Shrewley Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Shrewley Tunnel is a canal tunnel
near Shrewley, Warwickshire
, England
.
It lies on the Grand Union Canal
(originally the Warwick and Birmingham) about two miles north of Hatton Locks
. It is 433 yards/396 metres long, built of brick and although wide enough for two boats to pass has no towpath
inside. The tunnel was opened in 1799 when the Warwick and Birmingham Canal was completed and was necessary as the presence of the village of Shrewley prevented the construction of a cutting. A little further north, at Rowington, there was no such problem and a deep cutting was used.
There are actually two tunnel
s: at the northern portal, the towpath splits off and rises on a ramp and then enters a tunnel of its own, until it reaches the road which crosses the tunnel; having crossed this the path then descends on another ramp to reach the southern portal. The interior of the tunnel is unusually wet and this has led to the creation of flowstone
formations.
Canal tunnel
A canal tunnel is a tunnel for a canal. The biggest canal tunnel in the world is the Rove Tunnel in France. The oldest canal tunnel in the world is the Malpas Tunnel also in France, built in 1679. In the United States there is the Paw Paw Tunnel that opened in 1850.In some canal tunnels the towpath...
near Shrewley, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, 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...
.
It lies on the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
(originally the Warwick and Birmingham) about two miles north of Hatton Locks
Hatton Locks
The Hatton Locks are a flight of 21 locks on the Grand Union Canal in Hatton, Warwickshire, UK. The flight spans less than of canal, and has a total rise of .- History :The flight was opened in December 1799 on the Warwick and Birmingham Canal...
. It is 433 yards/396 metres long, built of brick and although wide enough for two boats to pass has no towpath
Towpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
inside. The tunnel was opened in 1799 when the Warwick and Birmingham Canal was completed and was necessary as the presence of the village of Shrewley prevented the construction of a cutting. A little further north, at Rowington, there was no such problem and a deep cutting was used.
There are actually two tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s: at the northern portal, the towpath splits off and rises on a ramp and then enters a tunnel of its own, until it reaches the road which crosses the tunnel; having crossed this the path then descends on another ramp to reach the southern portal. The interior of the tunnel is unusually wet and this has led to the creation of flowstone
Flowstone
Flowstones are composed of sheetlike deposits of calcite formed where water flows down the walls or along the floors of a cave. They are typically found in "solution", or limestone caves, where they are the most common speleothem. However, they may form in any type of cave where water enters that...
formations.