Visited with @Oort, who didn’t actually enter the water as he’s a bit more sensible than me. Anyways after swimming the Sapperton Canal Tunnel last year, I thought it would be a good idea to give myself a second dose of hypothermia and repeat the foolish stunt.
The 1125m long Greywell Tunnel was opened in 1794 and was the longest tunnel on the Basingstoke Canal and the 12th longest canal tunnel in the UK. It was closed in 1932 due to a roof fall.
HISTORY
The Basingstoke Canal was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1778. The route was 44 miles long running from Basingstoke to the Wey and Godalming Navigations near Weybridge. Originally the canal was planned to loop around Greywell Hill. However Earl Tylney who owned the land around these parts objected to the planned route and so after a bit of a rethink and this tunnel was built instead.
The canal opened in September 1794, but sections of the bank soon collapsed and parts of the canal were temporary closed in 1795. Flaws in the construction of the tunnel were quickly identified.
Trade on the canal was never as intensive as predicted, and several companies running the canal ended up bankrupt. The last commercial passage through the tunnel was probably in 1914 by the barge Basingstoke owned by Mr A J Harmsworth. The tunnel was closed in 1932 when part of the roof collapsed. Canoeists were still able to pass through the tunnel until the 1950s, but the blockage is now total.
Today the tunnel is open for 800m at its eastern end and for 140m at its western end. The 180m in between is completely filled with soft clay.
The Basingstoke Canal itself has been restored since the 1970s and has now been reopened for a distance of 32 miles. The length of the canal around the Greywell Tunnel remains disused.
REPORT
Photos were all taken handheld without a tripod, whilst standing in water up to my chest and whilst shivering uncontrollably. So apologies for the photos not being too good.
The canal here is neglected and overgrown
Here we see the portal
This gate prevents boat entry. I guess with a bit of effort a small dingy could be got in but it was a warm day and I needed to cool off
Inside the tunnel was brick lined all the way through, and distances from the portal were marked on the wall, measured in feet
About 2500ft in we see the roof fall
It was possible to land on the beach, but you couldn’t walk far
The portal 2500ft away
Time to make my exit. Apparently my shivering could be heard long before I reached the exit
The joys of hypothermia
Thanks for reading
The 1125m long Greywell Tunnel was opened in 1794 and was the longest tunnel on the Basingstoke Canal and the 12th longest canal tunnel in the UK. It was closed in 1932 due to a roof fall.
HISTORY
The Basingstoke Canal was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1778. The route was 44 miles long running from Basingstoke to the Wey and Godalming Navigations near Weybridge. Originally the canal was planned to loop around Greywell Hill. However Earl Tylney who owned the land around these parts objected to the planned route and so after a bit of a rethink and this tunnel was built instead.
The canal opened in September 1794, but sections of the bank soon collapsed and parts of the canal were temporary closed in 1795. Flaws in the construction of the tunnel were quickly identified.
Trade on the canal was never as intensive as predicted, and several companies running the canal ended up bankrupt. The last commercial passage through the tunnel was probably in 1914 by the barge Basingstoke owned by Mr A J Harmsworth. The tunnel was closed in 1932 when part of the roof collapsed. Canoeists were still able to pass through the tunnel until the 1950s, but the blockage is now total.
Today the tunnel is open for 800m at its eastern end and for 140m at its western end. The 180m in between is completely filled with soft clay.
The Basingstoke Canal itself has been restored since the 1970s and has now been reopened for a distance of 32 miles. The length of the canal around the Greywell Tunnel remains disused.
REPORT
Photos were all taken handheld without a tripod, whilst standing in water up to my chest and whilst shivering uncontrollably. So apologies for the photos not being too good.
The canal here is neglected and overgrown
Here we see the portal
This gate prevents boat entry. I guess with a bit of effort a small dingy could be got in but it was a warm day and I needed to cool off
Inside the tunnel was brick lined all the way through, and distances from the portal were marked on the wall, measured in feet
About 2500ft in we see the roof fall
It was possible to land on the beach, but you couldn’t walk far
The portal 2500ft away
Time to make my exit. Apparently my shivering could be heard long before I reached the exit
The joys of hypothermia
Thanks for reading
