Nottingham's Tunnels
Encyclopedia
Nottingham's Tunnels were built by three railway companies in and around Nottingham, England because their lines crossed substantial hills. The companies were the Great Northern Railway
(GNR), Great Central Railway
(GCR), and Nottingham Suburban Railway.
The LNWR built a station in Nottingham on Manvers Street with its own lines and sidings running off the GNR, whilst it had no tunnel on its short route it did have a large underground storage depot (still there) under the station site. The Park Tunnel was built for more fanciful reasons. Nottingham is home to many underground structures but only those built for transport are mentioned here.
, and the Great Northern Railway's Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension line at Daybrook
. It had stations at Sherwood
, St Ann's Well
and Thorney Wood
.
Mansion. The Fifth Duke of Newcastle
retained architect Thomas Chambers (T.C.) Hine (1813–1899) to design and build the Park Tunnel (primarily as the main entrance to the Park) and to develop the Park as a residential area in central Nottingham for the wealthier members of society. T.C.Hine was also made responsible for the later repair of Nottingham Castle and its conversion into a museum.
The Duke of Newcastle's original requirement was for a tunnel with a maximum gradient of 1 in 14; the tunnel actually has a gradient of 1 in 12 which was considered too great for horsedrawn carriages thus defeating the object of its construction. The tunnel is still in use, providing pedestrian access from Derby Road, Upper College Street and The Ropewalk to the Park.
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(GNR), Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
(GCR), and Nottingham Suburban Railway.
The LNWR built a station in Nottingham on Manvers Street with its own lines and sidings running off the GNR, whilst it had no tunnel on its short route it did have a large underground storage depot (still there) under the station site. The Park Tunnel was built for more fanciful reasons. Nottingham is home to many underground structures but only those built for transport are mentioned here.
Great Central Railway
- Mansfield Road Tunnel is a 1,189 yard tunnel with its North Portal in a railway cutting (now filled in) which housed Carrington railway stationCarrington railway stationCarrington railway station was a railway station in Nottingham on the Great Central Railway main line, the last main line to be built from the north of England to London...
(closed in 1928) and continued South towards central Nottingham. Its South Portal is at the North end of the extensive cutting which currently accommodates the Victoria Shopping CentreVictoria Centre, NottinghamThe Victoria Centre is a shopping centre in Nottingham, England. Its four main anchor stores are John Lewis, House of Fraser, Boots and Next. Other notable stores are The Entertainer, Topshop, Republic, Monsoon, Swarovski, GAP, Tesco Metro and HMV....
. The tunnel still exists but is not accessible.
- Sherwood Rise Tunnel is a 665 yard tunnel and part of its North Portal can still be seen in the partly filled cutting off Haydn Road in BasfordBasford, NottinghamBasford is a suburb in northern Nottingham. Basford parish was absorbed into Nottingham in 1877. It gave its name to the Basford Rural District which existed from 1894 to 1974....
and its South Portal at the North end of the Carrington Station cutting. The tunnel still exists but is not accessible.
- Victoria Street Tunnel (52.9513°N 1.1461°W) also known as Weekday Cross Tunnel currently accommodates steam heating pipes from Nottingham's Cattle Market waste incinerator for the Victoria flats above Victoria Shopping Centre. This tunnel is 19 chains (418 yards) long and was originally built for the Great Central RailwayGreat Central RailwayThe Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
completed in 1897 although the Great Central's Nottingham Victoria StationNottingham Victoria railway stationNottingham Victoria railway station was a Great Central Railway and Great Northern Railway railway station in Nottingham, England. It was designed by the architect Albert Edward Lambert....
was not completed until 1900. The Victoria Shopping CentreVictoria Centre, NottinghamThe Victoria Centre is a shopping centre in Nottingham, England. Its four main anchor stores are John Lewis, House of Fraser, Boots and Next. Other notable stores are The Entertainer, Topshop, Republic, Monsoon, Swarovski, GAP, Tesco Metro and HMV....
was built on the site of the demolished Victoria Station. This tunnel runs South from Victoria Shopping Centre to its South Portal near to Nottingham's Galleries of JusticeGalleries of JusticeThe Galleries of Justice museum is a tourist attraction on High Pavement in the Lace Market area of Nottingham, England. It is home to The Villainous Sheriff of Nottingham where you will discover Nottingham's horrible history and delve into the dark and disturbing past of Crime and PunishmentThe...
at Weekday CrossWeekday CrossWeekday Cross, in the Lacemarket area of Nottingham, was the main market area in Nottingham. As the location of the town hall, guildhall and main market, it was the centre of the town, before the market moved to the Old Market Square....
. The Nottingham Express TransitNottingham Express TransitNottingham Express Transit is a light-rail tramway in the Nottingham area in England. The first line opened to the public on 9 March 2004, having cost £200 million to construct. The scheme took sixteen years from conception to implementation...
line proceeds from just South of this portal to its terminus at Midland Railway Station. The Centre for Contemporary Art Nottingham (CCAN) has recently been built in the railway cutting in which the South Portal resides.
Great Northern Railway
- Mapperley Tunnel is a 1,132-yard-long tunnel, built for the Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension of the Great Northern RailwayGreat Northern Railway (Great Britain)The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
. This line ran from Colwick Junction in Nottingham to Egginton Junction in South Derbyshire. The route planned took the line through MapperleyMapperleyMapperley is a residential and commercial area of north-eastern Nottingham, England. The area is bounded by Sherwood to the north-west, Thorneywood to the south and Gedling to the east.-History:...
via the Mapperley Tunnel built to avoid attempting to get the railway over the ridge. The tunnel was in use by 1875 but suffered a roof collapse due to mining subsidence on January 23, 1925. A length of roof about 12 yards long collapsed blocking the line with approximately 150 tons of rubble. Whilst repairs were undertaken traffic was diverted along the Nottingham Suburban Railway. The tunnel was repaired but the continuing effects of subsidence resulted in speed restrictions in the 1950s and closure on April 4, 1960. The Eastern Portal is still open and accessible and the tunnel itself is open to a point just West of the second air shaft (counting from the East). Beyond the second air shaft the tunnel has been filled with earth. The tunnel portal is on private property and permission should be sought from the owner before entering. A large quantity of rubbish has been thrown down the second air shaft creating an unstable pile in the tunnel which may collapse in the future causing injury to anyone present.
Nottingham Suburban Railway
The Nottingham Suburban Railway was completed in 1889; it was only 3.5 miles long but had four tunnels. The line ran between a junction with the Great Northern Railway's Nottingham to Grantham line at Trent Lane in SneintonSneinton
Sneinton is a south-eastern suburb of Nottingham, England. The area is bounded by Carlton to the north, Colwick to the south, Meadow Lane to the southwest and Bakersfield to the east.-Description:...
, and the Great Northern Railway's Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension line at Daybrook
Daybrook
Daybrook is a suburb of Arnold, Nottinghamshire. The area is located just outside the city of Nottingham but inside the conurbation of Greater Nottingham. It lies next to the areas of Arnold town centre, Sherwood, Woodthorpe, Redhill and Bestwood....
. It had stations at Sherwood
Sherwood railway station
Sherwood railway station was a station on the former Great Northern Railway Nottingham Suburban railway in Nottingham. The station lies within Woodthorpe Grange Park in Woodthorpe....
, St Ann's Well
St Ann's Well railway station
St Ann's Well railway station was a station on the former Great Northern Railway Nottingham Suburban railway in Nottingham, England.Former Services-See also:*Sherwood railway station*Thorney Wood railway station*Nottingham's Tunnels...
and Thorney Wood
Thorney Wood railway station
Thorney Wood railway station was a station on the former Great Northern Railway Nottingham Suburban railway in Nottingham, England.Former Services-See also:*Sherwood railway station*St Ann's Well railway station*Nottingham's Tunnels...
.
- Ashwell Tunnel is entirely within WoodthorpeWoodthorpe, NottinghamshireWoodthorpe is a suburban area of Arnold, Nottinghamshire. It is part of the Borough of Gedling and lies just next to the city boundary. It is next to the areas of Mapperley, Daybrook, Sherwood and the main Arnold area....
Park, Nottingham. The stately home in Woodthorpe Park is called Woodthorpe Grange and was once owned by Edward Parry, the designer and chief engineer of the Nottingham Suburban Railway. Both portals of this 70 yard long tunnel have been covered with earth and the tunnel itself is no longer accessible. At the North Portal there is an accommodation bridge allowing Woodthorpe Drive to cross the railway line. The South side of this bridge has been bricked up and a full-sized model of a steam locomotive has been built into the brickwork. - Sherwood Tunnel is the next tunnel South from Ashwell Tunnel. At the South end of Woodthorpe Park the line passed under the accommodation bridge for Sherwood Vale. This bridge still exists and marks the beginning of a short cutting leading to the North Portal of the 442 yard long Sherwood Tunnel. This portal has been covered with earth. The South Portal of this tunnel has also been covered with earth and is just to the West of The Wells Road, Nottingham. To the South of this portal is the St. Ann's Well Station House which is used as a residence. The Station House is on the corner of Dooland Drive and The Wells Road.
- Sneinton Tunnel is 128 yards long and the furthest South of the four tunnels. Its North Portal is still visible, but bricked up with access through a locked door. This tunnel was once home to a rifle club. This portal is found at the South end of Porchester Road on the opposite side of Carlton Road, Nottingham.
- Thorneywood Tunnel is a 408 yard long tunnel South of Sherwood Tunnel with its North Portal in a short cutting off Mickleborough Avenue, Nottingham. This portal has also been covered with earth. There was once an embankment to the North of this tunnel leading first over two brick arches and then on to a high girder bridge. The bridge was removed in 1954 and the embankment was removed in 1959. The rubble from the embankment was packed into Thorneywood Tunnel.
- Fifth Tunnel. There was a fifth tunnel on the Nottingham Suburban Railway. This tunnel was on a branch line serving the Nottingham Patent Brickworks. It was 118 yards long and ran from Thorneywood StationThorney Wood railway stationThorney Wood railway station was a station on the former Great Northern Railway Nottingham Suburban railway in Nottingham, England.Former Services-See also:*Sherwood railway station*St Ann's Well railway station*Nottingham's Tunnels...
under Thorneywood Lane. There was a steep gradient uphill from the Station therefore Wagons were hauled through this tunnel to the brickworks by a stationary engine.
Park Tunnel
The Park Tunnel (52.9544°N 1.1594°W) was built in 1855 to allow horsedrawn carriages access to The Park Estate from Derby Road in Nottingham. This area was formerly a private hunting park for the Duke of Newcastle who was also the owner of Nottingham CastleNottingham Castle
Nottingham Castle is a castle in Nottingham, England. It is located in a commanding position on a natural promontory known as "'Castle Rock'", with cliffs high to the south and west. In the Middle Ages it was a major royal fortress and occasional royal residence...
Mansion. The Fifth Duke of Newcastle
Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Henry Pelham Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne KG, PC , styled Earl of Lincoln before 1851, was a British politician.-Background:...
retained architect Thomas Chambers (T.C.) Hine (1813–1899) to design and build the Park Tunnel (primarily as the main entrance to the Park) and to develop the Park as a residential area in central Nottingham for the wealthier members of society. T.C.Hine was also made responsible for the later repair of Nottingham Castle and its conversion into a museum.
The Duke of Newcastle's original requirement was for a tunnel with a maximum gradient of 1 in 14; the tunnel actually has a gradient of 1 in 12 which was considered too great for horsedrawn carriages thus defeating the object of its construction. The tunnel is still in use, providing pedestrian access from Derby Road, Upper College Street and The Ropewalk to the Park.
See also
- Caves of NottinghamCity of CavesCity of Caves was an award-winning visitor attraction in Nottingham which consists of a network of caves, carved out of sandstone that have been variously used over the years as a tannery, public house cellars, and as an air raid shelter....
- List of tunnels in the United Kingdom
- St Ann's Well railway stationSt Ann's Well railway stationSt Ann's Well railway station was a station on the former Great Northern Railway Nottingham Suburban railway in Nottingham, England.Former Services-See also:*Sherwood railway station*Thorney Wood railway station*Nottingham's Tunnels...
- Thorney Wood railway stationThorney Wood railway stationThorney Wood railway station was a station on the former Great Northern Railway Nottingham Suburban railway in Nottingham, England.Former Services-See also:*Sherwood railway station*St Ann's Well railway station*Nottingham's Tunnels...
- Sherwood railway stationSherwood railway stationSherwood railway station was a station on the former Great Northern Railway Nottingham Suburban railway in Nottingham. The station lies within Woodthorpe Grange Park in Woodthorpe....