4.
Lapal (or Lappal) Tunnel
The
3,795 yard Lapal Tunnel was built as part of Dudley No2 Canal in 1798,
connecting the industrial area around Dudley with the Worcester Birmingham
Canal without crossing the waters of the neighbouring Birmingham Canal
Navigations.
Western Portal - now buried
This
tunnel was built to minimalist proportions offering a very tight seven feet
nine inches at the waterline and six feet of headroom. This confined channel
resulted in slow passages and transit by legging or poling took up to three
hours.
California Portal
During
its construction its brick lining was supplied by the ill-fated Lapal Brick
Tunnel Company of California, near the southern portal and owned by one John Garlick. He installed various brick making machines,
but none would work satisfactorily. Being a very impulsive and quick tempered
man he became enraged at the constant failure to get good results and one
Sunday morning he was found attacking a recently installed machine with a
sledge hammer, breaking it to pieces. Shades of Basil Fawlty come to mind and
unsurprisingly his limited company failed within a year and Garlick was
declared bankrupt.
In
an attempt to address the slow speed of passage caused by the narrow dimensions
an innovative steam engine and scoop wheel was introduced in 1841 at the Halesowen
end along with stop gates. This allowed the owners to alter water levels at
either end and help flush boats through.
Exploring the Lapal collapse
Following
extensive mining subsidence a number of collapses occurred and the tunnel was
finally closed in 1917. Whilst the Lapal is lost, its dimensions are mirrored
in the much shorter 563 yard Gosty Hill Tunnel, also on the Dudley No2 Canal. Progress
through its restricted channel is nothing short of glacial, especially when
towing, and provides an interesting insight into the frustrations of passing
the much longer Lapal Tunnel a few miles to the south.
Today
the Lapal tunnel remains collapsed in several locations, its portals covered
over and is bisected by an M5 cutting, with no prospect of reopening. However, restoration plans are in hand for the
Dudley No2, but this time using a flight of locks supported by back pumps.
All photos are sourced from the internet
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