Shrewley Canal Tunnel was completed in 1799 as part of the then Warwick and Birmingham Canal. Since 1929 the tunnel has been part of the Grand Union Canal. A tunnel rather than a deep cutting was essential as the route of the canal passes directly under the village of Shrewley.
The tunnel is 396 metres (433 yards) long and at 4.9 metres (16 feet) wide allows two narrowboats to cross within. As it has no towpath, boats would have been ‘legged’ through the tunnel with horses taking a path over the top. Even the horses had a tunnel of their own as the path down to the northern portal includes a 37 metre long horse tunnel.
The tunnel has deep cuttings on each side and these cut through formations dating from the Triassic Period. It is notoriously wet inside, with water descending from the roof at frequent intervals.
