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Wast Hills Tunnel facts for kids

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Wast Hills Tunnel
Southern portal
Overview
Location Hawkesley, Birmingham, West Midlands, and Worcestershire, England
Coordinates 52°23′25″N 1°56′24″W / 52.3902°N 1.9400°W / 52.3902; -1.9400
OS grid reference
Status Open
Waterway Worcester and Birmingham Canal
Start 52°24′00″N 1°55′51″W / 52.39991°N 1.93096°W / 52.39991; -1.93096 (Northern portal)
End 52°22′50″N 1°56′56″W / 52.38066°N 1.94890°W / 52.38066; -1.94890 (Southern portal)
Operation
Owner Canal & River Trust
Technical
Design engineer Thomas Cartwright
Construction 1796-97
Length 2,726 yards (2,492.7 m)
Width Double
Towpath No
Boat-passable Yes

The Wast Hills Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. Its northern portal is in Hawkesley, Birmingham. Its southern portal is in fields just outside the city's boundaries, in Worcestershire.

Construction and measurements

The Wast Hills Tunnel was built in 1796 and is 2726 yards long, making it one of the longest in the country. There are several ventilation shafts along its length which were initially used for the tunnel's construction. It is wide enough to accommodate two narrow boats but there is no towpath.

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