Trent And Mersey Canal Harecastle Tunnel Portals And Attached Retaining Walls

SJ 85 SW; 613-1/1/169

STOKE ON TRENT, TUNSTALL, Trent and Mersey Canal

Harecastle Tunnel Portals and attached retaining walls

31/10/89

GV

II

Pair of canal tunnel portals and retaining walls. 1766-7. By James Brindley and 1824-7 by Thomas Telford. Brown brick, rock-faced ashlar and coursed rubble with ashlar dressings. Brindley's brick tunnel portal set back to the left with a segmental arched entrance and an ashlar coped facing wall. Telford's rock-faced ashlar tunnel portal to the right with a segmental rusticated ashlar entrance arch, flanked by pilaster buttresses. This entrance is now masked by a C20 coursed rubble fanhouse, with a square tunnel entrance and above two large metal-framed windows. Telford's original facing wall is topped by an ashlar pulvinated frieze and plain coped parapet, to the right this wall curves and slopes to the ground. To the left the wall adjoins Brindley's tunnel portal, it is broken in the centre by a gap, with flanking pilaster buttresses, leading to pairs of long flights of steps rising between the walls.

Listing NGR: SJ8490051766