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All the United Kingdom England Bramhope Bramhope Tunnel North Portal

Bramhope Tunnel North Portal

This Gothic castle-like portal is a testament to the amazing craftsmanship of the navvies who built the railway tunnel.

Bramhope, England

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gaddj023
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Tunnel entrance seen from the ground.   Linda Spashett Storye book/cc by 3.0
Tunnel entrance seen from the ground.   Linda Spashett Storye book/cc by 3.0
  John Sparshatt/cc by-sa 2.0
Tunnel entrance seen from the hill.   gaddj023 / Atlas Obscura User
Bramhope Tunnel north portal.   Linda Spashett Storye book/cc by 3.0
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About

The Bramhope Tunnel was built for the Leeds to Thirsk railway line at the height of England’s railroad mania in the 1840s. Around the village today, you can see four of the 20 original airshafts intact, a tall sighting tower and plenty of large earth piles that look almost like small hills along the length of the tunnel. If you follow them far enough, they will lead you to this incredible castle-like facade.

At the north entrance of the Bramhope Tunnel, a Gothic-style castellated portal was built from sandstone rock. It has three side towers with turrets, and a horseshoe-shaped archway decorated with a carving of a bearded man (possibly the likeness of the landowner for whom the facade was built). The portal is sadly somewhat in disrepair now, and often has graffiti emblazoned on it.

The tunnel and the visible castle facade were constructed between 1845 to 1849 by hundreds of navvies—railway workers—who came from all over the United Kingdom and lived with their families in the area. Aside from the north portal, the tunnel is known for its impressive length, stretching just over 2 miles long. In the end, when it was built, the entire railway line from Leeds to Thirsk cost over £2 million. It sadly also cost lives. At the time, roughly 23 workers were thought to have lost their lives building the tunnel; however, records of many others have been uncovered since. A replica of the north portal was erected as a memorial to the workers in the churchyard of Otley parish nearby.

Related Tags

Railroads Tunnels Memorials Castles Architecture Engineering Trains Ruins History Transportation Subterranean Sites

Know Before You Go

To get to the tunnel go to the map coordinates 53.88798, -1.61391 and then walk along the footpath from there. Be careful as there is a drop as you get closer to the tracks; walking boots are recommended. The coordinates for the tunnel are at 53.88959, -1.6119.

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gaddj023

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

April 22, 2019

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Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bramhope_Tunnel
  • https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Bramhope_Tunnel
  • https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1253370
Bramhope Tunnel North Portal
Hall Drive
Bramhope, England
United Kingdom
53.88959, -1.6119
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Lawnswood Cemetery

Leeds, England

miles away

Kirkstall Abbey

Kirkstall, England

miles away

High Royds Hospital

Menston, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

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Stories 145

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Lawnswood Cemetery

Leeds, England

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Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

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Stories 145

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