29:
473:. Furthermore, locomotive crews complained about the tunnel's inhospitable conditions; there were cases of individuals passing out on the footplate due to the fumes. Accordingly, management decided that the best solution would be to construct a new, wider tunnel directly adjacent to the existing bore. Construction work commenced in 1924, it was completed only two years later, significantly faster than work had proceeded on the first tunnel. The greater speed of work was credited to the advance in tunnelling techniques and the availability of new
329:. The first Colwall Tunnel was one of the railway's greatest engineering challenges, after several years of work, it was opened to traffic on 17 September 1861. Its limited cross-section and single track configuration were often felt to be inadequate, contributing to pressure for a second tunnel to be constructed. A partial collapse of the first tunnel during 1907, temporarily blocking the railway, was another contributing factor.
421:) was reached, the rate of progress slowed to as little as 15 cm (six inches) per day. Further complications came in the form of spring waters, multiple pumps had to be installed to remove the water from the construction site; this water source was subsequently helpful, being used to refill the line's
412:
The tunnel had to be bored through relatively hard rock only using the manual methods available at the time. Local engineer
Stephen Ballard was appointed to complete the work. Being bored by navvies from either end of the tunnel, work progressed at an average rate of ten feet per week. However, once
408:
was also constructed for the line. Both tunnels share considerable similarities, such as a relatively narrow cross section and only able to accommodate a single track; trains were particularly constrained by the tunnel's dimensions. The completed bore has a maximum depth below the surface of roughly
432:
On 17 September 1861, the first
Colwall Tunnel was opened to traffic. During 1907, the tunnel suffered a partial collapse around one of the ventilation shafts, resulting in the line being temporarily blocked until engineers could implement repairs to the tunnel. The problematic original bore was
480:
The second
Colwall Tunnel was opened to traffic on 2 August 1926, while the old bore was closed on that same day. Like the original Colwall Tunnel, the new bore carries a single track throughout. There have been petitions and studies conducted for the whole line, including the tunnel, to be
468:
By the 1920s, it was clear that the original
Colwall Tunnel possessed several negative attributes, including being very narrow, relatively low and steep (it had a gradient of 1 in 80), all of which made it increasingly difficult to accommodate the emerging specification of
453:, the facility was deemed to be surplus to requirements, thus the narrow-gauge railway was dismantled and it fell back into disuse once more. It was around this time that both of the tunnel mouths were sealed with steel sheeting to make them inaccessible.
448:
was laid along its length, enabling stores to be transported to either end of the bore. By July 1941, this new railway was operational; its locomotives were stored engine sheds built just outside either end of the tunnel. Shortly following the end of the
460:, but otherwise disused and inaccessible. The Ledbury Area Cycle Forum has promoted a project to reopen the disused tunnel as a recreational and utility facility for cyclists and walkers. It is periodically inspected by engineers for safety purposes.
332:
During the 1920s, work on the construction of a second tunnel commenced. Once this newer, wider bore was completed and brought into service on 2 August 1926, the original
Colwall Tunnel was permanently closed that same day. It was used during the
481:
double-tracked throughout; it has been observed that any reengineering or replacement programme would incur considerable expense. Irrespective, the newer tunnel remains active to the present day.
389:, who sought the new line to serve their locations as well, it was decided to change the railway's route to include them; this new route necessitated construction of two tunnels (along with two
456:
In the present day, the original bore forms a part of the
Malvern Hills Site of Special Scientific Interest, and has been reportedly inhabited by a colony of about 700 hibernating
658:
203:
361:, which was first mooted during the early 1850s. The original intended route for the railway was actually a much straighter route running directly between the
567:
28:
688:
548:
663:
678:
673:
668:
683:
321:
did not include the first tunnel, but its inclusion became necessary in response to pressure for the line to serve the towns of
397:
318:
178:
345:. Only the newer bore remains in use as of the present day. It has been proposed to reopen the older bore as a cycle route.
511:
426:
123:
70:
63:
571:
436:
During 1939, the disused tunnel was appropriated for military use as a munitions storage facility on behalf of the
433:
closed on 2 August 1926, having been replaced by a newer, wider bore that was opened to traffic that same day.
382:
322:
113:
615:
239:
183:
457:
445:
342:
207:
640:
353:
The origins of the
Colwall Tunnels are directly connected to the development of a railway between
354:
437:
187:
450:
422:
334:
404:
represented the endeavour's largest engineering challenge; in addition to
Colwall Tunnel,
405:
277:
56:
652:
470:
418:
401:
374:
307:
303:
299:
295:
52:
48:
192:
409:
600 ft; airflow in the tunnel is augmented by a pair of ventilation shafts.
644:
from Great
Western Railway Magazine 1926 via the Guarlford History Group website
366:
249:
474:
370:
85:
72:
362:
440:. It was refurbished with repairs made to the lining of the tunnel. Both a
593:
441:
358:
338:
414:
390:
386:
381:. As a result of considerable lobbying by the citizens in the towns of
326:
311:
291:
44:
616:"Herefordshire campaigners vow to stop twin track bid being derailed"
378:
477:-powered tools. The new tunnel had a contract price of £196,080.
393:
and a bridge), one of the former being the first
Colwall Tunnel.
515:
568:"Old Colwall Tunnel and Second World War Armaments Store"
549:"Worcester to Hereford Railway: Great engineering feats"
417:
Malvern rock (some of the hardest rock to be found in
248:
234:
226:
221:
213:
199:
174:
166:
158:
150:
142:
134:
129:
119:
109:
101:
62:
40:
35:
562:
560:
558:
337:for storing munitions, being furnished with a
8:
21:
543:
541:
539:
537:
535:
533:
531:
529:
527:
525:
506:
504:
502:
500:
498:
496:
494:
290:are a pair of railway tunnels that connect
659:Buildings and structures in Worcestershire
27:
20:
490:
570:. herefordshire.gov.uk. Archived from
396:During 1856, work on constructing the
377:, roughly parallel to the present day
7:
400:commenced. The need to traverse the
317:The original route planned for the
642:New Single-line Tunnel for Colwall
16:Pair of railway tunnels in England
14:
369:and the industries surrounding
689:1861 establishments in England
398:Worcester and Hereford Railway
319:Worcester and Hereford Railway
235:
179:Worcester and Hereford Railway
1:
427:Great Malvern railway station
230:1,567 yd (0.890 mi)
124:Malvern Wells railway station
594:"The Colwall Tunnel Project"
425:, as well as being piped to
105:One disused; one operational
705:
664:Railway tunnels in England
596:. Ledbury Area Cycle Forum
679:Tunnels in Worcestershire
674:Tunnels completed in 1926
669:Tunnels completed in 1861
26:
684:Tunnels in Herefordshire
618:. firstgreatwestern.info
551:. BBC News. 17 May 2010.
512:"Going under the hills"
114:Colwall railway station
458:lesser horseshoe bats
204:Great Western Railway
86:52.08391°N 2.350527°W
518:. 24 September 2014.
446:narrow-gauge railway
343:narrow-gauge railway
302:, passing under the
208:West Midlands Trains
574:on 23 December 2012
91:52.08391; -2.350527
82: /
23:
464:Colwall New Tunnel
349:Colwall Old Tunnel
423:steam locomotives
284:
283:
146:17 September 1861
696:
628:
627:
625:
623:
612:
606:
605:
603:
601:
590:
584:
583:
581:
579:
564:
553:
552:
545:
520:
519:
508:
451:Second World War
335:Second World War
280:
274:
272:
271:
267:
264:
256:
237:
97:
96:
94:
93:
92:
87:
83:
80:
79:
78:
75:
31:
24:
704:
703:
699:
698:
697:
695:
694:
693:
649:
648:
637:
632:
631:
621:
619:
614:
613:
609:
599:
597:
592:
591:
587:
577:
575:
566:
565:
556:
547:
546:
523:
510:
509:
492:
487:
466:
351:
288:Colwall Tunnels
276:
269:
265:
262:
260:
259:4 ft
258:
254:
206:
191:
182:
90:
88:
84:
81:
76:
73:
71:
69:
68:
22:Colwall Tunnels
17:
12:
11:
5:
702:
700:
692:
691:
686:
681:
676:
671:
666:
661:
651:
650:
647:
646:
636:
635:External links
633:
630:
629:
607:
585:
554:
521:
489:
488:
486:
483:
465:
462:
406:Ledbury Tunnel
350:
347:
282:
281:
278:standard gauge
252:
246:
245:
242:
232:
231:
228:
224:
223:
219:
218:
215:
211:
210:
201:
197:
196:
176:
172:
171:
168:
164:
163:
160:
156:
155:
152:
148:
147:
144:
140:
139:
136:
132:
131:
127:
126:
121:
117:
116:
111:
107:
106:
103:
99:
98:
66:
60:
59:
57:Worcestershire
42:
38:
37:
33:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
701:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
662:
660:
657:
656:
654:
645:
643:
639:
638:
634:
617:
611:
608:
595:
589:
586:
573:
569:
563:
561:
559:
555:
550:
544:
542:
540:
538:
536:
534:
532:
530:
528:
526:
522:
517:
513:
507:
505:
503:
501:
499:
497:
495:
491:
484:
482:
478:
476:
475:pneumatically
472:
471:rolling stock
463:
461:
459:
454:
452:
447:
443:
439:
434:
430:
428:
424:
420:
419:Great Britain
416:
410:
407:
403:
402:Malvern Hills
399:
394:
392:
388:
384:
380:
376:
375:Black Country
372:
368:
364:
360:
356:
348:
346:
344:
340:
336:
330:
328:
324:
320:
315:
313:
309:
308:Welsh Marches
305:
304:Malvern Hills
301:
300:Cotswold Line
297:
296:Malvern Wells
293:
289:
279:
255:1,435 mm
253:
251:
247:
243:
241:
233:
229:
225:
220:
216:
212:
209:
205:
202:
198:
194:
189:
188:Post Grouping
185:
180:
177:
173:
170:2 August 1926
169:
165:
161:
157:
154:2 August 1926
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
128:
125:
122:
118:
115:
112:
108:
104:
100:
95:
67:
65:
61:
58:
54:
53:Malvern Wells
50:
49:Herefordshire
46:
43:
39:
34:
30:
25:
19:
641:
620:. Retrieved
610:
598:. Retrieved
588:
576:. Retrieved
572:the original
479:
467:
455:
444:floor and a
435:
431:
411:
395:
352:
341:floor and a
331:
316:
287:
285:
193:Network Rail
18:
367:South Wales
250:Track gauge
162:1924 - 1926
89: /
64:Coordinates
653:Categories
485:References
371:Birmingham
363:coalfields
310:region of
181:(original)
135:Work begun
74:52°05′02″N
438:Admiralty
355:Worcester
222:Technical
217:Passenger
214:Character
195:(current)
130:Operation
77:2°21′02″W
442:concrete
391:viaducts
373:and the
359:Hereford
339:concrete
273: in
200:Operator
167:Reopened
41:Location
36:Overview
622:28 July
600:28 July
578:28 July
415:igneous
387:Ledbury
383:Malvern
327:Ledbury
323:Malvern
312:England
306:in the
298:on the
292:Colwall
268:⁄
159:Rebuilt
45:Colwall
240:tracks
227:Length
151:Closed
143:Opened
102:Status
379:A4103
175:Owner
110:Start
624:2020
602:2020
580:2020
413:the
385:and
357:and
325:and
294:and
286:The
138:1853
516:BBC
365:of
238:of
236:No.
184:GWR
120:End
51:to
655::
557:^
524:^
514:.
493:^
429:.
314:.
275:)
55:,
47:,
626:.
604:.
582:.
270:2
266:1
263:+
261:8
257:(
244:1
190:)
186:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
