Cattle Tunnel 170 Metres North West Of Vale Royal Railway Viaduct

The cattle tunnel, located 170 meters north-west of the Vale Royal Railway Viaduct, was constructed in 1837 by George Stephenson and Joseph Locke for Lord Delamere. It is built from blue brick in an English garden wall bond. The entrance features a semi-circular arch that is approximately 3 meters wide and 2.5 bricks thick, leading into a barrel-vaulted tunnel that extends 40 meters through the embankment. At both ends of the tunnel, there are large stone keyblocks with the Delamere arms carved into them. The structure includes flat stone coping on a low parapet and on revetment walls that descend to the ground. Historical records from Henrietta Cholmondeley's notebook indicate that George Stephenson visited her father, Lord Delamere, in 1837, suggesting that this tunnel may have been constructed as a concession for the railway, as the viaduct only provided space for the carriage drive.