Box Tunnel
(1836-present)
thing and railway tunnel
Aged 188
Wikidata WikipediaBox Tunnel passes through Box Hill on the Great Western Main Line (GWML) between Bath and Chippenham. The 1.83-mile tunnel was the world's longest railway tunnel when it was completed in 1841. Built between December 1838 and June 1841 for the Great Western Railway (GWR) under the direction of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the straight tunnel descends on a 1 in 100 gradient from its eastern end. At the time the tunnel's construction was considered dangerous due to its length and the composition of the underlying strata. The west portal is Grade II* listed and the east portal is Grade II listed. Ammunition was stored near the tunnel during World War II, reusing mine workings. During the 2010s, the tunnel was modified and the track lowered to prepare it for electrification.
DbPedia
Commemorated on 1 plaque
Box Tunnel engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel constructed 1836-1841 length 3212 yards. West portal cleaned and restored in 1986 by British Rail Western Region assisted by the Railway Heritage Trust, Wiltshire County Council, Box Parish Council and private subscriptions to commemorate its 150th anniversary
, Box, United Kingdom where it sited