(Photos 1,2 & 5 © TheNewMendoza, photo 4 & 5 © Smileysal)

Haddon Tunnel threaded the Midland Railway’s Derby-Manchester line beneath the Duke of Rutland’s estate. The delicate gentry at the nearby hall did not want a railway cluttering up their view, though they were no doubt happy to accept lots of cash from the company.

The tunnel features five ventilation shafts - one is the full width of the structure - and extends for 1,058 yards. Although the central part was bored, both ends are products of ‘cut-and-cover’. In these sections, the crown is never more than a few feet below ground. The deepest shaft is only 12 feet.

Building works took a speedy 16 months but were not without incident. A collapse claimed the lives of four construction workers on 2nd July 1861. A fifth succumbed the following day.

The last train passed through the tunnel on 1st July 1968.

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