Sapperton Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Sapperton Tunnels are located about seven miles East South East of Stroud
in Gloucestershire
, England
.
There are three in total: the Sapperton Canal Tunnel
at 2 miles 288 yards (3482m), and the two Sapperton railway tunnels, the longest being 1 mile 104 yards (1704m) in length, and the shorter one at just 353 yards (323m).
The canal tunnel was formerly the fourth longest canal tunnel in the country (after Standedge, Yorkshire, 3 miles 418 yards (5210m); Strood, Kent, 2 miles 492 yards (3669m); and Lapal, on the edge of the Black Country near Halesowen, 2 miles 297 yards (3490m)). It was the biggest engineering feature of the Thames & Severn Canal, and the longest tunnel of any kind in England between 1789 and 1811, but has but now fallen into disrepair.
The Sapperton railway tunnels, which follow a similar route, are on the Golden Valley Line
from Stroud
to Swindon
.
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The railway tunnel was begun by the Cheltenham and Great Western Union railway in 1839 and taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1843, being completed in 1845.There are three in total: the Sapperton Canal Tunnel
Sapperton Canal Tunnel
The Sapperton Canal Tunnel is a tunnel on the Thames and Severn Canal near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England. It was the longest canal tunnel, and the longest tunnel of any kind, in England from 1789 to 1811....
at 2 miles 288 yards (3482m), and the two Sapperton railway tunnels, the longest being 1 mile 104 yards (1704m) in length, and the shorter one at just 353 yards (323m).
The canal tunnel was formerly the fourth longest canal tunnel in the country (after Standedge, Yorkshire, 3 miles 418 yards (5210m); Strood, Kent, 2 miles 492 yards (3669m); and Lapal, on the edge of the Black Country near Halesowen, 2 miles 297 yards (3490m)). It was the biggest engineering feature of the Thames & Severn Canal, and the longest tunnel of any kind in England between 1789 and 1811, but has but now fallen into disrepair.
The Sapperton railway tunnels, which follow a similar route, are on the Golden Valley Line
Golden Valley Line
The Golden Valley Line is a railway line from Swindon to Cheltenham in the UK.The line was originally built as the Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway in the 1840s...
from Stroud
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
to Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
.