Harecastle’s Canal and Railway Tunnels

The NSR once owned two canals and three railway tunnels, which served as crucial transportation routes. However, only one of the tunnels remains in use today, Telford’s canal tunnel, which opened in 1827 and was powered by electricity. The other tunnel, James Brindley’s pioneering one, opened in 1775 but closed in 1918. This tunnel was once the longest transport tunnel in the world. The three railway tunnels, known as ‘south’, ‘middle’, and ‘north’, were opened in 1848 after the NSR acquired the Trent & Mersey Canal. However, the ‘south’ and ‘middle’ tunnels were taken out of use in 1966 due to the railway diversion scheme around Harecastle Hill as part of the British Railways West Coast Main Line electrification scheme. The ‘north’ tunnel was also opened as part of this scheme, but a new railway tunnel had to be built just south of Kidsgrove. The authors of this book have conducted extensive research to present the fascinating history of these tunnels and the coal and ironstone mining that took place nearby. The book is also well-illustrated.