Lapal Tunnel

{{Infobox tunnel

|name = Lapal Tunnel

|image =

|caption =

|waterway = Dudley No. 2 Canal

|location = West Midlands, England

|coordinates = {{Coord|52.4450|-2.0017|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

|os_grid_ref = SO998830

|start = {{Coord|52.4458|-2.0275|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}

|end = {{Coord|52.4442|-1.9759|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}

|owner =

|engineer = William Underhill

|length = {{convert|3470|m|yd|0|adj=on|order=flip}}{{sfn|The Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust}}

|width = {{convert|7|ft|3|in|m|1}}

|height = {{convert|6|ft|m|1}}

|depth =

|passable = no

|towpath = no

|construction = 1798

|open =

|rebuilt =

|closed = 1917

|status = Closed

}}

File:Lapal Tunnel West 50pc.jpg

File:Lapal Tunnel East 50pc.jpg

The Lapal Tunnel (old spelling Lappal Tunnel) is a disused {{convert|3470|m|yd|0|adj=on|order=flip}} canal tunnel on the five mile dry section of the Dudley No. 2 Canal in the West Midlands, England.{{cite web |title=History of the tunnels |website=The Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust |url=https://www.dudleycanaltrust.org.uk/history-of-the-tunnels |ref={{sfnref|The Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust}} |access-date=5 January 2020}} It takes its name from the settlement of Lapal.

History

The narrow brick-lined tunnel, built in 1798 by William Underhill, had no towpath. It had a very small bore — at 7 feet 9 inches, barely wider than the boats which used it, with a headroom of only 6 feet. Boats originally took about three hours to complete the passage by legging or poling, so in 1841 a steam engine was built at the Halesowen end which drove a scoop wheel to load the tunnel with water. Stop gates could be opened at either end to assist boats along the tunnel in either direction.

The tunnel suffered many collapses, and after a collapse in 1917 due to mining subsidence it was abandoned. It runs under Lapal, the M5 motorway near junction 3 and Woodgate Valley Country Park. The canal between Halesowen and Selly Oak is disused and some sections have been filled in as the tunnel was considered uneconomic to repair. A short un-navigable length remains in the grounds the Leasowes, once a garden belonging to the poet William Shenstone (1714–1763), and now a public park and golf course.{{cite web |title=The Leasowes |website=dudley.gov.uk |url=https://www.dudley.gov.uk/resident/environment/countryside/nature-reserves/leasowes-park-/ |access-date=11 January 2020}}

To the north of Halesowen, the canal is in good repair and is used by boats accessing Hawne Basin. The canal north of Halesowen includes the Gosty Hill Tunnel which at {{convert|557|yd|m}} is much shorter than the Lapal Tunnel. {{cite book |last=Mosse |first=Jonathan |year=2018 |orig-year=1969 |title=Waterways Guide 2: Severn, Avon & Birmingham |publisher=Nicholson |isbn=978-0-00-825801-6|page=138}} It was built at the same time and has similar cross sectional dimensions.{{cite magazine |first=Dave|last=Green |title=The Dudley Tunnel|magazine=Waterways Magazine |year=1979 |url=http://www.hunnypot.f2s.com/homepage/dudley.html}}; {{cite web |title=Black Country History |website=Black Country History |url=https://www.blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/GB145_p_2201/ |access-date=11 January 2020}}

Restoration

The [https://www.lapalcanal.co.uk/ Lapal Canal Trust] aims to restore the un-navigable parts of the Dudley No 2 canal to the tunnel entrance sites at Halesowen and California, from Hawne Basin and Selly Oak

They originally aimed to restore the tunnel, but a study in 2007 showed this to be unfeasible.[https://www.lapalcanal.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Feasibility-report-ISSUE-004-070720.pdf Feasibility Study for the Restoration of the Dudley No.2 Canal (The Lapal Canal)] The study showed that an "up and over" solution would be possible, though at a cost that makes its achievement in the foreseeable future somewhat unlikely.

The restoration of a short section of the canal from the junction with the Worcester Birmingham Canal to Selly Oak Park is probably achievable. The recently built supermarket on the line includes allowance for the restoration.

The exact locations of the portals at [https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=18&lat=52.44414&lon=-1.97734&layers=168&right=ESRIWorld California] and [https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=18&lat=52.44563&lon=-2.02789&layers=168&right=ESRIWorld Halesowen] can be seen on the [https://maps.nls.uk/ National Library of Scotland] website.

Points of interest

{{PoIgb|End of navigable Dudley No 2 Canal|52.4565|-2.0415|{{gbmappingsmall|SO9718084325}}|near Halesowen}}

{{PoIgb|West portal|52.4458|-2.0275|{{gbmappingsmall|SO98228309}}|(precise OS ref from 6" map) At western end of track opposite Lapal Cottage, Lapal Lane South}}

{{PoIgb|Mid point|52.4450|-2.0017|{{gbmappingsmall|SP9996583000}}|(calculated)}}

{{PoIgb|East portal|52.4442|-1.9759|{{gbmappingsmall|SP01718291}}|(precise OS ref from 6" map) Under grass}}

{{PoIgb|Harborne Lane bridge|52.4435|-1.9426|{{gbmappingsmall|SP03908288}}}}

{{PoIgb|Selly Oak Junction|52.4436|-1.9377|{{gbmappingsmall|SP0423482891}}|Terminus of canal at Selly Oak}}

Lapal Tunnel

History

Restoration

Points of interest

See also

References

Further reading