Chedworth Tunnel, Cheltenham - 494yds.
December 2021.
Built for The Midland and South Western Junction Railway (M&SWJR) the 494 yard Chedworth Tunnel was opened to traffic in 1891 and is one of only two railway tunnels to be found in the Cotswolds. The line once completed ran from Cheltenham in the north to Southampton in the south, There’s reports that in 1890 during construction a 12yd section of tunnel collapsed at the northern end due to a build up of water behind the lining. The tunnel is situated just north of Chedworth village bored through the hillside emerging in woodlands a mile or so south of Withington. Not a great deal of history regarding Chedworth Tunnel there once stood a bridge / viaduct over Chedworth village now long gone and fair length of trackbed infilled / returned to farmland with a short section before the south portal still remaining dense woodlands littered with fallen trees and several Muntjac’s grazing in the undergrowth certainly a site to see especially when jumping so majestically through the air, the south portal of Chedworth is mostly stone masonry with some repairs made using blue bricks, I suspect the the coping stone were once stone but have since been replace with the blue brick seen in the image, the portal has been bricked up part way with a later addition of breeze blocks and scaffolding tubes used to totally encase the portal opening, In contrast the northern portal in brick construction throughout with the same brick / block / scaffold portal encasement. Evidently used as a single line due to the ballast alignment inside although constructed as double track inside the tunnel there’s plenty of refuges either side with cable hangers running the full length of the tunnel, some interesting mineral deposits and a few short sections of natural stone rock in the wall lining albeit suffering from spalling notably there’s sections of tunnel crown at different heights. Mostly straight the tunnels displays a slight curve to the Chedworth end and thankfully is free of any nasty graffiti. Chedworth Tunnel closed in 1970 along with the nearby Chedworth Halt and most if not all of the branch line. The land to the north now resides with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust as is part of the Chedworth Nature Reserve, the land to the south appears to be left to nature and its adjacent to farmland separated by the still standing railway boundary fence one of few trackside features still standing. I was befriended by a juvenile pheasant which looked to be molting into adult plumage, seemed to be staggering about unsure if it was injured or not and I was hesitant to get too close as not to stress if out further I like to think the bird was just resting, certainly enjoyed having it’s picture taken..
Thanks for looking, Another one off the list...
December 2021.
Built for The Midland and South Western Junction Railway (M&SWJR) the 494 yard Chedworth Tunnel was opened to traffic in 1891 and is one of only two railway tunnels to be found in the Cotswolds. The line once completed ran from Cheltenham in the north to Southampton in the south, There’s reports that in 1890 during construction a 12yd section of tunnel collapsed at the northern end due to a build up of water behind the lining. The tunnel is situated just north of Chedworth village bored through the hillside emerging in woodlands a mile or so south of Withington. Not a great deal of history regarding Chedworth Tunnel there once stood a bridge / viaduct over Chedworth village now long gone and fair length of trackbed infilled / returned to farmland with a short section before the south portal still remaining dense woodlands littered with fallen trees and several Muntjac’s grazing in the undergrowth certainly a site to see especially when jumping so majestically through the air, the south portal of Chedworth is mostly stone masonry with some repairs made using blue bricks, I suspect the the coping stone were once stone but have since been replace with the blue brick seen in the image, the portal has been bricked up part way with a later addition of breeze blocks and scaffolding tubes used to totally encase the portal opening, In contrast the northern portal in brick construction throughout with the same brick / block / scaffold portal encasement. Evidently used as a single line due to the ballast alignment inside although constructed as double track inside the tunnel there’s plenty of refuges either side with cable hangers running the full length of the tunnel, some interesting mineral deposits and a few short sections of natural stone rock in the wall lining albeit suffering from spalling notably there’s sections of tunnel crown at different heights. Mostly straight the tunnels displays a slight curve to the Chedworth end and thankfully is free of any nasty graffiti. Chedworth Tunnel closed in 1970 along with the nearby Chedworth Halt and most if not all of the branch line. The land to the north now resides with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust as is part of the Chedworth Nature Reserve, the land to the south appears to be left to nature and its adjacent to farmland separated by the still standing railway boundary fence one of few trackside features still standing. I was befriended by a juvenile pheasant which looked to be molting into adult plumage, seemed to be staggering about unsure if it was injured or not and I was hesitant to get too close as not to stress if out further I like to think the bird was just resting, certainly enjoyed having it’s picture taken..
Thanks for looking, Another one off the list...
