Name: Shrewley Tunnel South Portal
Rating: 2

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Shrewley

Shrewley Tunnel South Portal

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United Kingdom

England

West Midlands Region

Warwickshire

Warwick

Shrewley

Shrewley Tunnel South Portal

Recommended by 5 hikers

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Location: Shrewley, Warwick, Warwickshire, West Midlands Region, England, United Kingdom

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Best Hikes to Shrewley Tunnel South Portal

5.0

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1. Kenilworth Castle Ruins – View of Kenilworth Castle loop from Kenilworth

28.9km

07:30

180m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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3.0

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2. Hiking loop from Hatton

15.0km

03:54

90m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

5.0

(1)

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3. Hatton Locks – Hatton Locks Café loop from Warwick

21.2km

05:30

130m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Tips

Sasha Taylor

December 25, 2020

Deep cuttings was not an option at Shrewley, as it was in two other areas along the canal. This was because the route passed under the village. The plans also specified that the tunnel would be suitable for boats but not barges, implying that it would have been suitable for 7-foot (2.1 m) narrow boats, common on the Birmingham system, but not for wider craft. However, construction of the Grand Junction Canal, which would provide a link to London, was started at a similar time, and the committee wisely took the decision in April 1794 to increase the width of the tunnel to 16 feet (4.9 m), allowing wide barges to pass through it. The width of the bridge holes was similarly increased to 21 feet (6.4 m) in May.

Northern entrance to the canal and accompanying horse tunnel

The tunnel is 433 yards (396 m) long, built of brick and is wide enough for two narrow boats to pass each other, although it has no towpath inside. It officially opened on 19 December 1799 when the rest of the Warwick and Birmingham Canal was completed, although no trading took place until the following March. It became part of the Grand Union Canal in 1929 following the amalgamation of the canal company with several others, including the Grand Junction.

There are actually two tunnels: at the northern portal, the towpath splits off and rises on a ramp and then enters a tunnel of its own, until it reaches the road which crosses the tunnel; having crossed this the path then descends on another ramp to reach the southern portal. The interior of the tunnel is unusually wet and this has led to the creation of flowstone formations.

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Details

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Elevation 160 m

Weather

Monday 15 September

17°C

11°C

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Max wind speed: 29.0 km/h

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See hikes here

Take Me There

Location: Shrewley, Warwick, Warwickshire, West Midlands Region, England, United Kingdom

Shrewley Tunnel South Portal

1. Kenilworth Castle Ruins – View of Kenilworth Castle loop from Kenilworth

2. Hiking loop from Hatton

3. Hatton Locks – Hatton Locks Café loop from Warwick

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