Beaminster tunnel closed
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For more updates on the news that two bodies in a vehicle have been found underneath the mudslide, visit: bridport.n0tice.com/report/5768/reports-that-the-bodies-of-a-couple-have-been-found-in-the-landslide-at-the-beaminster-tunnel
Reports coming in that the bodies of an elderly couple have been found in the landslide at the Beaminster Tunnel. Police forensics teams are at the scene and investigating.
Snippet from Jacky Tuner on the bridport n0tice Facebook page
"The tunnel is supposed to be haunted by one of its constructors who fell whilst building the tunnel his memorial stone is on the right side of the rd exiting to Beaminster with a white cross on it!"
But the tunnel had achieved its aim and there was a great deal of pride in not only its function but also its appearance and this affection has been maintained by a great many people and with its latest inspection, concern has been voiced by many that such a heritage should be respected or even revered.
The Dorset County Council employed specialist firm OBVIS Ltd of Exeter and their main product is “Archie-M” that provides “rapid, interactive equilibrium analysis of arching structures”.
The Dorset CC explained that it was the concrete lining that was giving cause for concern. It was in 1968 that gunite (a process of spraying concrete onto a surface) was used to coat the walls of the tunnel. But now when the tunnel wall is tapped, a hollow sound can be heard in some areas indicating the cement cover is detaching from the brick archway. But I was reassured the structure and steel mesh that lies behind the concrete cover is quite secure. There is some water seepage coming through the original brickwork and whilst this is something that needs to be monitored, if the ground water did not make its way through the tunnel, the build up of pressure would be considerably more serious!
The report from OBVIS threw up yet more questions that the Dorset Town Council needed answering before further action could be taken. That was the easy bit; whilst the Council are at last in a position to start planning the logistics of the project, it has led to the inevitable headache of gathering the various services that will be needed and ensuring they can schedule the work to coincide with one another so the tunnel is closed for the minimum amount of time. There was a meeting on Tuesday 9 June to thrash this out and come up with a plan to suit all parties and to discuss the impact it is going to have on the area whilst the works are carried out. The work is scheduled to start on 26 October and it is likely that the tunnel will be closed for around five weeks.
The main issues the Council hope to tackle are: the lack of light in the tunnel; the strength of the concrete lining; resurfacing the road and access problems due to the limited height of the tunnel.
Probably the least problematic of the three is the resurfacing. To improve the lighting, the existing system has to be removed and a new system installed. The only solution to the access problem is to restrict entry either by right of way or prohibiting larger vehicles altogether. This particular problem has yet to be resolved and all discussions relating to restrictions have been left open ended.
The final part of the jigsaw will be reinforcing the 1960’s concrete lining; this would likely be done with connecting bolts to fix it to the tunnel brickwork.
But with the bad news of pending tunnel closures and all that entails, there are some Beaminster locals who are pleased with the spin-off. The quantity of traffic going through the market town during the four days of the tunnel’s closure was significantly reduced and as one councillor said, the traffic didn’t just disappear it must have gone via the diversions, which made Beaminster far less busy and clogged up with large commercial vehicles. So perhaps the anticipated extended closure is eagerly awaited by the Beaminster locals (I even heard a rumour that the “road closed – diversion in operation” signs may mysteriously reappear at regular intervals!)
The Council are certain that once the work has been completed, everyone will be ‘pleasantly surprised’ with the results. There is also the additional benefit of knowing now how the tunnel was built, it would seem the 1820 records of the construction were either not kept, have gone missing or were inadequate, so at least the Council now know a little more about this wonderful structure should future maintenance be required.
But let’s hope it will be another forty years before anything else is done to the Old Girl. Now where did I put those road cones?
Written by Sophia Moseley
www.sophiawriting4u.co.uk/
Here is a little history behind the tunnel, written by Sophia Moseley for the Western Gazzette back in 2009.
Two hundred years ago Crewkerne and Beaminster were hives of Georgian industrial activity and with the improved Bridport Harbour, (now West Bay) there was an increase in trade, both importing materials to the area as well as exporting finished articles. Sail and cloth making was the mainstay of the local economy in both Beaminster and Crewkerne. But the journey to and from Bridport to Crewkerne meant negotiating a route that was a very long haul up the 500 ft steep Horn Hill with horse and wagon along a road that ran west to east.
Back in the 1800’s there was very little in the way of infrastructure and whilst the parish based road system of the previous century had been replaced with the innovative turnpike system, (the term turnpike relates to the hinged gate, set across the road that was opened when a toll was paid. Toll houses were setup along the route as were milestones guiding the traveller as to his progress), there was nothing remotely like the road network we have today.
It was during the 1820’s that a solicitor by the name of Giles Russell of Beaminster suggested an alternative to the arduous trek across Horn Hill – rather than go over, why not go through the hill? The proposed turnpike road that included the tunnel would reduce the climb by 100 ft.
The plans were drawn up in 1827 and two years later an application was made to Parliament for a tunnel that was going to stretch 115 yards and would be 20 ft wide. The construction was to be the longest road tunnel of its time. It was on 12 April 1830 that the First Sod Ceremony was carried out on behalf of the Bridport Second Division Turnpike Trust (originally part of the Great Western Turnpike).
The construction used local tradesmen, one of whom was a partner in Bishop & Waygood, maltsters of Beaminster. He and his son were ‘prominently involved in construction and opening of Horn Hill Tunnel’. Lasting two years, the project must have been of great benefit to the local community.
The construction of the tunnel was overseen by engineer Michael Lane who was a pupil of Sir Marc Brunel.
The tunnel is made of a series of brick archways; the walls 3 ft 6” thick and the arches 2 ft 9” thick and the length of the tunnel 345 ft. The new route reduced the gradient from 1 in 6 to 1 in 10 and the distance people had to travel was also reduced by a mile.
The opening ceremony 29 June 1832 was a very grand affair reportedly attended by over 9,000 people. The regional papers reported that ‘about 12 o’clock a great number of gentlemen and most respectable tradesmen met near the market house... with banners flying and a band of music; the first flag having the word ‘Emulation’ on it was carried by Mr Waygood, whose zeal in the cause has always been conspicuous... Commissioners of the Trust... forming a line of upwards of one hundred... Gentlemen on horseback, about two hundred... workmen of different trades employed on the Tunnel each bearing some instrument emblematic of his calling.
There were three 21 gun salutes and a fair was held... a song specially composed to celebrate the event... The day’s events concluded with a fireworks display from the Church tower and the ascent of a large Montgolfeir (hot air) balloon...’
As part of the arrangement, the toll gate was erected on 27 July 1832 and the toll house stood on the triangular piece of land as you approach the tunnel from the north side. The toll keeper not only collected the toll but was also in charge of lighting the gas lamps that would have afforded some light as people travelled through to Beaminster or Crewkerne. The method of thinking behind the toll gates was quite sound, but completely unsuccessful and on 1 January 1881 the toll gate was removed and sadly the toll house demolished in 1963.
View from inside the tunnel. Photograph taken by Edward Lawrence.
Photograph by Jen Burden, taken this afternoon.
A3066 closed due to damage at Beaminster tunnel and Melpash is also causing road problems
