards (509 m) Part of Dudley Canal Line No 2
Gosty Hill Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 138283
Gosty Hill Tunnel, northern portal
Greywell Tunnel Basingstoke Canal 1,200 yards (1,100 m) Closed to traffic following cave-in. Now home to Europe's largest bat colony.
Greywell tunnel 3
The eastern portal of Greywell Tunnel on the Basingstoke Canal
Hardham Tunnel Arun Navigation 375 yards (343 m) 50°56′56″N 0°31′23″W / 50.94889°N 0.52306°W / 50.94889; -0.52306 (Hardham) Closed since 1888; blocked in 1895 by LBSCR under Mid Sussex Line and Midhurst-Pulborough Line.
Southern Portal, Hardham Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 1239745
Southern Portal, Hardham Tunnel.
Harecastle Tunnel Trent & Mersey Canal 2,926 yards (2,676 m) James Brindley/Thomas Telford 53°4′27″N 2°14′11″W / 53.07417°N 2.23639°W / 53.07417; -2.23639 (Harecastle) Staffordshire. Comprises parallel "Brindley" and "Telford" tunnels. (The length stated is for the Telford tunnel.)
HarecastleNorth
Northern end of Harecastle Tunnel. Telford's tunnel on the left, Brindley's the right.
Hincaster Tunnel Lancaster Canal 378 yards (346 m) Thomas Fletcher 54°15′33″N 2°45′18″W / 54.25917°N 2.75500°W / 54.25917; -2.75500 (Hincaster) Opened in 1819. Commercial traffic on the Lancaster Canal ceased north of Lancaster in 1944 and this part of the canal was officially closed following the Transport Act, 1955.
Lapal Tunnel Birmingham Canal Navigations 3,795 yards (3,470 m) 52°26′42″N 2°00′06″W / 52.4450°N 2.0017°W / 52.4450; -2.0017 (Lapal) Part of Dudley Canal Line No 2 (disused—closed 1907)
Lapal Tunnel East 50pc
1955 Ordnance Survey map of the east portal of Lapal Tunnel
Lord Ward's Tunnel Birmingham Canal Navigations 196 yards (179 m) In the Dudley Tunnel complex
Netherton Tunnel Birmingham Canal Navigations 3,027 yards (2,768 m) 52°30′25″N 2°03′25″W / 52.50697°N 2.05708°W / 52.50697; -2.05708 (Netherton)
Netherton Tunnel inside northern portal dual towpath
The dual towpaths inside the northern portal of Netherton Tunnel
Newbold Tunnel Oxford Canal 250 yards (230 m)
The recently illuminated Newbold Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 117461
Illuminated Newbold Tunnel
Newnham Tunnel Leominster Canal 100 yards (91 m) 52°19′37″N 2°31′20″W / 52.32685°N 2.52223°W / 52.32685; -2.52223 (Newnham) Worcestershire
Norwood Tunnel Chesterfield Canal 2,884 yards (2,637 m) James Brindley 53°20′06″N 1°16′11″W / 53.33501°N 1.26971°W / 53.33501; -1.26971 (Norwood) Derbyshire to South Yorkshire. Closed with plans for partial restoration of eastern end.
Norwood Tunnel Western Portal
Norwood Tunnel western portal
Oxenhall Tunnel Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal 2,192 yards (2,004 m)
Pensax Tunnel Leominster Canal 3,850 yards (3,520 m) 52°19′22″N 2°23′27″W / 52.32265°N 2.39083°W / 52.32265; -2.39083 (Pensax) Worcestershire

Abandoned during construction.

Putnall Tunnel Leominster Canal 330 yards (300 m) 52°17′38″N 2°43′58″W / 52.29398°N 2.73266°W / 52.29398; -2.73266 (Putnall) Herefordshire
Sapperton Canal Tunnel Thames and Severn Canal 3,817 yards (3,490 m) Josiah Clowes 51°42′45″N 2°03′42″W / 51.7126°N 2.0618°W / 51.7126; -2.0618 (Sapperton) Gloucestershire
Southern portal, Sapperton canal tunnel (uncropped)
The Coates Portal at the south-eastern end of the Sapperton Canal Tunnel.
Scout Tunnel Huddersfield Narrow Canal 220 yards (200 m) Unlined, rock tunnel
Scout tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 1437691
Scout Tunnel
Shortwood Tunnel Worcester and Birmingham Canal 613 yards (561 m)
Southnett Tunnel Leominster Canal 1,250 yards (1,140 m) 52°19′43″N 2°28′37″W / 52.32874°N 2.47691°W / 52.32874; -2.47691 (Southnett) Herefordshire
Standedge Tunnels Huddersfield Narrow Canal 5,698 yards (5,210 m) 53°35′29″N 1°57′36″W / 53.591283°N 1.95996°W / 53.591283; -1.95996 (Standedge) West Yorkshire to Greater Manchester
Standedge Tunnel End, Marsden, West Yorkshire
Standedge Tunnel entrance at Marsden
Strood Tunnel Thames and Medway Canal 3,946 yards (3,608 m) Ralph Walker 51°24′54″N 0°28′52″E / 51.4149°N 0.4812°E / 51.4149; 0.4812 (Strood) Kent
Tardebigge Tunnel Worcester and Birmingham Canal 580 yards (530 m)
Wast Hills Tunnel Worcester and Birmingham Canal 2,726 yards (2,493 m) 52°23′25″N 1°56′24″W / 52.3902°N 1.9400°W / 52.3902; -1.9400 (Wast Hills) West Midlands (county) to Worcestershire
Wast Hill Tunnel Southern portal - geograph.org.uk - 151865
Wast Hills Tunnel, southern portal

Navigable adits and mine levels

An adit is a horizontal entrance to a mine:

Tunnel Canal Length Designer Coordinates Notes Image
Hollingwood Common Tunnel Chesterfield Canal
Worsley Navigable Levels Bridgewater Canal 53°30′2.2″N 2°22′52.2″W / 53.500611°N 2.381167°W / 53.500611; -2.381167 (Worsley Navigable Levels) Greater Manchester
Starvationer at Ellesmere Port Canal Museum
Starvationer at Ellesmere Port Canal Museum with a demonstration of the process of legging to push the boat through the tunnels

Listed by canal

Grand Union Canal

Peak Forest Canal

  • Hyde Bank Tunnel
  • Woodley Tunnel

Regent's Canal

Union Canal (Scotland)

  • Falkirk Tunnel, Falkirk
  • Roughcastle Tunnel, Falkirk. Part of the Falkirk Wheel complex; leads to Locks 1 & 2 and South Basin

See also

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List of canal tunnels in the United Kingdom Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.