Trevithick Tunnel
The tunnel is an integral part of the tramway and one of the main
features on the trail as it is the Oldest Railway Tunnel in the World.
The new path was constructed directly above the tunnel which is
approximately 110m in length and built with dressed sandstone.
It was Richard Trevithick’s idea to tunnel under the calcining kilns of
the Plymouth Ironworks.
The chimney stack on the Trevithick engine was built so that it could be
lowered in order to negotiate the restricted headroom.
The path below was constructed alongside the tunnel entrance which was
formed in 1984 as part of a land reclamation scheme. The gradient of the
tunnel falls North to South at a slope of 1 in 50 and was most likely self
draining.