Long tunnels
Long tunnels
Best estimates suggest that there are around 600 disused railway tunnels in the UK – some of them are extraordinary structures. Below is a list of tunnels which are over 1,000 yards in length. The longest exceeds 3 miles.
We don’t claim that it’s definitive – if you know of one we’ve missed, please drop us an email.
The known status of the two portals is given in brackets alongside the bore type, with the south/west portal described first. Click here for the key.
The title link goes to a story, gallery or external website giving more information or pictures of that tunnel.
| Woodhead New | 5,346 yds | ||
| Opened | 1954 | Company | British Rail |
| Closed | 1981 | Bore | Double (gate/gate) |
| Location | Dunford Bridge, South Yorks | ||
| Standedge Down | 5,342 yds | ||
| Opened | 1849 | Company | London & North Western |
| Closed | 1966 | Bore | Single (gate/gate) |
| Location | Marsden, West Yorkshire | ||
| Standedge Up | 5,342 yds | ||
| Opened | 1871 | Company | London & North Western |
| Closed | 1966 | Bore | Single (gate/gate) |
| Location | Marsden, West Yorkshire | ||
| Woodhead Down | 5,302 yds | ||
| Opened | 1845 | Company | Sheffield Ashton-u-Lyne & Manchester |
| Closed | 1954 | Bore | Single (gate/gate) |
| Location | Dunford Bridge, South Yorks | ||
| Woodhead Up | 5,302 yds | ||
| Opened | 1852 | Company | Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire |
| Closed | 1954 | Bore | Single (gate/gate) |
| Location | Dunford Bridge, South Yorks | ||
| Rhondda (Blaen-y-Cwm) | 3,443 yds | ||
| Opened | 1890 | Company | Rhondda & Swansea Bay |
| Closed | 1968 | Bore | Single (buried/buried) |
| Location | nr Treherbert, Sth Wales | ||
| Catesby | 2,997 yds | ||
| Opened | 1898 | Company | Great Central |
| Closed | 1966 | Bore | Double (gate/gate) |
| Location | nr Daventry, Northants | ||
| Victoria | 2,706 yds | ||
| Opened | 1849 | Company | London & North Western |
| Closed | 1972 | Bore | Double (open/open) |
| Location | Liverpool | ||
| Bolsover (Scarcliffe) | 2,624 yds | ||
| Opened | 1897 | Company | Lancashire Derbyshire & East Coast |
| Closed | 1951 | Bore | Double (buried/bricked) |
| Location | Bolsover, Derbyshire | ||
| Queensbury | 2,501 yds | ||
| Opened | 1878 | Company | Great Northern |
| Closed | 1956 | Bore | Double (flooded/gate) |
| Location | Queensbury, West Yorks | ||
| Merthyr (Abernant) | 2,497 yds | ||
| Opened | 1853 | Company | Vale of Neath |
| Closed | 1962 | Bore | Single (gate/gate) |
| Location | Merthyr Tydfil, Sth Wales | ||
| Gildersome | 2,331 yds | ||
| Opened | 1900 | Company | London & North Western |
| Closed | 1966 | Bore | Double (buried/door) |
| Location | nr Morley, West Yorks | ||
| Drewton | 2,114 yds | ||
| Opened | 1885 | Company | Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction |
| Closed | 1959 | Bore | Double (obstructed/gate) |
| Location | nr South Cave, East Yorks | ||
| Wapping | 2,111 yds | ||
| Opened | 1830 | Company | Liverpool & Manchester |
| Closed | 1972 | Bore | Double (unknown/unknown) |
| Location | Liverpool | ||
| Wenvoe | 1,868 yds | ||
| Opened | 1889 | Company | Barry |
| Closed | 1963 | Bore | Double (fenced/gate) |
| Location | nr Cardiff | ||
| Combe Down | 1,829 yds | ||
| Opened | 1874 | Company | Somerset & Dorset |
| Closed | 1966 | Bore | Single (open/open) |
| Location | Bath | ||
| Glenfield | 1,796 yds | ||
| Opened | 1832 | Company | Leicester & Swannington |
| Closed | 1966 | Bore | Single (door/buried) |
| Location | nr Leicester | ||
| Harecastle South | 1,766 yds | ||
| Opened | 1848 | Company | North Staffordshire |
| Closed | 1966 | Bore | Double (gate/unknown) |
| Location | nr Kidsgrove, Staffs | ||
| Burdale | 1,744 yds | ||
| Opened | 1853 | Company | Malton & Driffield Junction |
| Closed | 1958 | Bore | Single (door/door) |
| Location | nr Malton, North Yorks | ||
| Sandsend (Deepgrove) | 1,652 yds | ||
| Opened | 1883 | Company | Whitby Redcar & Middlesbrough Union |
| Closed | 1958 | Bore | Single (wall/collapsed) |
| Location | Sandsend, North Yorks | ||
| Ramsgate (...Harbour) | 1,638 yds | ||
| Opened | 1863 | Company | South Eastern & Chatham |
| Closed | 1926 | Bore | Double (door/unknown) |
| Location | Ramsgate, Kent | ||
| Cymmer (Caerau/Maesteg) | 1,595 yds | ||
| Opened | 1878 | Company | Llynvi & Ogmore |
| Closed | 1970 | Bore | Single (door/buried) |
| Location | nr Maesteg, Sth Wales | ||
| Colwall Old | 1,567 yds | ||
| Opened | 1860 | Company | Great Western |
| Closed | 1926 | Bore | Single (door/unknown) |
| Location | nr Great Malvern | ||
| Lees Moor | 1,533 yds | ||
| Opened | 1884 | Company | Great Northern |
| Closed | 1956 | Bore | Double (gate/wall) |
| Location | nr Keighley, West Yorks | ||
| Thackley Old | 1,496 yds | ||
| Opened | 1845 | Company | Leeds & Bradford |
| Closed | 1968 | Bore | Single (gate/gate) |
| Location | nr Shipley, West Yorks | ||
| Lydgate | 1,332 yds | ||
| Opened | 1856 | Company | London & North Western |
| Closed | 1964 | Bore | Double (door/bricked) |
| Location | nr Oldham, Gtr Manchester | ||
| Pontypridd (Graig/Treforest) | 1,323 yds | ||
| Opened | 1889 | Company | Barry |
| Closed | 1951 | Bore | Double (door/bricked) |
| Location | Pontypridd, Sth Wales | ||
| Boniface Down (Ventnor) | 1,313 yds | ||
| Opened | 1866 | Company | Isle of Wight |
| Closed | 1966 | Bore | Single (door/door) |
| Location | nr Ventnor, Isle of Wight | ||
| London Road (Parkhead) | 1,313 yds | ||
| Opened | 1897 | Company | Caledonian |
| Closed | 1964 | Bore | Double (gate/door) |
| Location | Glasgow | ||
| Clifton Hall | 1,298 yds | ||
| Opened | 1850 | Company | London & North Western |
| Closed | 1953 | Bore | Double (buried/buried) |
| Location | Pendlebury, Gtr Manchester | ||
| Barnsdale | 1,226 yds | ||
| Opened | 1885 | Company | Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction |
| Closed | 1959 | Bore | Double (fenced/fenced) |
| Location | nr South Elmsall, Sth Yorks | ||
| Ballingham | 1,208 yds | ||
| Opened | 1855 | Company | Great Western |
| Closed | 1964 | Bore | Single (open/open) |
| Location | nr Hereford | ||
| Whitrope | 1,208 yds | ||
| Opened | 1862 | Company | North British |
| Closed | 1969 | Bore | Double (gate/gate) |
| Location | nr Newcastleton, Scottish Borders | ||
| Mansfield Road | 1,189 yds | ||
| Opened | 1898 | Company | Great Central |
| Closed | 1968 | Bore | Double (door/buried) |
| Location | Nottingham | ||
| Tidenham (Dennel Hill) | 1,188 yds | ||
| Opened | 1876 | Company | Wye Valley |
| Closed | 1986 | Bore | Single (fenced/gate) |
| Location | nr Chepstow, Monmouthshire | ||
| Pinnock | 1,173 yds | ||
| Opened | 1874 | Company | Cornwall Minerals |
| Closed | 1968 | Bore | Single (open/open) |
| Location | nr Fowey, Cornwall | ||
| Mapperley | 1,132 yds | ||
| Opened | 1876 | Company | Great Northern |
| Closed | 1960 | Bore | Double (buried/gate) |
| Location | nr Nottingham | ||
| Gyfylchi (Tonmawr/Pelena) | 1,109 yds | ||
| Opened | 1863 | Company | South Wales Mineral |
| Closed | 1947 | Bore | Single (door/buried) |
| Location | nr Maesteg | ||
| Haie Hill (Bullo) | 1,064 yds | ||
| Opened | 1854 | Company | South Wales |
| Closed | 1967 | Bore | Single (wall/door) |
| Location | nr Cinderford, Gloucs | ||
| Haddon | 1,058 yds | ||
| Opened | 1862 | Company | Midland |
| Closed | 1968 | Bore | Double (bricked/door) |
| Location | nr Bakewell, Derbyshire | ||
| Privett | 1,058 yds | ||
| Opened | 1903 | Company | London & South Western |
| Closed | 1955 | Bore | Double (door/bricked) |
| Location | nr Peterfield, Hampshire | ||
| Clayton | 1,057 yds | ||
| Opened | 1878 | Company | Great Northern |
| Closed | 1963 | Bore | Double (door/buried) |
| Location | nr Bradford, West Yorkshire | ||
| Morlais (Miler) | 1,037 yds | ||
| Opened | 1879 | Company | London & North Western |
| Closed | 1958 | Bore | Double (bricked/bricked) |
| Location | nr Merthyr Tydfil, Sth Wales | ||
| Kemp Town | 1,024 yds | ||
| Opened | 1869 | Company | London Brighton & South Coast |
| Closed | 1971 | Bore | Single (door/buried) |
| Location | Brighton | ||
| Cwmcerwyn (Bryn) | 1,012 yds | ||
| Opened | 1897 | Company | Port Talbot Railway & Docks |
| Closed | 1964 | Bore | Single (door/door) |
| Location | Maesteg, Sth Wales | ||
| Scotland Street | 1,008 yds | ||
| Opened | 1847 | Company | Edinburgh Leith & Granton |
| Closed | 1868 | Bore | Double (buried/gate) |
| Location | Edinburgh | ||
| Annesley | 1,001 yds | ||
| Opened | 1892 | Company | Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire |
| Closed | 1968 | Bore | Double (buried/buried) |
| Location | Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts | ||
Key to portal status
| fenced | fence (full/partial) with no gate | gate | fenced (full/part) with gate |
| wall | partial height wall | door | full height wall with door/gate |
| bricked | full height wall | buried | portal lost beneath infill |
| open | portal open | obstructed | portal open but partly obstructed |
| flooded | portal open but liable to flood | collapsed | portal partly collapsed |