Drewton Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Drewton Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel on the now closed Hull to Barnsley
railway line - , western portal and , eastern portal. The tunnel is cut through chalk
and the lining is a mix of bare chalk walls and brick
. The first rail traffic used the tunnel in 1885. Drewton Tunnel is one of the longest disused tunnels in the United Kingdom
at a length of 1 mile 354 yards, and lies to the east of the shorter Sugar Loaf Tunnel
and Weedley Tunnel
.
The western portal of Drewton Tunnel is almost entirely buried with landfill and is situated in a chalk quarry operated by Stoneledge. This end of the tunnel has considerable deposits of mud on the former trackbed washed in by rainfall as a result of local quarrying operations. The eastern portal remains open although is protected with a security fence. The tunnel regularly experiences chalkfalls as the lining inside deteriorates in the damp conditions.
The tunnel has five airshafts, the middle airshaft situated adjacent to Riplingham crossroads being the deepest. The area around this airshaft was used a temporary camp for navvies building the tunnel.
Drewton Tunnel was closed to rail traffic in 1958. Since closure landfill has threatened the eastern approaches to the tunnel. The 83 foot deep Little Weighton Cutting has been competely filled in, as have other areas of open space around the eastern portal. Despite its continual decay Drewton Tunnel is now home to a large number of bat
s.
Hull and Barnsley Railway
The Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company was opened on 20 July 1885. It had a total projected length of 66 miles but never reached Barnsley, stopping a few miles short at Stairfoot. The name was changed to The Hull and Barnsley Railway in 1905...
railway line - , western portal and , eastern portal. The tunnel is cut through chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
and the lining is a mix of bare chalk walls and brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. The first rail traffic used the tunnel in 1885. Drewton Tunnel is one of the longest disused tunnels in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at a length of 1 mile 354 yards, and lies to the east of the shorter Sugar Loaf Tunnel
Sugar Loaf Tunnel
Sugar Loaf Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel on the former Hull and Barnsley Railway between Everthorpe and Little Weighton. The tunnel is 132 yards long and was built through magnesian limestone of Permian age, referred to locally as "chalk"...
and Weedley Tunnel
Weedley Tunnel
Weedley Tunnel at is a disused tunnel on the former Hull and Barnsley Railway. Weedley Tunnel is 132 yards long with a slight curvature. It was originally built to carry two tracks. Access to the tunnel is now restricted, as gates were installed on both portals in 2010...
.
The western portal of Drewton Tunnel is almost entirely buried with landfill and is situated in a chalk quarry operated by Stoneledge. This end of the tunnel has considerable deposits of mud on the former trackbed washed in by rainfall as a result of local quarrying operations. The eastern portal remains open although is protected with a security fence. The tunnel regularly experiences chalkfalls as the lining inside deteriorates in the damp conditions.
The tunnel has five airshafts, the middle airshaft situated adjacent to Riplingham crossroads being the deepest. The area around this airshaft was used a temporary camp for navvies building the tunnel.
Drewton Tunnel was closed to rail traffic in 1958. Since closure landfill has threatened the eastern approaches to the tunnel. The 83 foot deep Little Weighton Cutting has been competely filled in, as have other areas of open space around the eastern portal. Despite its continual decay Drewton Tunnel is now home to a large number of bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s.