Slieve Bignian tunnel, Silent Valley Reservoir, Head Road, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4PU

The tunnel conveying the headwaters of the Annalong River into the Silent Valley reservoir emerges from the west side of Slieve Bignian through a segmental opening edged with a stepped vee-jointed concrete blocks. The rock above the opening is also faced with vee-jointed blocks in regular courses, above which is a section of shuttered concrete bearing the date ‘1952’. The wall is topped with ashlar granite blocks. The intake to the tunnel is in the Annalong Valley - see HB16/01/041. The water flows along a concrete-lined open channel into a circular concrete pipe underneath the road and bank which feeds into the reservoir. The parapets on either side of the road are of roughly dressed granite blocks in regular courses with quarry faced copings. The east parapet bears a bronze plaque commemorating the tunnel’s opening in 1952. The end of the pipe is embellished with a horseshoe shaped trimming of vee-jointed cement blocks. The bank is similarly faced. The water discharges onto a shallow apron pitched with large granite blocks.