Saundersfoot Railway Tunnel (North )

Cadw's description

Location

On the coastal pedestrian route between Saundersfoot and Wiseman's Bridge, known now as the Miners' Walk. It is one of a group of three tunnels on the Countryside Commission's Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

History

These tunnels are part of the Saundersfoot Railway, which was authorised under an Act of 31 June 1829, promoted by Sir Richard Philipps and others. The planned branch to Wiseman's Bridge was estimated to cost £2131. It was not immediately built, but the S tunnel was in use by 1832 and the others by 1834. The railway was laid to the gauge of 4 ft (1.2 m), and the tunnels were built to a width and height of 2.4 m. They served the important traffic between Saundersfoot and Stepaside, which was especially important as the iron industry there developed. The railway was never used officially for public transport. In 1874 a locomotive was introduced on this line for the first time, specially constructed for the limited dimensions of the tunnels. The track was re-laid to carry it. The locomotive was a saddle-tank design by Manning Wardle. The railway remained in use until 1939 when the rails were scrapped. The route is now a public walk.

Exterior

Tunnel N portal and partial lining in local Carboniferous sandstone. In places where firmer strata were encountered the native rock was left unlined. The lining is generally 0.3 m in thickness. The width is 2.4 m and the walls 1.2 m high vertically with a semicircular vault. The tunnel is about 100 m in length, mostly lined. The tunnel includes a large stone embankment at the point where it emerges at the N. (Most of the remainder of the route to Wiseman's bridge is on an artificial embankment, but almost entirely reconstructed in concrete.)

Reason for designation

Listed as an important relic of an exceptionally early railway and for group value with the other listed relics of the railway.