Cowley Tunnel

[davidb]

We left Gnosall on Friday and were amazed at the dimesions of this tunnel, not only could two boats pass in there, but I bet horses used to be able to pass on the towpath. The whole scale of the project is amazing to say it is just a narrow canal.  I suppose there was plenty of demand for the stone they cut out further down the line, and a road nearby is called Quarry Lane.

[MtB]

"Bridge 33", lol!

[BEngo]

Cowley tunnel was meant to be a lot longer, but the rock was not stable enough to stay up, so it was built with a longish rock cutting at the Autherly end.  I therefore suspect that the not-at-all-normal-for-a-tunnel shape and the à dimensions of the tunnel and towpath owe a lot to the tunnelers just enlarging the bore until stable rock formation was reached rather than any planned size.

 

As a whole, the south end of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction  Canal, does show much sign of stone in its construction, unlike the Chester Canal.  The bridges are largely brick, the locks are largely brick (not Tyrley bottom) and I dont think the great banks rely much on local masonry stone,  just the stuff as it came out of Telford's great cuttings.

 

N