Branches
A map of the Netherton Tunnel Branch of the New Main Line (BCN)
The map displays a range of services available on the Netherton Tunnel Branch of the New Main Line (BCN). Simply click the box next to any service being displayed in the Map Key on the left of your screen.
Map Key
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
A brief history of the Netherton Tunnel Branch of the New Main Line (BCN)
| Canal length : | 2.4 miles |
| Width : | 7ft ins |
The Netherton Tunnel was built to relieve the bottleneck of the adjacent Dudley Tunnel. The Dudley Tunnel is narrow without a tow path so boats would have had to have been ‘legged’ through. It was necessary to have alternating blocks of one-way working which resulted in waiting times many hours or even several days.
In contrast, The Netherton Tunnel is a wide tunnel (8.2m) with 2 towpaths to allow traffic in both directions. The branch is 2.4 miles long and the tunnel is some 9,081 feet in length. It was constructed between 1855 and 1858, opening in August 1858 and was the last canal tunnel to be constructed in Britain.
The tunnel has air vents known locally as the ‘pepper pots’, providing good ventilation and a shaft of light. The ventilation is sufficient today to allow boats using the tunnel to use their internal combustion engines.
For more detailed information, follow the link below: