{{Short description|Canal tunnel in England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}

|name = Wast Hill Tunnel

|construction = 1794-97

''' Wast Hill Tunnel''' is a canal tunnel on the [[Worcester and Birmingham Canal]]. Its northern portal is in [[Hawkesley]], [[Birmingham]]. Its southern portal is in fields just outside the city's boundaries, in [[Worcestershire]].<ref name=WBC>

The Wast Hill Tunnel was built in 1796 and is {{convert|2726|yd|m}} long, making it one of the longest in the country.<ref name=WBC/> There are several [[ventilation shaft]]s along its length which were initially used for the tunnel's construction.<ref name=geograph>The central airshaft once had a steam driven fan for smoke clearance.

{{cite web |author=David Stowell|title=Wast Hill Tunnel Southern portal|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/151865|work= |publisher= |year=|accessdate=3 March 2015}}

{{cite web |author=William Dargue|title=Hawkesley, Hawkesley End - West Heath|url=http://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-h/hawkesley-west-heath/|work= |publisher= |year=|accessdate=3 March 2015}}</ref>

== History ==

Work started on the tunnel in 1794 and was completed in 1797.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pearson |first=Wendy |url=http://archive.org/details/kingsnortonpastp0000pear |title=King's Norton : past & present |publisher=Sutton Publishing |others= |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7509-3858-7 |location=[[Stroud]] |page=113 |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Until 1904 canal boats were [[Legging (canals)|legged]] through the tunnel; it took three hours to navigate. Leggers were replaced by a steam tug to pull a chain of barges through.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Clem |date=23 November 1979 |title=Eerie journey in deadly Wast Hill |page=front |work=[[Birmingham Evening Mail]] |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0002139/19791123/001/0001 |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 September 2023 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> The tunnel used to carry telegraph lines placed through iron brackets attached to the roof.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/nicholsonsouth4t0000unse |title=Ordnance Survey Guide to the Waterways I. South |publisher=[[Ordnance Survey]] & [[Nicholson Guides]] |isbn=978-0-948576-31-7 |edition=4th |publication-date=1989 |page=189 |language=en |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> On 23 November 1979, two workmen were killed when part of the tunnel roof collapsed while undergoing repair.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bailey |first=Jackie |first2=Keith |last2=Wootton |date=23 November 1979 |title=Men die in city tunnel tomb |page=front |work=[[Birmingham Evening Mail]] |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0002139/19791123/001/0001 |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 September 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref> The tunnel remained closed until 30 May 1981.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 May 1981 |title=Death tunnel re-opens |page=front |work=[[Birmingham Evening Mail]] |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002139/19810530/003/0003 |url-access=subscription |access-date=3 September 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}</ref>