Wast Hills Tunnel facts for kids
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| Southern portal | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Hawkesley, Birmingham, West Midlands, and Worcestershire, England |
| Coordinates | 52°23′25″N 1°56′24″W / 52.3902°N 1.9400°W |
| OS grid reference | SP041769 |
| Status | Open |
| Waterway | Worcester and Birmingham Canal |
| Start | 52°24′00″N 1°55′51″W / 52.39991°N 1.93096°W |
| End | 52°22′50″N 1°56′56″W / 52.38066°N 1.94890°W |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Canal & River Trust |
| Technical | |
| Design engineer | Thomas Cartwright |
| Construction | 1796-97 |
| Length | 2,726 yards (2,492.7 m) |
| Width | Double |
| Towpath | No |
| Boat-passable | Yes |
The Wast Hills Tunnel is a long tunnel for boats on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. It helps boats travel through a big hill. One end of the tunnel is in Hawkesley, which is part of Birmingham. The other end is in the countryside of Worcestershire, just outside the city.
Contents
What is the Wast Hills Tunnel?
The Wast Hills Tunnel is a special pathway for boats. It lets them pass through a large hill without having to go over it. This tunnel is part of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. This canal connects the city of Worcester with Birmingham.
- It's like a secret underground shortcut for boats.
- The tunnel is owned by the Canal & River Trust.
- They look after many canals and rivers in England.
Building This Big Tunnel
The Wast Hills Tunnel was built a very long time ago, starting in 1796. It took about a year to finish. The engineer who designed it was Thomas Cartwright.
- Building tunnels back then was very hard work.
- Workers had to dig through the ground by hand.
- They used simple tools and a lot of effort.
How Long is the Tunnel?
This tunnel is super long! It measures 2,726 yards. That's about 2.5 kilometers or 1.5 miles. This makes it one of the longest canal tunnels in the whole country.
- Imagine walking that far underground!
- It takes a while for boats to travel through it.
Air for the Workers
While building the tunnel, workers needed fresh air. So, they dug several ventilation shafts. These are like big chimneys that go from the ground surface down to the tunnel.
- These shafts helped bring air in for the builders.
- They also helped remove smoke from lamps.
- Today, they still help keep the air fresh inside the tunnel.
No Walking Path Inside
The Wast Hills Tunnel is wide enough for two narrow boats to pass each other. But there is no towpath inside. A towpath is a path next to a canal where horses used to pull boats.
- Because there's no towpath, people can't walk through the tunnel.
- Boats have to use their engines to get through.
- In the old days, people would "leg" the boats through. This meant lying on their backs and pushing against the tunnel walls with their feet!
