Memorial to Yorkshire tunnel navvies unveiled

Listen to this article

A memorial to 10 men who lost their lives constructing a West Yorkshire railway tunnel was formally opened on Sunday afternoon.

Work on Queensbury Tunnel, between Bradford and Halifax, began in May 1874 and involved the excavation of 180,000 cubic yards of rock as well as the manufacture and placement of around 5.2 million bricks to form the arch. But the perilous work was undertaken without any of the health and safety precautions found on modern engineering sites, resulting in a significant toll on the 600-strong workforce.

At 44, the oldest to die was John Swire, a profoundly deaf man who had only returned to work on the morning of his death after being hurt in another accident. His right leg was severed below the knee when wagons ran over it. The youngest casualty was 25-year-old Frederick Goulding who was crushed when a large rock smashed into a wagon.

To honour those who lost their lives, the Queensbury Tunnel Society has erected a memorial comprising two rows of wooden railway sleepers which stand either side of the path linking the Great Northern Railway Trail to the tunnel entrance. They are each dedicated to one of the men and have QR codes on the back, linking to online biographies.

The materials were mostly donated by the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, while the preparation and installation work was carried out by supporters of the campaign to reopen the tunnel as part of a Bradford-Halifax Greenway. A grant for the work was secured from the Bradford Connecting People fund.

©QueensburyTunnelSociety

Dozens of people gathered in the tunnel’s northern approach cutting on Sunday afternoon for a ceremony to formally inaugurate the memorial. Cllr Beverley Mullaney, Deputy Lord Major of Bradford, reflected on the tunnel’s construction in the 1870s.

“There were dozens and dozens of injuries – many of them life-changing – accompanied by 10 deaths,” she said. “These men are the forgotten heroes of the railway boom that changed our nation in the 19th century. As we ride comfortably now on their infrastructure, we must not forget those who gifted us our railway network through the Victorian era. We have a duty to respect the sacrifices they all made.”

Cllr Robert Hargreaves, who represents Queensbury ward, said: “The tunnel has great historical significance in making Queensbury the place that we know and love now. But more importantly, it offers huge potential for the future – not just for our children and those here today – but for everyone who comes after that.

“We do have £830 million for transport in West Yorkshire and the £20 million levelling-up fund, so now is a great opportunity – more than ever – to make this happen.”

Norah McWilliam, leader of the Queensbury Tunnel Society, said: “The event was both moving and uplifting. We reflected on the lives of the 10 men who succumbed in unimaginable circumstances, often leaving their families destitute. And we looked forward to the positive role the tunnel could still play if we open our eyes and see the vision.

“We cannot allow the valiant efforts of those men to be lost through a lack of ambition. It may be 143 years old, but Queensbury Tunnel remains a vital strategic connector and we’ll need it as we emerge into a greener and more enlightened future.”

The memorial is thought to be one of only two in the country dedicated to the navvies involved in constructing railway tunnels through the 19th century.

Lead photo and photo above: ©TomWoollard

Latest Rail News

ORR review leads to 50% reduction in maximum fees for ticket refunds

New rules will mean that from 2 April the maximum fee that train operators and ticket retailers can charge...

More like this...