Box Tunnel in the setting sun
Brunel's Great Western Railway from
London to
Bristol climbed up the valley of the Thames, passed through Goring Gap in the Chilterns alongside the river, then carried on along the Vale of White Horse to
Swindon before crossing the watershed to the valley of the Bristol Avon near
Chippenham. Brunel was then faced with a spur of the
Cotswolds - a lump of high ground blocking his way - that he chose to overcome by a tunnel quite unlike anything else in its day, from
Corsham through to the village of Box, lower down the Avon that made its meandering way on through
Melksham and
Bradford to get to
Bath (see also
Bathcentre and
Morebath).
To this day, Box tunnel remains magnificent in its grandeur - with the Intercity 125 trains looking almost toy-like as they emerge.
There are three MORE tunnels between Box and Bath!
Map locator - Box_Tunnel
An Intercity 125 emerges from Box Tunnel
The Northey Arms, Box
There's a further view of Box from the surrounding hills on our
Colerne page. There's pictures taken near the other end of the tunnel at
Thingley junction where the
Melkshamtrain turns off too.