Shrewley Canal Tunnel

The Warwick and Birmingham Canal Company obtained an Act of Parliament in 1793, to build a    22.6-mile canal from the Digbeth Branch Canal (part of the Birmingham Canal Navigation) to the city of Warwick. The initial plans involved three tunnels on this short length of canal, during the construction process  two of them were converted to became deep cuttings because it was cheaper and progress of the boats would be quicker. 

This was not an option at Shrewley, because the authorised route passed under the village.

Initially  it would only have been suitable for 7ft wide narrow boats, common on the Birmingham system, but not for wider vessels. However, construction of the Grand Junction Canal was started at about the same time and this could provide a link to London. In response and the company  took the decision  to increase the width of the tunnel to 16 ft, allowing wide barges to pass through it. The width of  all the bridge holes along the canal  was similarly increased to 21 ft.

This tunnel is 433 yards  long, built of brick and, because of the decision to widen the tunnel, is wide enough for two traditional narrow boats to pass each other, but, in common with many British canal tunnels, it has no towpath inside and boats had to be "legged" through the tunnel by professional "leggers" who had to lay on their backs and push the boat through with their feet.

The unique feature of this tunnel is that there are actually two tunnels, one for the boats and one to make the passage over the hill easier and (more importantly at the time) quicker for the draught horses. At the northern portal, the towpath splits off and rises on a ramp and then enters a tunnel of its own, through the first steep ridge, until it reaches the Strewley Common road which crosses the tunnel.Having crossed this road the route then descends on another ramp to reach the southern portal.