Box Tunnel is a railway tunnel between Bath and Chippenham, dug through Box Hill, and is one of the most significant structures on the Great Western Main Line between London and Bristol. It was originally built for the Great Western Railway under the direction of the GWR’s engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
The tunnel is 1.83 miles (2.95 km) in length, straight, and descends a 1 in 100 gradient from the east. It is local folklore that on I.K. Brunel’s birthday (9th April) the sun shines straight through the tunnel.
There is a viewing platform by the main A4 road approaching Box village from Chippenham which is about a 15min drive away.
Photo by kind permission of www.hobbiesphotographic.co.uk