Give us our view back

It’s turning out to be a year of special anniversaries with 250th birthday celebrations for both novelist Jane Austen and esteemed artist JMW Turner.

However, this year also marks the 200th anniversary of our railways, and one of the links between the World Heritage City of Bath and the nearby village of Box is Brunel’s Great Western Railway. 

Varian Tye writes to point out that in some ways, both the Box and the Middle Hill Tunnels on that route provide impressive gateways into and out of Bath. 

He suggests that perhaps it was part of Brunel’s original vision for how his line would approach and leave the World Heritage City? Gateways, which some may argue,  enhance the wider setting of the historic city and approaches to it?

Be that as it may, he continues:

“This year marks the  200th anniversary of Railways https://railway200.co.uk/, and it is therefore sad to see one of its most important railway structures, the iconic Box Tunnel Portal by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, in need of repair.

Furthermore, that public views of the portal, including its impressive downward sloping stone returns, and views of trains, including steam trains which thunder through the tunnel, are once more starting to be obscured by vegetation growth on the embankments, when seen from the safety of the purpose-built public viewing platform off the main A4 and busy road

It is understood that Network Rail, as yet, regrettably, has no firm dates for the reinstatement of the missing section of stone balustrade to be replaced. Any works proposed, I hope, will also address the large root, which has embedded itself in the area of stone work below the balustrade and appears to have caused movement in the surrounding stonework.

Indeed, this section of historic balustrade may have been taken down due to concerns over its structural stability and potential to fall on the railway line below.? The large root may have established itself due to past inappropriate remedial works to clear vegetation from this area of the portal.

Likewise, it appears NR  have no firm dates and money allocated for works to cut back excessive vegetation on either side of the railway embankment.

Network Rail are ‘guardians’ of this Grade II * listed building of national importance. It is a testimony to one of the country’s greatest railway engineers, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Visitors come to Box to wonder at Brunel’s feat of engineering from afar, to gaze at the entrance to what was at one time the longest railway tunnel in the world, and to see steam trains thundering through it, from the safety of the viewing platform. 

This year, Railway 200 celebrates this country’s great railway history, and the importance Brunel played in this should not be underestimated.

There is a need for NR to confirm, in writing, a definite date when these works will occur and also accept that the vegetation growth on the embankments, which although may not be considered to them priority for work, impacts on the important wider setting of the tunnel portal and how residents and visitors appreciate one of the wonders of the railway age.

 I am concerned they will seek to view the tunnel and trains, due to the vegetation which will continue to grow in the summer months, not from the safety of the viewing platform but from the middle of the Brunels listed railway bridge, on a very narrow path or on the side of the bridge which has no footpath at all, which directly overlooks the tunnel and railway line.

An accident waiting to happen, especially when the steam trains are running and large numbers of visitors with cameras come to Box to see and experience the sight and smell of steam trains travelling through and out of the tunnel at speed.

If the works could be programmed to happen this year, this would help highlight Railway 200. Box Tunnel and Brunel. What an appropriate way to celebrate Railway 200

If you and your readers are also concerned with the condition of the Box Tunnel Portal, and agree that the vegetation should be cut back,  can you please consider expressing your concern by writing to Network Rail comms_service@mailln.custhelpcom with a copy to Historic England,  southwest@historicengland.org.uk.

Thank you, Varian. I have sent a copy of this to Network Rail.