Milford Tunnel, Railway tunnel in Belper, England
Milford Tunnel is a double-track railway passage that runs beneath Chevin hill and links Duffield and Belper on the Midland Main Line. The tunnel extends for approximately 780 meters through solid rock, with two portals featuring different architectural styles.
This tunnel was engineered by George and Robert Stephenson in 1840 for the North Midland Railway and ranked as the second-longest tunnel on that network at the time. Its construction represented a major achievement in early railway engineering and enabled rail routes through challenging terrain.
The north portal shows Saxon-influenced architecture with seven concentric stone rings, which stands apart from the more standard design of the south portal. These differences reflect different building phases and construction techniques of that era.
The tunnel remains in active use and can only be viewed from the outside, as it carries regular train traffic on a working railway line. Visitors should approach the portals from safe public access points and exercise caution when watching passing trains.
A mysterious tower stands atop the hill above the tunnel, which likely served as an alignment marker during its construction or later for monitoring train passage. This structure remains an intriguing relic of Victorian engineering ingenuity.
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