Wednesday 24 August 2011

The tunnel with two names: Gorsty/Gosty Hill

10th April 2011


Just one more post on the tunnel on the Dudley No. 2 Canal (the navigable tunnel, that is - the other one, Lappal (or Lapal) Tunnel was abandoned following subsidence nearly a century ago). Yes, it's Gosty Hill Tunnel again.


Or should that be Gorsty Tunnel?


Looking at the top photo again: doesn't it just look inviting? I always feel privileged to be able to enter such tunnels. I'm allowed to steer myself through an ancient monument! Yes, I suppose I'm also allowed to drive along a Roman road many centuries older, but that doesn't give me the same sense of travelling back in time. Perhaps if the tarmac were removed, along with the road signs and all other modern paraphernalia - and I were driving a horse and cart along stone setts - yes, that might do it!

4 comments:

Vallypee said...

Nice idea, Halfie, and yes, it does look very romantic. What I find curious is that it's measure in metres. Is that now normal in the UK?

Vallypee said...

PS, you had quite a day on the 10th, didn't you?

Halfie said...

Yes, it's now normal, sad to say, for BW to give measurements in metres, irrespective of the fact that when the tunnel was built its length was given as 577 yards.

Andrew Denny posted about this recently: http://www.grannybuttons.com/granny_buttons/2011/08/bcn-canal-mileposts-back-to-being-kilometre-posts.html

And yes, nearly everywhere we went on 10th April was new to me. A truly excellent day!

Vallypee said...

I'll take a look at the GB post. Thanks!