Wast Hill Tunnel

Wast Hill Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. Its northern portal is in Hawkesley, Birmingham. Its southern portal is in fields just outside the city's boundaries, in Worcestershire.^[1]

Wast Hill Tunnel

Southern portal
Overview
Location	Hawkesley, Birmingham, West Midlands, and Worcestershire, England
Coordinates	52.3902°N 1.9400°W / 52.3902; -1.9400
OS grid reference	SP041769
Status	Open
Waterway	Worcester and Birmingham Canal
Start	52.39991°N 1.93096°W / 52.39991; -1.93096 (Northern portal)
End	52.38066°N 1.94890°W / 52.38066; -1.94890 (Southern portal)
Operation
Constructed	1794-97
Owner	Canal & River Trust
Technical
Design engineer	Thomas Cartwright
Length	2,726 yards (2,492.7 m)
Width	Double
Towpath	No
Boat-passable	Yes

Construction and measurements

The Wast Hill Tunnel was built in 1796 and is 2,726 yards (1.549 mi; 2,493 m) long, making it one of the longest in the country.^[1] There are several ventilation shafts along its length which were initially used for the tunnel's construction.^[2] It is wide enough to accommodate two narrow boats but there is no towpath.^[3]

History

Work started on the tunnel in 1794 and was completed in 1797.^[4] Until 1904, canal boats were legged through the tunnel; it took three hours to navigate. Leggers were replaced by a steam tug to pull a chain of barges through.^[5] The tunnel used to carry telegraph lines placed through iron brackets attached to the roof.^[6] On 23 November 1979, two workmen were killed when part of the tunnel roof collapsed while undergoing repair.^[7] The tunnel remained closed until 30 May 1981.^[8]