
Dudley Tunnel (northern entrance)

Address is taken from a point 293 yards away.

Facilities: chemical toilet disposal, boater-operated pump-out, toilets and water point.
Birmingham Canal Navigations (Dudley Canal No 1 - Birmingham End) | ||
---|---|---|
Dudley Tunnel (northern entrance) | ||
Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust Footbridge | ¾ furlongs | |
Black Country Museum | 1 furlong | |
Todds End Customer Service Facility | 1¼ furlongs | |
Birmingham New Road Bridge | 1¾ furlongs | |
Birmingham New Road Pipe Bridge | 1¾ furlongs | |
Birmingham Canal Navigations (Dudley Canal No 1 - Dudley Tunnel) | ||
Dudley Tunnel (northern entrance) | ||
Lord Ward's Tunnel (southern entrance) | 1 furlong | |
Castle Mill Basin | 1¼ furlongs | |
Dudley Tunnel (main tunnel, northern portal) | 7½ furlongs | |
Dudley Tunnel (southern entrance) | 1 mile, 6 furlongs | |
Grazebrook Arm | 1 mile, 6¾ furlongs |
There is an excellent electric trip boat run by Dudley Canal Trust
(http://www.dudleycanaltrust.org.uk/pages) in association with the
neighbouring Black Country Museum.
They also told me that as
part of their agreement with BW they will pilot your boat through the
Dudley Tunnel for a small charge - pre-booking is essential
Because of the complexity of the limestone workings etc and
ventilation issues you are not allowed through on your own.
Information from Tony Bowyer, 3-7-2008
- Birmingham Canal Walks — associated with Birmingham Canal Navigations
- Sixteen walks along the Birmingham Canal Navigations with a detailed description, history and photographs.
Mouseover for more information or show routes to facility
Nearest water point
In the direction of Tipton Junction
In the direction of Pensnett Junction
Nearest rubbish disposal
In the direction of Tipton Junction
In the direction of Pensnett Junction
Nearest chemical toilet disposal
In the direction of Tipton Junction
In the direction of Pensnett Junction
Nearest place to turn
In the direction of Tipton Junction
In the direction of Pensnett Junction
Nearest self-operated pump-out
In the direction of Tipton Junction
In the direction of Pensnett Junction
Nearest boatyard pump-out
In the direction of Pensnett Junction
In the direction of Tipton Junction
Wikipedia has a page about Dudley Tunnel
Dudley Tunnel is a canal tunnel on the Dudley Canal Line No 1, England. At about 3,172 yards (2,900.5 m) long, it is now the second longest canal tunnel on the UK canal network today. (Standedge Tunnel is the longest, at 5,456 yards (4,989.0 m), and the 3,931 yards (3,594.5 m) Higham and Strood tunnel is now rail only). However, since the Dudley Tunnel is not continuous this status is sometimes questioned: (the main tunnel is 2,942 yards (2,690.2 m), Lord Ward's tunnel is 196 yards (179.2 m) and Castle Mill basin is 34 yards (31.1 m)).
In 1959 the British Transport Commission sought to close the tunnel but this led to an Inland Waterways Association-organised massed protest cruise in 1960. The tunnel was however closed in 1962; and was further threatened with permanent closure by British Railways who wished to replace a railway viaduct at the Tipton portal with an embankment and a culvert. However, this never happened as the railway was closed in 1968 and the disused bridge demolished in the 1990s.
The tunnel was reopened in 1973, as a result of restoration, which had been a collaboration between local volunteers (originally the Dudley Canal Tunnel Preservation Society, later the Dudley Canal Trust), and the local authority, Dudley Borough Council. The opening ceremony was advertised as "TRAD 1973 - Tunnel Reopening at Dudley".