Building record 442/1/2 - Blisworth Tunnel

{1} Blisworth Tunnel carries canal from Stoke Bruerne to Blisworth over a distance of one and three quarter miles.

{2} One and three-quarter mile long canal tunnel, opened in March 1805. Brick lined tunnel, wide enough for two 7ft wide boats to pass, but with no towpath, so canal horses had to walk over the hill. In 1903 the canal had to be drained to allow the north portal to be completely rebuilt and repairs made to the brickwork inside, which was regularly collapsing in places. Along the line of the tunnel large mounds of earth which had been winched up during construction can still be seen in places. Several of the shafts were re-opened in the 1860s following the introduction of steam powered boats to aid ventiliation. Small round brick towers mark some of the shafts in use today. The deepest is over 42m from ground level to the canal bed.

{3} Blisworth Tunnel is between the villages of Stoke Bruerne (southern end) and Blisworth (northern end).
It is 2,813 m.(3,076 yds.)long and is the third-longest navigable canal tunnel on the UK canal network, after Standedge Tunnel and Dudley Tunnel. Construction started in 1793, but errors by the contractor left a wiggle in the tunnel, and after three years work it collapsed due to quicksand, claiming the lives of fourteen men. It was then decided to begin again with a new tunnel. In March 1805, the tunnel was finally opened. There was some major rebuilding in the 1980s, with sections lined with pre-cast concrete rings. It was also used to test out the materials that were later used on the Channel Tunnel. List of additional sources.

{4} New survey work has been done which show that there were three attempts to build the tunnel, not two as originally thought. The first two attempts have left features still visible today. Description and maps of the three attempts.

<1> Starmer G.H., 1982, National Register of Industrial Monuments, (part checked) (Catalogue). SNN563.

<2> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2001, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage Of Northamptonshire, p.12 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN104759.

<3> 2011, Our Transport Heritage - Heritage Locations - Blisworth Tunnel, (checked) (Website). SNN107381.

<4> Blisworth Heritage Society, 2005, A Grand Exhibition of Blisworth Images, (checked) (Website). SNN107535.

<5> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2011, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage of Northamptonshire (2nd Edition), p.14 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN107622.

Record last edited

Apr 14 2015 1:39PM