Blisworth tunnel

[Boat&Bikes]

Can anyone here tell me if its much of a walk from one end of the tunnel to the other? Around/over it i mean!

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

[Mike Tee]

Its a not very pleasant walk along a sometimes busy country lane with no footpath. Better by boat if you have a choice.

[alan_fincher]

But it is fairly direct, so (other than the up and over element), you don't walk a lot further than the tunnel is long.

Braunston is better - you cross a road, but otherwise it is footpath.

[Ray T]

According to Google earth 1.8 miles. Doesn't account for ups and downs though.

 

Tunnel length 3056 yards.

Completed by William Jessop in 1805.

[adam1uk]

You do get to see the rather impressive chimneys over the ventilation shafts, though.

[Ca Jon]

we came through last week, wasnt too wet, though the middle vent shaft was pouring!!

[Leo No2]

If you go up the horse road (aka woodland walk) at the Stoke Bruerne end it shortly brings you out onto the Blisworth Road. There's about a mile and a bit of straight road (no footpaths) and then some twisty bits as you approach Blisworth. Probably about a mile and a half as some of the tunnel length is covered in the walk up the horse road. There's a car park on the outskirts of Blisworth which gives access to the northern end of the tunnel.

 

As has been said there's no footpath on the road and some vehicles do travel a bit too fast but as Adam points out the ventilation shaft chimneys are really interesting. There's always tractors and horses on the road as well.

 

All-in-all an interesting, and I would think, a worthwhile walk.

[alan_fincher]

According to Google earth 1.8 miles. Doesn't account for ups and downs though.

 

Tunnel length 3056 yards.

Completed by William Jessop in 1805.

 

You need to tell CRT, who think it is 20 yards longer!

 

Linky

 

I'm trying to remember what the explanation is that lots of sources say 3,076 yards, rather than 3.056, but I'm damned if I can remember.

 

Tape measure expands at different rate to tunnel brickwork, as the temperature changes, possibly?

 

[Ray T]

 

You need to tell CRT, who think it is 20 yards longer!

 

Linky

 

I'm trying to remember what the explanation is that lots of sources say 3,076 yards, rather than 3.056, but I'm damned if I can remember.

 

Tape measure expands at different rate to tunnel brickwork, as the temperature changes, possibly?

 

 

I'm planning to go to the meeting at Hatton next week and as Mr Parry is chairing that meeting I will tell him.

Could the difference be that when built the measuring methods were not as sophisticated as today and when it was repaired in 1983-84 it was remeasured more accurately?

 

 

Edited April 7, 2014 by Ray T

[Leo No2]

The measurements inside the tunnel show 1,400m and 1,400 in the middle with a little bit (10m to 12m) between them. 2.8k is 3,062 yards so with the extra added for the little bit between the 1,400m markers I would state my mortgage (£0!) on it being 3,076 yards.

[matty40s]

Lost my dad going over Crick tunnel.....whenever he is on board, likes to take a walk at some point, and decided to walk over as we went under. He had his OS map and has done all the Munroes in Scotland and is working on the next ones down now, ....but got lost.

We waited at the tunnel end, for 20 minutes, went up top to see if he was near, no sign, waited another 20 minutes, then carried on to Watford Flight as time was pressing to get down before shut. We moored up as we missed the last locking through, and 20 minutes later he turned up. Somehow, he had managed to walk almost all the way to West Haddon before realisisng that the sun was in the wrong place !!!

 

Over the top at Braunston is a great view from the top, but the east side not recommended in shorts later in the year due to the nettlebeds.

[Peter X]

Why I wonder? Is the OP walking his horse over while the rest of the crew leg the boat through the tunnel?

[Orca]

...and whilst your walking over the top of the tunnel on the footpath (which there is that starts at around 'Stoke Plain Lodge' if your an OS map type) - then have a look for the old embankment and trackbed which is the old Woodford Halse - Bedford (off the top of my head) branch line. Closed 1965(ish).

Edited April 8, 2014 by Orca

[Ssscrudddy]

I did most of it once on a push bike, but at some point I went wrong, & I ended up getting chased off by a very stroppy horse that didnt like me being in his field.

[alan_fincher]

...the old embankment and trackbed which is the old Woodford Halse - Bedford (off the top of my head) branch line. Closed 1965(ish).

i think at that point you would be very severely lost, ( and have walked a very long way!)

[Ray T]

Why I wonder? Is the OP walking his horse over while the rest of the crew leg the boat through the tunnel?

 

Perhaps because Blisworth tunnel doesn't have a towpath.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Ray T

[bigcol]

Reading the post, really funny, as 2009 took my boat though, wife and dogs went up and over.

 

The mount of jobs I done on the boat at the other end waiting

 

She got so so lost, dogs and the missis was so so knackered, all puffed out

 

Best to go through, unless you planed and like a long walk

 

Col

Edited April 8, 2014 by bigcol

[IanM]

Why I wonder? Is the OP walking his horse over while the rest of the crew leg the boat through the tunnel?

 

Some people just don't like being in tunnels and would rather walk over the top I imagine.

[Boat&Bikes]

 

Some people just don't like being in tunnels and would rather walk over the top I imagine.

I enjoy tunnels. I asked because my daughter and boyfriend are spending a couple of days in Stoke B. and they wanted to boat through the tunnel and then walk back over to there car. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

Ian.

[Orca]

i think at that point you would be very severely lost, ( and have walked a very long way!)

The old branchline does go directly over the top of the tunnel and can be clearly seen from the official footpath.

[Philip]

Slightly off topic but having done Netherton but not Blisworth, which is the more fun and eerie to boat through?

 

Netherton was quite scary going in but once in was a bit of a doddle, albeit very impressive. I didn't have to stop midway through to clear the prop either which made it easier..

[Scholar Gypsy]

Slightly off topic but having done Netherton but not Blisworth, which is the more fun and eerie to boat through? Netherton was quite scary going in but once in was a bit of a doddle, albeit very impressive. I didn't have to stop midway through to clear the prop either which made it easier..

 

My last trip through Netherton was enlivened by a workboat moored up (and I think/hope with nobody on board) in the middle, with a rather feeble flashing orange light. That was quite disconcerting.

 

In general I would say Blisworth is more interesting/fun/eerie, especially if you stop and have a look into the side adit - for some reason one of the ventilation shafts was sunk about 15 feet off to the side.