Harecastle Tunnel

This is the Trent and Mersey Canal, about 5 miles from where we live. The only way forward by narrowboat is to go through The Harecastle Tunnel, which has to be booked.
At over 1.5 miles long, James Brindley's tunnel was the longest in the country. Channeling through the granite and millstone grit of Harecastle Hill had taken nearly 11 years when it was completed in 1777.
Over 600 miners and masons worked with explosives. It was dangerous work and many of these early navigators lost their lives.