The southern entrances to Harecastle Canal Tunnels, Tunstall

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Date:April 1964

Description:The Trent & Mersey Canal passes through the higher ground between Tunstall and Kidsgrove using the Harecastle Tunnel. The photograph shows the two tunnels bored to take the canal. On then left is the original tunnel engineered by James Brindley, which opened in 1777. Nearly 3000 yards long it had no towpath and so the boats were "legged" through the tunnel by men lying on their back on top of the boat and walking it through the tunnel. The horses went round using Boathorse Road. Legging was a slow process and hindered traffic, so a second tunnel was commissioned
This was designed by Thomas Telford, with a towpath, and opened in 1825. Initially the two tunnels worked together, each taking traffic in one direction. The Brindley tunnel is now closed, the Telford tunnel is still in use for canal traffic.
Just behind is a bridge over the old North Staffordshire Railway line route that had it own tunnel through the ridge. This was closed and the railway diverted round the ridge at electrification. Chatterley Station was just to the right.

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Creators: Mr Bert Bentley - Creator

Image courtesy of: Stoke on Trent City Archives.

Donor ref:SD1480/091-13 (204/35285)

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