Description and History of Site:-
Railway tunnel between Duffield and Belper, Derbyshire. When built, the second longest (783 m) on the North Midland Railway. Both portals are listed, the North Portal grade II* and the South grade II. Five ventilation shafts, roughly equidistant along the length and a sighting tower (listed grade II) at the mid (and highest) point on the ground.

Sighting towers were a common feature of engineering works involving tunnelling, providing the means to plot the straight line course of the tunnel on the ground above. This is necessary as the ventilation shafts had to be excavated downwards from the ground to intersect the intended line of the tunnel. The ventilation shafts were often used additionally as access points to dig the tunnel itself. Milford Tunnel was built for the North Midland Railway, originally from Derby to Leeds. Construction began 1837 and opened with the rest of the line on 30 June 1840. Engineers George and Robert Stephenson with their assistant engineer Frederick Swanwick.

The line is still (2021) open, operated by the East Midlands Railway company.

Further Reading and References:-
https://her.derbyshire.gov.uk/Monument/MDR4657

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Key Words :- railway tunnel sighting tower ventilation shaft

Viewing the Site :- Can be viewed from the footpath past Courthouse Farm

Address :- Sunny Hill, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 0QS
Grid Ref :- SK 34606 45457
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.005316 , Long -1.485741
Local Authority :- Amber Valley Borough Council
Pre 1974 County :- Derbyshire
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II
Historic England List No - 1083583, 1366268, 1349067,
Site Condition :- Site disused - but otherwise substantially intact
Site Dates :- 1840 - current
Record Date :- 26 June 2021

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Nick Nelson