Long tunnels

Best estimates suggest that there are around 600 disused railway tunnels in the UK - some of them are extraordinary structures. Below is a list of 45 which are over 1,000 yards in length. The longest exceeds 3 miles.

We don't claim that it's definitive - if you know of one we've missed (or you can provide a missing picture), please drop us an email.

The known status of the two portals is given in brackets alongside the bore type, with the south/west portal described first.
Click here for the key.
The 'Info' entry goes to a story, gallery or external website (highlighted in red) giving more information or pictures of that tunnel. By clicking on a red 'Location' name, you'll be taken to an OS map showing where to find it.
Woodhead (New) 5,346 yds
Opened 1954 Company British Rail
Closed 1981 Bore Double (gate/gate)
Location Dunford Bridge, South Yorks
Info Gallery
Standedge (Up & Down South) 5,342 yds
Opened D1849 Company London & North Western
U1871 Bore Singles (gate/gate)
Closed 1966 Location Marsden, West Yorkshire
Info Story
Woodhead (Down & Up) 5,302 yds
Opened D1845 Company (D) Shf Ash & Man, (Up) Man Shf & Linc
U1852 Bore Singles (gate/gate)
Closed 1954 Location Dunford Bridge, South Yorks
Info Story
Rhondda 3,443 yds
Opened 1890 Company Rhondda & Swansea Bay
Closed 1968 Bore Single (buried/buried)
Location nr Treherbert, Sth Wales
Info Gallery
Catesby 2,997 yds
Opened 1898 Company Great Central
Closed 1966 Bore Double (gate/gate)
Location nr Daventry, Northants
Info Gallery
Victoria 2,706 yds
Opened 1849 Company London & North Western
Closed 1972 Bore Double (open/open)
Location Liverpool
Info Gallery
Bolsover 2,624 yds
Opened 1897 Company Lancashire Derbyshire & East Coast
Closed 1951 Bore Double (buried/bricked)
Location Bolsover, Derbyshire
Info Story
Queensbury 2,501 yds
Opened 1878 Company Great Northern
Closed 1956 Bore Double (flooded/gate)
Location Queensbury, West Yorks
Info Gallery
Merthyr (Abernant) 2,497 yds
Opened 1853 Company Vale of Neath
Closed 1962 Bore Single (gate/gate)
Location Merthyr Tydfil, Sth Wales
Info Gallery
Gildersome 2,331 yds
Opened 1900 Company London & North Western
Closed 1966 Bore Double (buried/door)
Location nr Morley, West Yorks
Info Gallery
Drewton 2,114 yds
Opened 1885 Company Hull & Barnsley
Closed 1959 Bore Double (obstructed/gate)
Location nr South Cave, East Yorks
Info Gallery
Wapping 2,111 yds
Opened 1830 Company London & North Western
Closed 1972 Bore Double (unknown/unknown)
Location Liverpool
Info Gallery
Wenvoe 1,868 yds
Opened 1889 Company Barry Dock & Railway
Closed 1963 Bore Double (fenced/gate)
Location nr Cardiff
Info Gallery
Combe Down 1,829 yds
Opened 1874 Company Somerset & Dorset
Closed 1966 Bore Single (open/open)
Location Bath
Info Gallery
Glenfield 1,796 yds
Opened 1832 Company Leicester & Swannington
Closed 1966 Bore Single (door/buried)
Location nr Leicester
Info Story
Harecastle South 1,766 yds
Opened 1848 Company North Staffordshire
Closed 1966 Bore Double (gate/unknown)
Location nr Kidsgrove, Staffs
Info Gallery
Burdale 1,746 yds
Opened 1853 Company Malton & Driffield Junction
Closed 1958 Bore Single (door/door)
Location nr Malton, North Yorks
Info Gallery
Sandsend 1,652 yds
Opened 1883 Company North Eastern
Closed 1958 Bore Single (wall/collapsed)
Location Sandsend, North Yorks
Info Gallery
Ramsgate 1,638 yds
Opened 1863 Company South Eastern & Chatham
Closed 1926 Bore Double (door/unknown)
Location Ramsgate, Kent
Info 28 Days Later
Cymmer 1,595 yds
Opened 1878 Company Great Western
Closed 1970 Bore Single (door/buried)
Location nr Maesteg, Sth Wales
Info Gallery
Colwall Old 1,567 yds
Opened 1860 Company Great Western
Closed 1926 Bore Single (door/unknown)
Location nr Great Malvern
Info History of the two tunnels
Lees Moor 1,533 yds
Opened 1884 Company Great Northern
Closed 1956 Bore Double (gate/wall)
Location nr Keighley, West Yorks
Info Gallery
Thackley (Old South) 1,496 yds
Opened 1845 Company Midland
Closed 1968 Bore Double (gate/gate)
Location nr Shipley, West Yorks
Info Gallery
Lydgate 1,332yds
Opened 1856 Company London & North Western
Closed 1964 Bore Double (door/bricked)
Location nr Oldham, Gtr Manchester
Info Gallery
Pontypridd (Graig /Treforest) 1,323 yds
Opened 1889 Company Barry
Closed 1951 Bore Double (door/bricked)
Location Pontypridd, Sth Wales
Info Gallery
Boniface Down (Ventnor) 1,313 yds
Opened 1866 Company Isle of Wight
Closed 1966 Bore Single (door/door)
Location nr Ventnor, Isle of Wight
Info Isle of Wight Nostalgia
London Road 1,313 (g) yds
Opened 1897 Company Caledonian
Closed 1964 Bore Double (gate/door)
Location Glasgow
Info Gallery
Clifton Hall 1,298 yds
Opened 1850 Company London & North Western
Closed 1953 Bore Double (buried/buried)
Location Pendlebury, Gtr Manchester
Info Story
Barnsdale 1,226 yds
Opened 1885 Company Hull & Barnsley
Closed 1959 Bore Double (fence/fence)
Location nr South Elmsall, Sth Yorks
Info Gallery
Ballingham 1,208 yds
Opened 1855 Company Hereford Ross & Gloucester
Closed 1964 Bore Single (open/open)
Location nr Hereford
Info Gallery
Whitrope 1,208 yds
Opened 1862 Company North British
Closed 1969 Bore Double (gate/gate)
Location nr Newcastleton, Scottish Borders
Info Gallery
Mansfield Road 1,189 yds
Opened 1898 Company Great Central
Closed 1968 Bore Double (door/buried)
Location Nottingham
Info Gallery
Tidenham 1,188 yds
Opened 1876 Company Great Western
Closed 1986 Bore Single (fenced/gate)
Location nr Chepstow, Monmouthshire
Info Gallery
Pinnock 1,173 yds
Opened 1874 Company Cornwall Minerals
Closed 1968 Bore Double (open/open)
Location nr Fowey, Cornwall
Info 28 Days Later
Mapperley 1,132 yds
Opened 1876 Company Great Northern
Closed 1960 Bore Double (buried/open)
Location nr Nottingham
Info Gallery
Gyfylchi (Tonmawr) 1,109 yds
Opened 1863 Company South Wales Mineral
Closed 1947 Bore Single (door/buried)
Location nr Maesteg
Info Gallery
Haie Hill (Bullo) 1,064 yds
Opened 1854 Company Great Western
Closed 1967 Bore Single (wall/door)
Location nr Cinderford, Gloucs
Info Gallery
Haddon 1,058 yds
Opened 1862 Company Midland
Closed 1968 Bore Double (bricked/door)
Location nr Bakewell, Derbyshire
Info Gallery
Privett 1,058 yds
Opened 1903 Company London & South Western
Closed 1968 Bore Double (door/bricked)
Location nr Peterfield, Hampshire
Info Gallery
Clayton 1,057 yds
Opened 1878 Company Great Northern
Closed 1963 Bore Double (door/buried)
Location nr Bradford, West Yorkshire
Info Gallery
Scotland Street 1,052 yds
Opened 1847 Company Edinburgh, Leith & Newhaven
Closed 1868 Bore Double (gate/gate)
Location Edinburgh
Info Gallery
Morlais 1,037 yds
Opened 1879 Company London & North Western
Closed 1958 Bore Double (bricked/bricked)
Location nr Merthyr Tydfil, Sth Wales
Info Gallery
Kemp Town 1,024 yds
Opened 1869 Company London, Brighton & South Coast
Closed 1971 Bore Single (door/buried)
Location Brighton
Info Disused Stations
Cwmcerwyn 1,012 yds
Opened 1897 Company Port Talbot Railway & Docks
Closed 1964 Bore Single (door/door)
Location Maesteg, Sth Wales
Info Gallery
Annesley 1,001 yds
Opened 1892 Company Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire
Closed 1968 Bore Double (buried/buried)
Location Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts
Info Flickr (single photo)
Some photographs taken from the Geograph/Wikipedia website under Creative Commons licence
Key to portal status
fenced fence (full/partial) with no gate gate fenced (full/part) with gate
wall partial height wall door full height wall with door/gate
bricked full weight wall buried portal lost beneath infill
open portal open obstructed portal open but partly obstructed
flooded portal open but liable to flood collapsed portal partly collasped

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