Barnton Tunnel Portal

[Heartland]

I noted some time ago that there was a plaque stone above the south portal, which had the name BARNTON TUNNEL inscribed upon it. It had been painted over but the words were readable. There appears to be a date, which was not readable but might read 1776. Alternately the number could be one in the bridge number series. Today the tunnel is number 202. But this was not always the case. The Trent & Mersey Canal did put stone numbers onto one side of the bridge parapet, and a few remain. These numbers are in a sequence that included what seems to be those of the 1830's as one bridge at Meaford has a stone number and this was on the new line of the 1830's made to replace the staircase pair there.

 

With Barnton Tunnel if the tunnel was numbered then the number would have been perhaps 204 or higher, but from what is readable on the stone, the number what can be read does not fit, so it probably was a date of build, which could be 1776 or even 1777. Has anybody noted the date on this plaque?

 

[David Mack]

Came through last weekend. If I'd seen your post first I would have looked!