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Favourite 3 tunnels


Philip

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Interested to know what people's favourite tunnels on the system are? I've made it a top 3 because I can imaging people who have travelled through Standedge tunnel may choose that one, and Harecastle tends to get a good press as well.

 

Also are there any tunnels people particularly don't like going through?

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1 minute ago, Philip said:

Interested to know what people's favourite tunnels on the system are? I've made it a top 3 because I can imaging people who have travelled through Standedge tunnel may choose that one, and Harecastle tends to get a good press as well.

 

Also are there any tunnels people particularly don't like going through?

1. Standedge

2. Standedge

3. Standedge

-- been through three times... 🙂

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6 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

I have been through Standedge, Harecastle, but the tunnels I like are the smaller ones, that only take a single narrow boat each way.

In no particular order,

  • Wast Hill Tunnel.
  • Leek Tunnel, nice red blocks in the lining.
  • Armitage Tunnel, who stole the roof!

 

 

 

I like Wast Hill tunnel, it's one of the ones I genuinely feel a bit spooked going into and sometimes the other end hasn't been visible until about 3/4 of the way through when it gradually appears out of the mist. I've done it going in the Worcester direction and always feels lovely to emerge into the rural southern cutting with the sound of birds tweeting.

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My first choice has got to be the Falkirk tunnel on the Union canal as it  has an atmosphere all of it's own and shows how it was cut from rocks. My second favourite is Standedge, again a tunnel full of interest, and my third choice is probably Preston Brook .

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21 minutes ago, Philip said:

 

I like Wast Hill tunnel, it's one of the ones I genuinely feel a bit spooked going into and sometimes the other end hasn't been visible until about 3/4 of the way through when it gradually appears out of the mist. I've done it going in the Worcester direction and always feels lovely to emerge into the rural southern cutting with the sound of birds tweeting.

Spooky. That was the word I was looking for!

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Blisworth, cos it is wide and deep and you can get the boat settled nicely on it's own wave system so it becomes incredibly easy to steer.  You also get a free roof rinse part way through.

 

Gosty Hill cos it means you are nearly at Hawne Basin, and  a very friendly group of boaters.

 

Newbold. The lights are an amazing tribute to the stunning incompetence of BW and local officialdom. Are any still working?

 

N

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5 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Blisworth, cos it is wide and deep and you can get the boat settled nicely on it's own wave system so it becomes incredibly easy to steer.  You also get a free roof rinse part way through.

 

Gosty Hill cos it means you are nearly at Hawne Basin, and  a very friendly group of boaters.

 

Newbold. The lights are an amazing tribute to the stunning incompetence of BW and local officialdom. Are any still working?

 

N

Not a one unfortunately.

 

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Standedge.

Netherton, nice and wide

Harecastle

 

I walked over Standedge today, interesting to see how its intertwined with the railway tunnels and the River Colne.

 

Keir are doing work on the Brun clough resevoir above the summit. Hopefully there will be more water available soon. 

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1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

I have been through Standedge, Harecastle, but the tunnels I like are the smaller ones, that only take a single narrow boat each way.

In no particular order,

  • Wast Hill Tunnel.
  • Leek Tunnel, nice red blocks in the lining.
  • Armitage Tunnel, who stole the roof!

 

 

Wast Hill is neither small or narrow.

 

Having been through the Worcester Birmingham tunnels loads of times I quite like them, Tardebigge and Shortwood used to have lots of bats as well.  Number 1 on my list will have to be legging through the full length of Dudley Tunnel as not many people do it.

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37 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Wast Hill is neither small or narrow.

 

Having been through the Worcester Birmingham tunnels loads of times I quite like them, Tardebigge and Shortwood used to have lots of bats as well.  Number 1 on my list will have to be legging through the full length of Dudley Tunnel as not many people do it.

Yeah, I meant Gorsty Hill

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1 minute ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Yeah, I meant Gorsty Hill

Yes, I have to go through Gosty/Gorsty every time I go back to the basin, I regard it as my public service to get all of the crap around my prop so that others don't have to:unsure:.

 

I'd give my favourites as 1) Standedge, 2) Harecastle and 3)Dudley (although we had to go on the trip boat 'cos our tumblehome doesn't allow our own boat through).

 

Does anyone know who sets the timings for the tunnels on the advice board as you approach them? Today we went through Brandwood Tunnel which is supposedly 352 yards long. The advice board states it will take you 16 minutes at 2mph, WHAT!!!! By my maths 350 yards at 2mph should take something in the region of 6 minutes (we passed through in 4, but we were 'racing' at 3mph ). By comparison we recently passed through Husbands Bosworth (1166 yards) and Crick (1528 yards) and I cannot remember which one (perhaps someone coming that way could refresh my memory) but one of them said it should take 12 minutes,unless I can manage to get the boat up onto the plane there is no way I'd get through either of them in 12 minutes:huh:

 

 

12 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Can't say I have a favourite, always relived to get out of Gosty Hill without getting stuck, we rescued this halfway through last time.

image.png.65627cda7735163086b9ed3623b73bfd.png

At least you didn't spend 24 hours in there, did you?:huh:

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I liked Wast Hill because when I went through the other end was very clearly visible (and because it's wide, straight and empty you can motor to the other end at a relatively high speed)

 

At the other end of the scale, Saltersford is insanely cramped and crooked but enjoyable because it's short and the spots each end are nice.

 

Chirk Tunnel was nice going downstream (you know you're coming out onto the aqueduct and you have pedestrians for company) but a right pain going upstream as the current was determined to push my stern against the wall no matter how much I tried to alter my speed or position

 

 

1 hour ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Today we went through Brandwood Tunnel which is supposedly 352 yards long. The advice board states it will take you 16 minutes at 2mph, WHAT!!!!

I'm glad it's not just me that saw that and thought "huh... 16 minutes for a short tunnel"

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1 minute ago, enigmatic said:

I liked Wast Hill because when I went through the other end was very clearly visible (and because it's wide, straight and empty you can motor to the other end at a relatively high speed)

 

At the other end of the scale, Saltersford is insanely cramped and crooked but enjoyable because it's short and the spots each end are nice.

 

Chirk Tunnel was nice going downstream (you know you're coming out onto the aqueduct and you have pedestrians for company) but a right pain going upstream as the current was determined to push my stern against the wall no matter how much I tried to alter my speed or position

 

 

I'm glad it's not just me that saw that and thought "huh... 16 minutes for a short tunnel"

Salterford, insanely cramped?? Your haven't enjoyed the benefits of Gorsty/Gosty yet then have you?:) Saltersford is a positive arena by comparison (although I do like the kinky bits). As far as Brandwood goes, I think I could probably swim it in 16 minutes (if I wasn't so averse to contracting Leptospirosis:unsure:).

 

As far as Chirk goes, it wasn't the current that bothered me, more the fact that when going upstream you can't see bog all until you are almost into the tunnel ( a feature on several including Gorsty/Gosty). I'm also fascinated in Harecastle where you enter the tunnel looking towards the other end and then they switch the fans on and it all disappears in the 'fog'.

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6 hours ago, Midnight said:

Been through six times and left a bit of boat in there each time. Having repainted Midnight this year I'll carry it over the top next time.

Think of it as the tunnel helping to reshape your boat so it will fit. Enough trips and there will be so little of the boat left it will glide through without touching the sides.

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11 hours ago, robtheplod said:

I like Husbands Bosworth due to the Bats!

Isn't that Saddington tunnel?

 

Anyway my three:

1a Braunston tunnel

1b Wast Hills tunnel

2 Crick tunnel

(Two tunnels tied for first place. I admire the brickwork in each, and I love a tunnel with a ventilation shaft you can gaze up to. If having two in joint first place means I can choose another for third place, then it would be Saddington tunnel. For the bat boxes!)

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Just now, Puffling said:

Isn't that Saddington tunnel?

 

Anyway my three:

1a Braunston tunnel

1b Wast Hills tunnel

2 Crick tunnel

(Two tunnels tied for first place. I admire the brickwork in each, and I love a tunnel with a ventilation shaft you can gaze up to. If having two in joint first place means I can choose another for third place, then it would be Saddington tunnel. For the bat boxes!)

excellent, another one with Bats!  :)

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How do you limit it to three?

 

Each have their own quirks and charms. Not been through any that i haven’t enjoyed, although i may change my mind once we tackle Braunston as we’ve not done one with two-way working. Even the ones that pee down the back of your neck are fun in their own way.

 

I suppose if i’m forced to choose…

1. Standedge (just because)

2. Foulridge (first i ever did on the tiller)

3. Chirk (only one we’ve had to pull a boat out of (not enough revs and a feed sack on the prop))

 

@robtheplod you can add Barnton & Saltersford to your list of tunnels with bats ;) 

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9 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Salterford, insanely cramped?? Your haven't enjoyed the benefits of Gorsty/Gosty yet then have you?:) Saltersford is a positive arena by comparison (although I do like the kinky bits).

Haven't done Gorsty Hill or Dudley. Need to build up my legs first :D 

 

9 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

As far as Chirk goes, it wasn't the current that bothered me, more the fact that when going upstream you can't see bog all until you are almost into the tunnel ( a feature on several including Gorsty/Gosty).

There's more visibility than usual from the handy spot to pull over by the entrance though. Though last time I did that (and the tunnel was clear) I got talking to a gongoozler until it wasn't...

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Mine;

 

Standedge - for the sheer scale of the canal's ambition, plus (the first time I transitted) the fog caused by the railway, and (another time) the fright on the CRT guys' faces when FSR refused to restart after stopping in the tunnel for the trip boat to come in and out.

 

Froghall - because I've cadged a lift through it, and I'm never going to get FSR through it.

 

Islington - when mooring either side, because of the steady traffic, all the different and lovely engine sounds echoing for many minutes before the boats emerge (the most fabulous being Indus & Pictor bearing coal in the winter)...

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