Daneway Portal to the Sapperton Tunnel
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Description
The Sappeton Tunnel daneway Portal was of Gothic style with battlements and finials as decoration.
1. c.1895, this snow clad view was taken just prior to restoration by the Thames & Severn Canal Trust in the late 1890s. The canal shows lack of maintenance, with about half of its correct depth of water and a bush growing out the stonework. Notice the inflow of water on the left, which came down the valley from the outflow of Dorvel Mill and was a valuable feeder here as well as providing cleaner water for the lengthsman's cottage than that in the canal.
2. c. 1900. The imposing gothic-style facade of the tunnel portal can be seen and as yet no vandalism has taken place as Mr Whiting, the lengthsman, was living in the cottage here and kept watch. The children on the right are most probably from his family.
3. This 1900 view shows on the right the lengthsman's cottage, based here to control navigation of the tunnel as the most important of his duties. The picture was taken just after the restoration work carried out by the Thames & Severn Canal Trust. A barge lies in the tunnel mouth and it appears to be going east through the tunnel. The shed by the tunnel is from the repair period and used to store tools, etc. Note the steeply rising bank into which the tunnel enters. In fact, the land rises some 240 ft above the canal level which is itself 365 ft above sea level.
4. This 1903 view shows the extensive working to repair the interior of the tunnel. It appears that small mud boats are being used to transport clay into the tunnel. The portable engine is driving a clay chopper and is the same outfit that was used in the clay pit at Bluehouse for the reconstruction there. The shed seen in the previous picture has now been moved up behind the engine.
5 This 1910 view shows the restoration work complete and the shed returned to its original position to serve in later years as a chicken house for those living in the cottage. Compare this picture with the first of this western portal and note the alterations to the lengthsman's cottage and also the onset of dereliction of the canal.
6. Taken c.1910 this view was taken by a group of boys from Wycliffe College, who made their way from Stonehouse probably by railcar to Chalford, walking the last four miles to the Daneway.
Many people stood on this plank across the entrance to look through the tunnel.
7. Sightseers, in the form of a group from Brimscombe Polytechnic taking a trip into the tunnel. They are all well dressed for the journey and have two poles to push themselves along against the sides of the tunnel and oil lamps to use in the dark.
8. 'legging it' through the tunnel!
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