No 214 May 2017

1 www.sihg.org.uk The curved line of the tunnel, marked North of the M25, is clearly visible; www.openstreet map.org

Why the Oxted Tunnel is Curved, see page 6. ‘Approaching Oxted Tunnel’ Grid Ref TQ379537 © Copyright Ian Capper and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence; www.geograph.org.uk/ photo/2268126

Inspiration and Perspiration - Brunelleschi to Whittle (via Marconi), see page 4 Magnetic detector by Marconi used during experiments in 1902. File licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license; https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi

Alan Thomas 1930-2017: A miscellany of images used in Alan’s Newsletter articles, see page 4 Newsletter 214 May 2017 2 SIHG Newsletter No 214 May 2017 Enquires to Programme Co-ordinator Bob Bryson: [email protected]. SIHG Industrial Archaeology Lectures at Guildford The 42nd season starts on 10 October 2017 - alternate Tuesdays, 19:30-21:30 Education Centre, The Cathedral, Guildford (map: www.sihg.org.uk). Single lectures at £5, payable on the night, are open to all. Thursday Morning Lectures at , 10:00-12:00, 5 October - 14 December 2017 Room G6 The Institute, 67 High Street Leatherhead KT22 8AH Non-member full fee £50 SIHG member £45. Please note that attendance is for the full course only

SIHG AGM 15 July & Presentation of the 2017 SIHG Conservation Award for Deek’s Cycle Workshop, SIHG members are most welcome to attend the event and will be given free admittance to the Rural Life Centre , and there will be refreshments after the business of the afternoon. [Se enclosure!]

New pattern of publication for the Industrial History Group Newsletter. The Newsletter is now issued quarterly, covering: February, March & April May, June & July August, September & October November, December & January

Many thanks to all who have sent in contributions. Please send in reports or photos of holiday visits or thoughts on local, national or international Industrial Archaeology by 20 July 2017 for the next SIHG Newsletter! Any articles or images, whether long or just a a brief note will be appreciated - both by the editor and by the readers!

Contents 2 SIHG Meetings; Surrey Industrial History Group Officers 3 Venues, Times & Contacts of other Organizations 1, 4 Alan Hugh Thomas 1930-2017 4 Inspiration and Perspiration - Brunelleschi to Whittle by Alan Thomas 5 Alan Thomas: Contributions to SIHG Newsletters List compiled by Glenys Crocker 1, 6 Why the Oxted Tunnel is Curved by Paul W Sowan 7 Tunnelling in the 1740s by Dr Brian Lawton, Newcomen Society report by Allan Wheeler

Surrey Industrial History Group Officers Chairman, Lectures Organiser & Sales: Robert Bryson [email protected] Secretary: Hugh Anscombe [email protected] Treasurer: (vacant) Acting Treasurer: Robert Bryson ([email protected]) Vice Chairman & Membership Secretary: Pam Taylor [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Jan Spencer [email protected]

SIHG is a group of the Surrey Archaeological Society, Registered Charity No 272098 - Castle Arch Guildford Surrey GU1 3SX Group President: Prof AG Crocker FSA

Published by Surrey Industrial History Group, printed by YesPrint 3 Leafy Oak Workshops Cobbetts Lane Yateley GU17 9LW © SIHG 2017 ISSN 1355-8188 Newsletter 214 May 2017 3

Venues, Times & Contacts

Albury History Society: 20:00; Albury Village Hall, The Street, Inland Waterways Association (IWA): £10/£8; no prior book- Albury, Guildford, Surrey GU5 9AD; ing required; www.waterways.org.uk; 0203 612 9624. http://alburyhistory.org.uk/; Margaret Clarke, 01483 202 Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Enginuity: 10:00-17:00, 294, [email protected]. Ironbridge, Sat Nav TF8 7DQ, Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre: 10:00-17:00; £11/£10; www.ironbridge.org.uk, 01952 433424 Amberley Railway Station BN18 9L; Kent Archaeological Society (KAS): www.amberleymuseum.co.uk; 01798 831370. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk. Ancient Technology Centre: 10:00-16:00; £6; Damerham Kempton Steam Museum: 10:30-16:00, £7/£6; Snakey Lane, Road, Cranborne, Dorset BH21 5RP; (behind school); 01725 off elevated section of A316, Hanworth, Middx; entrance 517618, www.ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk. TW13 7ND; www.kemptonsteam.org; 01932 765328. Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group (BIAG): 19:30; £2- London Canal Museum: Open 10:00-16:30; Talks 19:30, £4/ 50; Garden Room, Watlington House, Watlington Street, £3; 12/13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT; Reading RG1 4RG ; www.biag.org.uk. www.canalmuseum.org.uk; 0207 713 0836. Brewery History Society: [email protected]; London Museum of Water and Steam: Green Dragon Lane, Jeff Sechiari, Membership Secretary, Ford Cottage, 9 Clat- Brentford, Middx TW8 0EN; www.waterandsteam.org.uk; terford Shute, Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight PO30 1PD; 020 8568 4757. www.breweryhistory.co.uk/; Mapledurham, Watermill & House : £9-50/£8-00; 14:00-17:30; Brixton Windmill: second weekend of every month, plus a few Sats, Suns & Bank Hols; Mapledurham, Reading RG4 7TR; extra dates; free; full tour must be booked in advance; drop www.mapledurham.co.uk/the-water-mill, 0118 972 3350 in for short tour; Windmill Gardens, West end of Blenheim or www.mapledurhamwatermill.co.uk, 07710717149. Gardens, Off Brixton Hill, London SW2 5EU; Merton Historical Society: ww.mertonhistoricalsociety.org.uk/. www.brixtonwindmill.org/. Museum of English Rural Life (MERL): open Tue-Fri 09:00- Brooklands: open Summer 10:00-17:00, Winter 10:00-16:00; 17:00, Sat-Sun 14:00-16:30, free/donation; £11/£9.90; Brooklands Rd, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0QN; Redlands Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 5EX, www.brooklandsmuseum.com; 01932 857381. www.reading.ac.uk/merl/; 0118 378 8660. Brunel Museum: Walks from Bermondsey Tube; just turn up Museum of London Docklands: Mon-Sun: 10:00-18:00; Wed 16:30, Sun 10:45; £9/£7. Boat & train from Embank- no.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL; ment tube station (not pier) for Brunel sites along www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands, the Thames; just turn up Tue/Thu/Sat 10:45; £9/£7 [email protected], 020 7001 9844. (+ transport costs). Museum: Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, Newcomen Society London: 17:45, free; London SE16 4LF; 020 7231 3840. http://newcomen.com; new venue - The Dana Studio, Bursledon Brickworks: steam days £6/£5, open days £4/£3; The Dana Centre, 165 Queens Gate, London SW7 5HD. Coal Park Lane, Swanwick, Southampton SO31 7GW; Painshill Park: 10:00-16:00; £8/£7, Between Streets, Cobham, www.bursledonbrickworks.org.uk; 01489 576248. Surrey KT11 1JE; 01932 868 113, www.painshill.co.uk/. Chatham Historic Dockyard: 10:00-18:00, £22/£19-50; Chatham, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard : 10:00-17:30, site ticket, annu- Kent ME4 4TZ; www.thedockyard.co.uk; 01634 823800. al £28/£26; HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ; Council for Kentish Archaeology (CKA): www.historicdockyard.co.uk; 02392 728060. 7, Sandy Ridge, Borough Green, TN15 8HP. Railway and Canal Historical Society :18:30, free? The Rugby Crofton Beam Engines : 10:30-17:00; £8/£7; Tavern, Rugby Street, London WC1N 3ES; ww.rchs.org.uk. Crofton, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3DW. Reigate Caves, Wealden Cave & Mine Society: some Sats, Crossness Pumping Station : 10:30-16:00, £8; The Old Works, 10:00-16:00, £3/£2; Crossness STW, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, London Royal Gunpowder Mills: 10:00-17:00; Beaulieu Drive, SE2 9AQ; www.crossness.org.uk; 020 8311 3711. Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 1JY; £10.50/£9; Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society (CNHSS): www.royalgunpowdermills.com/. 19:45; free? UR Church Hall, Addiscombe Grove, Rural Life Centre: open Summer Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00 + E Croydon CR0 5LP; http://cnhss.co.uk; 0208 668 1431. Bank Holiday Mondays, Winter Wed/Sun 10:00-16:00; Didcot Railway Centre: 10:30-17:00; £10-00/£9-50; Didcot £8-50/£7-50; Old Kiln Museum, Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham, Parkway railway station, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7NJ; Surrey GU10 2DL; www.rural-life.org.uk; 01252 795571. www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk; 01235-817200. STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway: 10:00- Docklands History Group: 18:00, £2; Museum of London 16:00, £8/£6-50; Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2TA; Docklands, No 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, www.steam-museum.org.uk; 01793 466 646. Hertsmere Rd, Canary Wharf, London E14 4AL; Subterranea Britannica: www.subbrit.org.uk. www.docklandshistorygroup.org.uk; 01689 851982. Sussex Industrial Archaeological Society (SIAS) : Gatwick Aviation Museum: Open Friday, Saturday and Sun- www.sussexias.co.uk. days; 09:30-15:30; £7-50; Vallance-Byways, Lowfield Twyford Waterworks: 11:00-16:00, £5/£4; Hazeley Road, Heath Road, RH6 0BT; http://www.gatwick- Twyford, Hampshire SO21 1QA; aviation-museum.co.uk/; 01293 862417. www.twyfordwaterworks.co.uk; 01962 714716. Greater London Industrial History Society (GLIAS): 18:30; Watercress Line, Mid Hants Railway: all day travel £14, free The Gallery, Alan Baxter Associates, 75 Cowcross Street on non-running days; Station Rd, Alresford, (rear entrance), Farringdon, EC1; www.glias.org.uk. Hants SO24 9JG; (or Station Rd, Alton, Hants GU34 2PZ); Greenwich Industrial History: 19:30, £1; Old Bakehouse, rear www.watercressline.co.uk; 01962 733810. of Age Exchange Centre, opp Blackheath Stn, Bennett Park, Weald & Downland Living Museum, £13/£12; Summer 10:30- 11 Blackheath Village, SE3 9LA; no parking; 18:00, Winter 10:30-16:00, Singleton, Chichester, West http://greenwichindustrialhistory.blogspot.com. Sussex PO18 0EU; www.wealddown.co.uk; 01243 811348. Hampshire Industrial Archaeology Society (HIAS): 19:45, Wealden Iron Research Group (WIRG): free; Underhill Centre, St. John's Road, Hedge End, www.wealdeniron.org.uk/, [email protected] Hants SO30 4AF; www.hias.org.uk; 01962 855200. Westcott Local History Group: 20:00, £1; Westcott Reading Honeywood Museum: open Wed-Fri 11:00-17:00, Room, Institute Rd, Westcott, RH4 3NP; Sat-Sun, BH Mon 10:00-17:00, free; . www.westcotthistory.org.uk. Honeywood Walk, Carshalton SM6 3NX. Wey & Arun Canal Trust: The Granary, Flitchfold Farm, Lox- Honeywood Museum Friends: 19:30, £4-50; wood, Billingshurst West Sussex, RH14 0RH; www.friendsofhoneywood.co.uk; 020 8770 4297. [email protected]; 01403 752403 Holmesdale Natural History Club: 20:00; The Museum, 14 (Monday - Friday 09:30 - 13:30) Croydon Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0PG, holmes- [email protected]; www.hnhc.co.uk. Newsletter 214 May 2017 4 Alan Hugh Thomas 1930-2017 It is with great sadness that I have to report the death of Alan Thomas on Monday 30 January. He was an active SIHG committee member and for about fifteen years, until July 2013, the group’s honorary secretary. Alan joined SIHG twenty years ago, after retiring from a career in defence telecommunication. Born and educated in Rugby, he was commissioned in the Army as a Radio Technician and went on to study Engineering at Birmingham University. Alan wrote 29 articles for the Newsletter as well many reports of events and lectures. He gave talks to the Group himself on a wide range of subjects, from jet engines to Brunelleschi’s dome. His articles were always thought-provoking, for example questioning ‘Who invented the Aeroplane?’ and discussing which was ‘The First Modern Car’. His last article ‘Whittle and the Jet Engine -- Alternative Perspectives’ was published recently in the November 2016 issue of the Newsletter. Several members of the Group attended a service to celebrate Alan’s life at St Martin of Tours Church in Epsom, and afterwards a reception at his house, on 1 February. He leaves behind two sons, both of whom live in the USA with their families, his wife Jean having died some six years ago. RB

Reprinted from SIHG Newsletter May 2005 - report by Alan on his SIHG Lecture, 8 March 2005 Inspiration and Perspiration - Brunelleschi to Whittle by Alan Thomas The title referred to the well-known dictum of authorities, he came to England and demonstrated Thomas Edison that ‘Genius is l% inspiration and his equipment to the chief engineer of the Post 99% perspiration’. The lecture illustrated the truth of Office. It is important to note that, unlike most this by considering the work of three inventors, inventors, he was a gentleman, which even more Brunelleschi, Marconi and Whittle to show the than money (supplied initially by his mother) gave essential requirements for a successful invention - a him an advantage in making contact with influential timely inspiration, the securing of financial and people. Success very soon followed, due as much to material support, and the development of all the his entrepreneurial and publicity talents as engineering subsidiary inventions needed to make the ‘big idea’ skills. He was a great experimenter, and made dis- work. Great qualities of determination, dedication coveries in advance of scientific theory, notably in and leadership are needed to convince sceptics, so as transmitting across the Atlantic and showing the to obtain the necessary support, and to drive the potential of high frequency beam transmission. He project through to completion. also demonstrated microwave transmission and the principles of radar and guidance systems. Leonardo da Vinci is often thought of as a great inventor, but he only covered the first stage of the Whittle trained in the RAF as an aircraft mechanic process, namely inspiration. For the most part his and was selected to undergo officer training at ideas, however revolutionary, were not developed Cranwell. He was an excellent pilot but, after taking into successful inventions because no support was a first-class degree at Cambridge, was allowed to forthcoming from his various patrons - the ideas develop his ideas, first expressed in 1930, as a newly- lacked the necessary timeliness, that of filling a commissioned pilot officer, for the design of a jet perceived and vital need. engine. His contacts made at Cranwell and in the Service enabled him to set up Power Jets Ltd. to Brunelleschi was a goldsmith in 15th-century develop the engine, and he was posted to the company Florence, who was successful in a competition to de- as chief engineer in 1936. He therefore had great vise means of constructing the great dome of the support from the RAF, and although it is often cathedral there, which had been designed at the end thought that his ideas were rejected by the Royal of the 13th century to be the largest in the world Aircraft Establishment, this is not true, and his (and remains so today). He devised a means of programme from 1936 took priority over a parallel building it without the use of wooden centring, programme led by RAE. Convincing industry of the which seems incredible today but nevertheless the merit of his ideas was more difficult, and disputes dome has stood for nearly 600 years. Support was probably led to a two year delay in getting his jet provided by the city, because there was no alterna- engine into service. Whittle’s most important contri- tive except abandonment and the consequent loss of bution was to the theory of turbine and compressor prestige among the rival city-states. Subsidiary design, which enabled his experimental engine to inventions included a means of setting-out the run successfully without separate testing of these structure, an ox-driven crane with reversing gear and two elements. He met RAE’s criticism that a pure jet a tower crane. engine would have poor propulsive efficiency by Marconi, as the first radio amateur, repeated the inventing the by-pass turbojet, now in universal use. experiments into wireless transmission reported by Work on this started in 1944, but ceased when the scientists of the day, and extended the range of Power Jets, following pressure from the aero-engine transmission to the extent that he believed that a industry, was precluded from developing complete practicable means of wireless communication could engines. ¤ be devised. Having been rebuffed by the Italian Newsletter 214 May 2017 5

Alan Thomas, Secretary of SIHG 1998 – 2013, Contributions to SIHG Newsletters List compiled by Glenys Crocker

Articles Reports and Reviews ‘Naval fire control systems – the contribution of Arthur SIHG Conservation Award to London Bus Preservation Pollen’, 109 (May 1999). 12-16 Trust, 112 (Nov .1999). 9-10 ‘The wrong sort of collision’ [the Titanic disaster], Lecture report: ‘The Horsham & Guildford Direct Railway’, 121 (May 2001), 11-14 by Gordon Knowles, 118 (Nov. 2000), 6 ‘The two Queen Marys’, 128 (July 2002), 9-10 Conservation Award to Rodborough Buildings, ‘Waterwheels – some curiosities’, Guildford. 118 (Nov. 2000), 8 130 (November 2002), 14-15 Lecture report: ‘Retrieving intact – saving large fragile ‘Kew and Laxey – design puzzles’, structures’, by John Price, 119 (Jan 2001), 10-11 [SIHG lecture reported by Robert Bryson] Lecture reports: ‘Eadweard Muybridge – father of 132 (March 2003),11-12 cinematography’, by Paul Hill; ‘Research skills ‘Horton hospital, the pumping station and electricity for industrial history’, by Grahame Boyes, generating works’, [lecture at Conservation 120 (March 2001)’ 6-8 Award presentation reported by Gordon Lecture report: “The engineering and history of Knowles], 135 (September 2003), 6-9 ‘Rocket’”, 124 (Nov. 2001) 16 ‘In defence of Cornish engines’, Mysterious object at Gatton Park, 125 (Jan. 2002), 13 135 (September 2003), 13-17. South East Film & Video Archive, 125 (Jan. 2002), 14 ‘Mysterious structures – Castle Mill, ’, [Query], Restoration at , 126 (March 2002), 9 137 (January 2004), 16 Lecture report: ‘Tide Mills’, by David Plunkett, ‘The Kempton great engines restored to steam’, 126 (March 2002), 13-14 142 (November 2004), 8, 13 Lecture report, ‘Sanitary potteries of south Derbyshire’, ‘Inspiration and perspiration – Brunelleschi to Whittle’, by Janet Spavold, 130 (November 2002), 8-9 [SIHG lecture], 145 (May 2005), 13-14 Lecture report: ‘Hops and hop picking’, by ‘RMS Titanic’ [SIHG members evening], Richard Filmer, 132 (March 2003), 10-11 156 (March 2007), 8-10 Lecture report: ‘Rockets, rains and Roman candles’, ‘The Kew Bridge Steam Museum and the Bull Engine’, by Gerry Moss, 136 (November 2003), 6-7 162 (March 2008), 16-18, 20 Lecture report: ‘Heady days: brewing history and ‘Some observations on the Mickleham pumphouse’ archaeology’, by Mike Bone, 148 (Nov 2005), 8 [see 164, 16-17], 165 (Sept 2008), 13 Lecture report: ‘Sir Henry Bessemer’, by Denis Smith, ‘Radiators’, [SIHG members’ evening], 149 (January 2006), 10-11 168 (March 2009), 9-10 Book review: Guildford via Cobham - the origins and ‘Who invented the aeroplane?’, 171 (Sept 2009), 10-12 impact of a country railway, by Howard ‘Art or Archaeology?’ [public art in Seattle], Mallinson, 153 (September 2006), 13-14 172 (November 2009), 8-9 Lecture report: ‘Sheffield iron, steel, landscape ‘The Klondike gold rush of 1896-99’ (part 1), and craft skills’, by Christine Ball, 173 (Jan. 2010), 13-15 154 (November 2006), 9-10 ‘The Klondike gold rush of 1896-99’ (part 2), Lecture report: ‘The introduction of the 174 (March 2010), 12-15 electric telegraph in Britain’, by John Liffen, ‘Sir George Cayley, the Wright brothers and the 155 (January 2007), 7-8 achievement of controlled, powered and Book review: From Trees to Treasures, The story of sustained flight’, [SIHG lecture] Henry Jackson MBE, 157 (May 2007), 12-13 180 (March 2011), 8-10 Reports: SERIAC 2007, University of Reading, ‘The first modern car?’ [SIHG members’ evening], Berkshire, 160 (Nov. 2007), 10-11 186 (March 2012), 15 Lord Lovelace and his bridges, 157 (May 2007), ’Travel comfort: vehicle springing over the ages’, The Lovelace bridges (Conservation Award 2007), 190 (November 2012), 8-10 160 (Nov. 2007), 10-12 ‘Rattler v Alecto – a bogus demonstration’, SIHG Award to Horsley CPS for the Lovelace 191 (January. 2013), 12-14 Bridges project, 160 (Nov. 2007), 14 ‘Notorious capsizes’, 195 (September 2013), 10-14 Reports: SERIAC 2007, University of Reading, ‘The restoration of the Thames Ditton gantry crane’, Berkshire, 160 (Nov. 2007), 10-11 196 (November 2013), 10-12 Lecture to members’ evening: Radiators, ‘Politics and propaganda – the loss of the Hindenburg’, 168 (March 2009) 9-10 part 1, 199 (May 2014)16-17 Report of SIHG Award: Kempton Great Engines, ‘Politics and propaganda – the loss of the Hindenburg’, 172 (Nov. 2009), 7 part 2, 200 (July 2014), 16-18 SIHG Award to Surrey Heath Archaeological and ‘Domes’ (part 1), 206 (July 2015), 9-10 Heritage Trust, 182 (July 2011), 14-15 ’Domes’ (part 2), 207 (September 2015), 10-12 News summary: Industrial archaeology in South-east ‘Whittle and the jet engine: alternative perspectives’, England, 2010-11, 183 (Sept 2011), 16-18 212 (November. 2016), 10-17 Members’ Evening talk: The first modern car? 186 (March 2012), 15 Report: SIHG Award to Rural Life Centre for replica iron furnace, 188 (July 2012), 8 Report: IA 2011-12 in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, 189 (Sept 2012), 15-16 Press release: SIHG Award to Wealden Cave and

Mine Society, 195 (Sept 2013), 9 ¤ Newsletter 214 May 2017 6 Why the Oxted Tunnel is Curved by Paul W Sowan For the purposes of this note, the ‘Oxted line’ is the 3. A straight line tunnel would have passed eight or nine miles of railway between South below the highest ground in the area, much Croydon and Oxted stations. The easiest routes of it above 800 feet above sea level, necessi- southward from Croydon had by 1865 already been tating several very deep shafts, and the costs taken by the London & Brighton and South Eastern of sinking them, raising and lowering men, Railways (jointly, Brighton line opening in 1841) animals and materials, and also pumping out and the branch line from Purley to Caterham water encountered. opened in 1856. The Oxted line called for heavy 4. The curved tunnel runs under lower ground civil engineering. Very little of it could be laid and avoids several of these problems. Most directly on the natural ground surface: most of the significantly, it allowed savings on shaft line being on embankments or in cuttings and the sinking and operating costs. The cost per Riddlesdown and Oxted tunnels. yard depth excavated for a shaft had to be The line for the Surrey & Sussex Junction Railway considered as well as the cost per yard of was authorised in or about 1865, and although tunnel advance. work was commenced by the Wythes partnership It is instructive to take footpaths from Woldingham promptly enough, all work ceased in 1867 as a station and through or alongside Great Church Wood result of the Overend Gurney bank failure. The following on the surface the line of the tunnel below. SSJR was ~ thereafter simply a company ‘on This is easily done, as lengths of rail have been paper’ until wound up. From Croydon to Oxted the placed vertically to indicate the route from shaft abandoned SSJR earthworks were completed for top to shaft top, and spoil bank to spoil bank. There the new Croydon, Oxted & East Grinstead Railway are two high points where surveying observatory between 1880 and 1884, the contractor being foundations might be expected, although I have Joseph Firbank [1819 - 1886]. noted no such features. Shaft three (from the north A very curious feature of the line is that the longer - they are all numbered) is on particularly awkward (Oxted) tunnel of 2,266 yards is relentlessly curved steeply sloping ground, and diligent searching will throughout, obviously making it significantly longer reveal lumps of coal indicative of a stationary than a dead straight tunnel from portal to portal. steam engine even at this difficult location. But did the curvature and additional length make it It is an interesting question how the shaft locations more expensive? Possibly not, and possibly cheaper, I were determined by the surveyor on such steeply think. Although I cannot claim a definitive answer, sloping ground. A baseline and offsets might have I suspect several factors led to the SSJR engineer been the answer? Between shafts three and four is and surveyor opting for a long curved tunnel (a rare significantly lower ground before you reach the thing in Victorian railway construction). highest point just short of the road along the crest 1. The easiest line in engineering and cost of the North Downs escarpment, from where there terms would have passed close to the is (a little way down a descending footpath) a Mansion at Marden Park, and traversed the splendid view along the surface line into Oxted. tranquil Marden Park valley, most unwel- Another curious feature of the tunnel is that it come propositions from the owner’s and diverts ground-water from two square miles of the occupier’s points of view. Apart from where Wandle catchment southwards into the Weald. The the line as built crosses the carriage drive to tunnel is self-draining, having a gradient down-hill the mansion, it is hidden in a cutting leading from a line summit near Woldingham station, and to the tunnel’s north portal. through the tunnel, beyond which it is discharged 2. A straight line tunnel from portal to portal into a brook. Those working water-mills on the would have passed under Great Church river Wandle appear to have had a grasp of hydro- Wood, ancient woodland which may well at geology as they opposed the driving of the tunnel the time have been a valued timber resource. and the loss of water it would cause. It is a short The half a dozen or more shafts from which and in parts steep walk down to the suburbs of most of the spoil created by driving the tunnel Oxted, and Oxted station, or you may opt to return would be lifted to dump on the surface to the station for Woldingham. would have meant massive disturbance with- For a fuller account of Firbank’s work at this in the woodland, especially as the shaft tops tunnel from 1880 - 1884 reference should be made would have been working sites with, 1881 to the author’s article ‘Messrs. Warings’ and Census returns suggest, stationary steam Joseph Firbank’s contributions to building the engines to raise and lower men, haulage Oxted line, east Surrey, 1865 - 67 and 1880 - 1883’ beasts and materials as well as spoil. in the Bourne Society Local History Records 39 (for Roadways to the shaft tops for delivering 2000), 51 - 65. ¤ coal, bricks, and everything else would have been needed. And clear sight lines through the trees would be necessary for fixing the positions of the shaft centres. Newsletter 214 May 2017 7

SIHG Guildford Lecture 17 November 2015 Tunnelling in the 1740s by Dr Brian Lawton, Newcomen Society, report by Allan Wheeler

Fig.1. Undated postcard view of Coleshill House (from www.coleshillhouse.com)

The subtitle of this talk was ‘Coleshill House In driving the North tunnel, gas was encountered, Water Mine’. The house, which was situated near most likely carbon dioxide (CO2) as it would extin- the Berkshire-Wiltshire border, was built c. 1650-60 guish candles. The builders were unaware of the to designs by Sir Roger Pratt, who for a time was need for ventilation and this tunnel was abandoned. Sir Christopher Wren’s boss. The house was burnt Another problem was that the use of gunpowder down in 1952. produced 20% carbon monoxide. In the 1740s it was decided to improve the water At this point, Brian related to a number of early supply to the house, as it was scarce in the immediate experiments on the effects of ‘damp’ as unwanted area. Originally, a well had been sunk and this gases underground were referred to (from the German produced 16 hogs (hogsheads) of water per day dampf for ‘vapour’) and the need and method of (Note 1). This was supplemented by a second well, providing ventilation. In 1665, Samuel Pepys noted outside the grounds, between 1660 and 1743. in his diary an experiment by the Royal Society that demonstrated flames exiting in air trapped in a The improvement of the supply was sought by glass dome. In 1674, John Maynow discovered that digging a tunnel from the bottom of the original mice died in ‘air’ which would not support well which was 32ft deep. Tunnelling was carried combustion (such as CO2). In 1768, Joseph Wright, out by Sir Mark Pleydell. The tunnel, averaging said to be the first artist who painted subjects relat- about 4ft high by 2ft wide, was begun in 1743, and ed to the Industrial Revolution, produced a picture an underground reservoir, about 150ft from the of an experiment with a bird in a glass dome being well, was constructed the following year. The evacuated of air. In 1774, Joseph Priestley discov- tunnel was driven on from the reservoir (as the ered oxygen which was required for combustion to South tunnel) and reached the surface WSW of the take place (Note 2). In 1778, William Pryce wrote house, as the ground sloped down in this direction. a book, the main title being ‘A Treatise on Minerals, A tunnel was also driven north from the original Mines and Mining’, concentrating on Cornish well to the 52ft deep second well and beyond (the mines. He was familiar with the fact that several North tunnel). The tunnels and reservoir were brick shafts had to be sunk to connect an adit or level -lined and all tunnelling was completed by 1745 at with the surface to provide ventilation, relying on a fairly high cost. A plan of the system is shown in the temperature difference between the mine and Fig. 2. outside. This would be enhanced by the use of a The geology was not the easiest for tunnelling, furnace at the top or the bottom of a shaft. with a mixture of clay, sand and limestone beds, Returning to the tunnel construction at Coleshill, with the lowermost of the sandy beds containing mention was made of two accidents. The first hard concretions or ‘doggers’. The Oxford Clay involved two roof falls in the South tunnel. The underlies this bed, and creates a spring line on the builders returned to the North tunnel but more surface owing to its impermeability. The doggers problems with ‘damp’ were encountered. Construction were encountered during tunnelling and had to be stopped and a bore for fresh air was made to the blasted with gunpowder. Hollow quill feathers were bottom of the first well. In the second accident, used as fuses and there were usually 2-3 firings per some well lining collapsed on two workers when day. they were starting on an extension tunnel. Newsletter 214 May 2017 8

Fig.2. Plan of the tunnels. Numbers refer to sections - see report referred at the end of this article. (Image courtesy of the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team; www.coleshillhouse.com) The reservoir (capacity 4,600 gallons) occupied a Royal Society. He was an expert in plant and brick-lined bell shaped chamber 12ft 6in in diameter animal physiology. Hales corrected Sir Mark’s and about 20ft high (Fig. 3). This diagram shows opinion that springs were caused by tides extending the means of access, via later-built coal cellars. The their effect inland and controlling ebb and flow, connection here between the entry (N) and exit (S) stating that their irregular flow is due to a siphon- tunnels was maintained by an 18in-wide brick ing effect. bridge. The reservoir was supplied from the North The final section of the talk returned to the subject tunnel and excess water was taken off by the South of ventilation. Hales advised that an ox bladder tunnel which had numerous channels to allow the containing a gallon of air could be used in emer- water to soak away. A donkey-driven pump lifted gency. He also devised a method of measuring the water from the reservoir to the house. Over the ‘freshness of air’ and went on to develop a ventilator following 20 years, the water yield averaged c. 150 to improve air quality. Known as the Hales’ Venti- hogsheads per day but could vary from under 30 to lator, it was worked by bellows (which had been over 200. In 1790 the tunnels were inspected by used a long time in mining), either by hand or, with Lord Radnor and found to be in good condition. In larger devices, by windmill. Air was forced 1980-81, the system was surveyed by members of through a small orifice. Hales’ ventilators were the Highworth Historical Society and they found also used to ventilate prisons, and the lower decks that its good condition had been maintained but of ships – adapted by the Royal Navy in 1756. with a little repointing needed here and there. A However, there is no evidence that the Hales’ further survey was carried out in 2011 (see below). Ventilator was used in mining or tunnelling. Around During construction Sir Mark Pleydell correspond- 1800, however, larger mechanical ventilators were ed with Rev. Stephen Hales (1677-1761), who was a introduced. leading churchman and scientist and Fellow of the Newsletter 214 May 2017 9

Manhole

Manhole

Coal

Ladder

Fig. 3. Main reservoir and entrance to the tunnels. (Image courtesy of the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team)

Acknowledgement and further information Thanks are due to the Coleshill Auxiliary Research For more details see the above-mentioned website, Team (CART) for permission to reproduce the draw- which also contains the British Resistance Archive. ings, which are from their report Desktop Research – Under Coleshill House and Water Tunnels, Note 1 A hogshead of water was taken as 63 gallons which can be found at www.coleshillhouse.com. (Winchester Measure). Before the introduc- Navigate to ‘Headquarters’, ‘Coleshill Cellars and tion of the Imperial Gallon in 1824, the Water Mines’ and ‘Desktop Research’. The report size (cu. in.) of a gallon varied with what (along with another on the condition of the was being measured e.g. corn or ale. The structures) was produced following an investiga- number of gallons in a hogshead also tion of the cellars and water tunnels by CART and varied according to commodity, e.g. beer/ Subterranea Britannica in 2011. ale 53 gallons. Source: Pipe-laying proposal dated 1723, University of CART, formed in 2009, provide a comprehensive Nottingham (Manuscripts and Special resource and network for researchers into the Collections – Weights and Measures). British Resistance during World War 2. In 1940 Coleshill House became the Headquarters for train- Note 2 Also discovered independently by Carl ing Auxiliary Units – a secret resistance network of Wilhelm Scheele in Uppsala, 1773 or earlier, highly trained volunteers designed to be Britain’s but Priestley was the first to publish his last-ditch line of defence during WW2. They oper- work. Antoine Lavoisier in 1778 gave ated from a network of underground bases around oxygen its name and recognised its role in the UK. Courses were also provided for Group combustion. Commanders and Patrol Leaders. The Estate is administered today by the National Trust and is open to visitors on several days each year. ¤