Tunnels: Oxford Canal

Newbold tunnel (250 yards)

This is the only tunnel still in use on the North Oxford canal, it was opened in 1820 and is brick lined with concrete.

The north Oxford canal runs from Braunston to Hawkesbury junction near Coventry. It was originally a contour canal but as there was so much traffic it was straightened in th 1820s to cut about 15 miles off the journey.

This tunnel was built as part of the straightening programme. It has a towpath either side.

Coloured lights were installed early this century to help celebrate Diwali but they no longer seem to work.

North west portal

North west portal

South east portal

Original Newbold tunnel (135 yards)

This is a disused canal tunnel at Newbold-upon-Avon.  It was opened in 1772. was brick lined and was about 135 yards long.

As originally constructed, the northern section of the Oxford Canal from Hawkesbury to Napton junction closely followed the contours. From Hawkesbury to Hillmorton it took the line of the 300ft contour; then, having ascended through three locks; it followed the 325ft contour to Napton. A 16 mile flight for a crow became a 44 mile voyage for a boat.

To combat a proposal made in 1827 for a London & Birmingham Junction Canal, a wide waterway designed by Thomas Telford, which would have bypassed the Oxford completely, the Oxford Company decided to modernise its own canal. Within a few months plans were produced to shorten the line by nearly 14 miles, with embanked cuts and large aqueducts replacing the meandering loops. Although the London & Birmingham proposal eventually came to nothing, the Oxford went ahead with its scheme which, in view of the profits the company was making, it could well afford. In May 1834 the new line was opened. Not all the planned alterations were effected and the line was shortened by just over 11 miles.

The north portal of the old Newbold Tunnel was on the north side of the road; the tunnel took the canal under the road and the churchyard emerging in a field on the southwest side of the church, where the brick south portal can still be seen. The tunnel, some 400ft long, was altered during construction for fear it would affect the stability of the church. The northern section was wider, with a flatter arch; the southern part was made elliptical and the width of the wooden towpath was reduced.

South portal

Looking through the bat holes

Fenny Compton tunnel (c1,000 yards) [remnants]

Fenny Compton tunnel was opened in 1776.  The tunnel wasn’t very long – about a kilometre and suffered from subsidence as it wasn’t very far underground.  In 1838 the canal company bought the land above the tunnel and work began to open up the tunnel.  It was done in several stages; by 1840 the tunnel roof had been removed at both ends and in the middle thus creating two separate tunnels.   The southern tunnel had its roof removed by 1858 and the second in 1860 leaving the cutting boaters see today.  It is still referred to as Fenny tunnel though.

A stream used to run across the old tunnel into Wormleighton reservoir and an iron trough was installed when the tunnel roof was removed.  The trough has since been removed and water runs straight down the side of the cutting into the canal.

The stretch is still called Fenny Compton tunnel and, as it is only just wide enough for two boats to pass, extra care has to be taken when navigating this section.

A stream that used to feed Wormleighton reservoir now runs into the canal

Looking along the line of the tunnel from the halfway point on top of the crossover bridge

Going through the ‘tunnel’

Typical Oxford canal towpath bridge crossing halfway along the ‘tunnel’