Watford Tunnels

Watford Tunnels are a pair of railway tunnels on the West Coast Main Line just north-west of Watford in Hertfordshire, Eastern England. The original was built in 1837 for the London and Birmingham Railway to the design of Robert Stephenson and is just over a mile long. When the line was widened in the 1870s, a second tunnel was built just to the east. Both tunnels had decorative portals and the south portal of the original tunnel is a Grade II listed building.

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Watford Tunnel
railway tunnel, Network Rail, London and North Western Railway, London and Birmingham Railway, London, Midland and Scottish Railway, British Rail, Railtrack, United Kingdom, 

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Location: 51.6815, -0.4191, KML, Cluster Map, Maps,
98 places

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• 

  Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire County Standby Emergency Centre ⓘ
  civil defence centre in Buckinghamshire, UK

• 

  Camden Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London, UK

• 

  Chiltern District Council Emergency Centre ⓘ
  civil defence centre in Buckinghamshire

• 

  Edmonton Borough Control Site 1 ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London, UK

• 

  Edmonton Borough Control Site 2 ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London, UK

• 

  Finchley Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Finsbury Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in

• 

  Hackney Air Raid Precaution Centre ⓘ
  air-raid shelter in Hackney, London, England, UK

• 

  Hackney WW2 ARP Control and Post War Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Hayes Sub Area Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Hemel Hempstead Dacorum Borough Council Emergency Centre ⓘ
  civil defence centre in Hertfordshire

• 

  Hertford bunker ⓘ
  Cold War control bunker in Hertford, UK

• 

  Hillingdon Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  King William Street tube station ⓘ
  former C&SLR Station in Central London: the First Deep Level Tube Station

• 

  Luton County Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in Bedfordshire, UK

• 

  Middlesex County Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in

• 

  Mill Hill North West London Group Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Northolt Sub Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Oxgate Admiralty Citadel ⓘ
  military bunker in north London, England: now privately owned

• 

  Paddington Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Paddock ⓘ
  alternative Cabinet War Room bunker for Winston Churchill

• 

  Richmond Borough Emergency Centre ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Southall London North West Group War HQ ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  St Albans City and District Council Emergency Centre ⓘ
  civil defence centre in Hertfordshire

• 

  St Leonard's Court Air Raid Shelter ⓘ
  air-raid shelter in Richmond upon Thames, London, England, UK

• 

  St Pancras Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Stoke Newington Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Stoke Newington Borough Control and Hackney Borough Control 2nd Site ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Tottenham Borough Control ⓘ
  civil defence centre in London

• 

  Uxbridge Anti-Aircraft Operations Room ⓘ
  British air defence bunker

• 

  Watford Royal Observer Corps Group Headquarters ⓘ
  British Cold War command centre in Hertfordshire

• 

  St Leonard's Court ⓘ
  four-storey block of flats in East Sheen, London

• 

  Battle of Britain Bunker ⓘ
  Royal Air Force WWII operations room  

• 

  Churchill War Rooms ⓘ
  museum in London  

• 

  Grotto About 70 Metres North East Of Dancers Hill House ⓘ
  grotto in South Mimms, Hertsmere, Hertfordshire, England, UK

• 

  Grotto At Dropmore ⓘ
  grotto in Taplow, South Bucks, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

• 

  Grotto Or Shell House In The Grounds Of Thames Eyot ⓘ
  grotto in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London, England, UK

• 

  Hellfire Caves ⓘ
  network of man-made caverns in West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

• 

  Pope's Grotto in Grounds of St Catherine's High School ⓘ
  structure in Twickenham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, United Kingdom

• 

  Scott's Grotto ⓘ
  Grade I listed building in Ware, East Hertfordshire, England, UK

• 

  Castle Lime Works Quarry ⓘ
  Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hertfordshire

• 

  Harefield Pit ⓘ
  Site of Special Scientific Interest in Harefield, London

• 

  Hill End Pit ⓘ
  Nature reserve in North Hertfordshire

• 

  Kensworth Chalk Pit ⓘ
  131.3 hectare geological site of Special Scientific Interest

• 

  Moor Mill Quarry, West ⓘ
  Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hertfordshire

• 

  Pitstone Quarry ⓘ
  quarry in the UK

• 

  South Lodge Pit ⓘ
  protected area in Buckinghamshire, England

• 

  Stocker's Lake ⓘ
  artificial lake in Hertfordshire/Greater London, England, UK

• 

  Sundon Chalk Quarry ⓘ
  quarry in the UK

• 

  Sundon Quarry ⓘ
  quarry in Bedfordshire, England, UK

• 

  Totternhoe Chalk Quarry ⓘ
  quarry in the UK

• 

  Westwood Quarry ⓘ
  Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hertfordshire, England, UK

• 

  Wraysbury and Hythe End Gravel Pits ⓘ
  

• 

  Bankside–Charing Cross cable tunnel ⓘ
  utility tunnel in London, England, UK

• 

  Barnet Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in the UK

• 

  Belsize Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in the UK

• 

  Canal Tunnels ⓘ
  thameslink public works near St Pancras

• 

  Elstree to St. John's Wood Cable Tunnel ⓘ
  power cable tunnel in north London

• 

  Euston Tunnel ⓘ
  twin-bore tunnel for HS2 railway

• 

  Gasworks Tunnel ⓘ
  East Coast Main Line section near King's Cross, London

• 

  Gerrards Cross Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire

• 

  Hadley Wood North Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in the UK

• 

  Hadley Wood South Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in the UK

• 

  Heathrow Airside Road Tunnel ⓘ
  tunnel at London Heathrow Airport

• 

  Heathrow Cargo Tunnel ⓘ
  road tunnel in Heathrow that serves London Heathrow Airport

• 

  Highgate East Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in the UK

• 

  Kingsway tramway subway ⓘ
  Camden, Greater London, WC1B

• 

  Maida Hill Tunnel ⓘ
  canal tunnel in the UK

• 

  Northchurch Tunnels ⓘ
  railway tunnel in the UK

• 

  Northolt tunnel ⓘ
  twin-bore tunnel for HS2 railway

• 

  Ponsbourne Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in the UK

• 

  Snow Hill Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in London

• 

  South Kensington Subway ⓘ
  pedestrian tunnel in Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, UK

• 

  Strand Underpass ⓘ
  vehicle tunnel in central London connecting Waterloo Bridge to Kingsway near Holborn

• 

  The Nursemaids' Tunnel ⓘ
  tunnel in Regent's Park, London, UK

• 

  Waterloo & City Line ⓘ
  London Underground line

• 

  Waterloo and Whitehall Railway ⓘ
  1860s partly constructed pneumatic railway in London, England

• 

  Watford Tunnels ⓘ
  pair of railway tunnels in Hertfordshire, England

• 

  Welwyn North Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in the UK

• 

  Welwyn South Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in the UK

• 

  West Portal And Islington Tunnel (Regents Canal) ⓘ
  tunnel in Islington, London, England, UK

• 

  Eyre's Tunnel ⓘ
  short canal tunnel on the Regent's Canal that passes under Lisson Grove in St John's Wood, north London

• 

  Islington Tunnel ⓘ
  Tunnel on the Regent's Canal

• 

  Watford West Tunnel ⓘ
  one of a pair of railway tunnels in Hertfordshire, England

• 

  Primrose Hill Tunnel ⓘ
  railway tunnel in Camden, Greater London

• 

  Copenhagen Tunnel ⓘ
  Triple bore, six track railway tunnel linking London King's Cross, and Belle Isle.

• 

  Watford East Tunnel ⓘ
  one of a pair of railway tunnels in Hertfordshire, England

• 

  City & South London Railway tunnels ⓘ
  tunnel under Thames

• 

  Waterloo & City line tunnels ⓘ
  tunnel for Waterloo & City line under the Thames

• 

  Bakerloo line tunnels ⓘ
  tunnel carrying Bakerloo line under the Thames

• 

  Battersea exhaust tunnels ⓘ
  

• 

  Northern line (Charing Cross branch) tunnels ⓘ
  tunnels carrying the Northern Line under the Thames

• 

  Bankside Cable Tunnel ⓘ
  

• 

  Victoria line tunnels ⓘ
  tunnels carrying Victoria line under the Thames

• 

  Wimbledon – Pimlico cable tunnel ⓘ
  

• 

  Jubilee Line Extension tunnels ⓘ
  tunnels carrying the Jubilee line under the Thames

• 

  Battersea steam tunnel ⓘ
  

• 

  King’s Cross Light Tunnel ⓘ
  artwork in King’s Cross, London

1938-01-01T00:00:00Z

1938-01-01T00:00:00Z

1938 St Leonard's Court

1939-08-01T00:00:00Z

1939-08-01T00:00:00Z

1939 Battle of Britain Bunker

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

1984 Churchill War Rooms

1816-01-01T00:00:00Z

1816-01-01T00:00:00Z

1816 Eyre's Tunnel

1818-01-01T00:00:00Z

1818-01-01T00:00:00Z

1818 Islington Tunnel

1837-01-01T00:00:00Z

1837-01-01T00:00:00Z

1837 Watford West Tunnel

1838-01-01T00:00:00Z

1838-01-01T00:00:00Z

1838 Primrose Hill Tunnel

1850-01-01T00:00:00Z

1850-01-01T00:00:00Z

1850 Copenhagen Tunnel

1874-01-01T00:00:00Z

1874-01-01T00:00:00Z

1874 Watford East Tunnel

1890-01-01T00:00:00Z

1890-01-01T00:00:00Z

1890 City & South London Railway tunnels

1898-01-01T00:00:00Z

1898-01-01T00:00:00Z

1898 Waterloo & City line tunnels

1906-01-01T00:00:00Z

1906-01-01T00:00:00Z

1906 Bakerloo line tunnels

1920-01-01T00:00:00Z

1920-01-01T00:00:00Z

1920 Battersea exhaust tunnels

1926-01-01T00:00:00Z

1926-01-01T00:00:00Z

1926 Northern line (Charing Cross branch) tunnels

1940-01-01T00:00:00Z

1940-01-01T00:00:00Z

1940 Bankside Cable Tunnel

1971-01-01T00:00:00Z

1971-01-01T00:00:00Z

1971 Victoria line tunnels

1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

1996 Wimbledon – Pimlico cable tunnel

1999-01-01T00:00:00Z

1999-01-01T00:00:00Z

1999 Jubilee Line Extension tunnels

2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

2000 Battersea steam tunnel

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

2016 King’s Cross Light Tunnel

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Frameless

John Cooke Bourne - Watford Tunnel - Pic 1990 7214

Ventilation Shaft for Watford North Rail Tunnel

Watford Railway Tunnel

Cutting southern end of the Watford Tunnel

Leavesden exit, A405

Ventilation shaft, Courtlands Drive

Cutting south of Watford Tunnel

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
classes	subterranea	1971	British Tunnelling Society	subterranea, learned society, tunnel construction	Wikidata
organisation	business	1904	The Huelva Copper and Sulphur Mines	mining, business	Wikidata
organisation	organisation	1984	Historic England	restoration, non-departmental public body	Wikidata
site	bunker		Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire County Standby Emergency Centre	Buckinghamshire County Council, civil defense center	Wikidata
site	bunker		Camden Borough Control	civil defense center, London Borough of Camden	Wikidata
site	bunker		Chiltern District Council Emergency Centre	Chiltern District Council, civil defense center	Wikidata
site	bunker		Edmonton Borough Control Site 1	civil defense center, London Borough of Enfield	Wikidata
site	bunker		Edmonton Borough Control Site 2	civil defense center, London Borough of Enfield	Wikidata
site	bunker		Finchley Borough Control	civil defense center, London Borough of Barnet	Wikidata
site	bunker		Finsbury Borough Control	civil defense center, Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury	Wikidata
site	bunker		Hackney Air Raid Precaution Centre	air-raid shelter	Wikidata
site	bunker		Hackney WW2 ARP Control and Post War Borough Control	civil defense center, London Borough of Hackney	Wikidata
site	bunker		Hayes Sub Area Control	civil defense center, London Borough of Hillingdon	Wikidata
site	bunker		Hemel Hempstead Dacorum Borough Council Emergency Centre	Dacorum Borough Council, civil defense center	Wikidata
site	bunker		Hertford bunker	bunker	Wikidata
site	bunker		Hillingdon Borough Control	civil defense center, London Borough of Hillingdon	Wikidata
site	bunker		King William Street tube station	metro station, underground station, air-raid shelter, railway station	Wikidata
site	bunker		Luton County Borough Control	Bedfordshire County Council, civil defense center	Wikidata
site	bunker		Middlesex County Control	civil defense center, Middlesex County Council	Wikidata
site	bunker		Mill Hill North West London Group Control	civil defense center, London Borough of Haringey, London Borough of Enfield, London Borough of Islington, London Borough of Camden, City of Westminster, London Borough of Barnet, City of London	Wikidata
site	bunker		Northolt Sub Control	civil defense center, London Borough of Ealing	Wikidata
site	bunker		Oxgate Admiralty Citadel	bunker	Wikidata
site	bunker		Paddington Borough Control	civil defense center	Wikidata
site	bunker		Paddock	bunker	Wikidata
site	bunker		Richmond Borough Emergency Centre	civil defense center, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames	Wikidata
site	bunker		Southall London North West Group War HQ	civil defense center, London Borough of Ealing	Wikidata
site	bunker		St Albans City and District Council Emergency Centre	St Albans City and District Council, civil defense center	Wikidata
site	bunker		St Leonard's Court Air Raid Shelter	air-raid shelter	Wikidata
site	bunker		St Pancras Borough Control	civil defense center	Wikidata
site	bunker		Stoke Newington Borough Control	civil defense center	Wikidata
site	bunker		Stoke Newington Borough Control and Hackney Borough Control 2nd Site	civil defense center, London Borough of Hackney	Wikidata
site	bunker		Tottenham Borough Control	civil defense center	Wikidata
site	bunker		Uxbridge Anti-Aircraft Operations Room	Royal Air Force, bunker	Wikidata
site	bunker		Watford Royal Observer Corps Group Headquarters	Royal Observer Corps, bunker	Wikidata
site	bunker	1938	St Leonard's Court	revenue house, air-raid shelter	Wikidata
site	bunker	1939	Battle of Britain Bunker	military museum, bunker	Wikidata
site	bunker	1984	Churchill War Rooms	national museum, biographical museum, military museum, architectural structure, bunker	Wikidata
site	cave		Grotto About 70 Metres North East Of Dancers Hill House	grotto	Wikidata
site	cave		Grotto At Dropmore	grotto	Wikidata
site	cave		Grotto Or Shell House In The Grounds Of Thames Eyot	grotto	Wikidata
site	cave		Hellfire Caves	show cave, fixed construction	Wikidata
site	cave		Pope's Grotto in Grounds of St Catherine's High School	grotto	Wikidata
site	cave		Scott's Grotto	shell grotto	Wikidata
site	mine		Castle Lime Works Quarry	quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Harefield Pit	chalk quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Hill End Pit	chalk quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Kensworth Chalk Pit	chalk quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Moor Mill Quarry, West	quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Pitstone Quarry	quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		South Lodge Pit	chalk quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Stocker's Lake	artificial lake, gravel pit	Wikidata
site	mine		Sundon Chalk Quarry	quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Sundon Quarry	quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Totternhoe Chalk Quarry	quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Westwood Quarry	Site of Special Scientific Interest, quarry	Wikidata
site	mine		Wraysbury and Hythe End Gravel Pits	gravel pit	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Bankside–Charing Cross cable tunnel	utility tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Barnet Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Belsize Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Canal Tunnels	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Elstree to St. John's Wood Cable Tunnel	power cable, tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Euston Tunnel	proposed rail infrastructure, railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Gasworks Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Gerrards Cross Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Hadley Wood North Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Hadley Wood South Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Heathrow Airside Road Tunnel	road tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Heathrow Cargo Tunnel	road tunnel, Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Highgate East Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Kingsway tramway subway	tramway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Maida Hill Tunnel	canal tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Northchurch Tunnels	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Northolt tunnel	high-speed railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Ponsbourne Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Snow Hill Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		South Kensington Subway	pedestrian tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Strand Underpass	road tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		The Nursemaids' Tunnel	subway	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Waterloo & City Line	rapid transit railway line, ELR railway line section, subway tunnel, Southern Railway, TfL, London and South Western Railway	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Waterloo and Whitehall Railway	proposed rail infrastructure, abandoned project, tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Watford Tunnels	Network Rail, London and North Western Railway, London, Midland and Scottish Railway, British Rail, London and Birmingham Railway, railway tunnel, Railtrack	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Welwyn North Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		Welwyn South Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel		West Portal And Islington Tunnel (Regents Canal)	canal tunnel, portal	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1816	Eyre's Tunnel	canal tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1818	Islington Tunnel	canal tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1837	Watford West Tunnel	Network Rail, London and North Western Railway, London, Midland and Scottish Railway, British Rail, London and Birmingham Railway, railway tunnel, Railtrack	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1838	Primrose Hill Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1850	Copenhagen Tunnel	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1874	Watford East Tunnel	London, Midland and Scottish Railway, British Rail, London and Birmingham Railway, railway tunnel, Railtrack, Network Rail, London and North Western Railway	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1890	City & South London Railway tunnels	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1898	Waterloo & City line tunnels	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1906	Bakerloo line tunnels	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1920	Battersea exhaust tunnels	utility tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1926	Northern line (Charing Cross branch) tunnels	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1940	Bankside Cable Tunnel	utility tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1971	Victoria line tunnels	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1996	Wimbledon – Pimlico cable tunnel	utility tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	1999	Jubilee Line Extension tunnels	railway tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	2000	Battersea steam tunnel	utility tunnel	Wikidata
site	tunnel	2016	King’s Cross Light Tunnel	subway tunnel, pedestrian tunnel, installation artwork	Wikidata
commons	image		John Cooke Bourne - Watford Tunnel - Pic 1990 7214		Commons
commons	image		Ventilation Shaft for Watford North Rail Tunnel		Commons
commons	image		Watford Railway Tunnel		Commons
commons	image		Cutting southern end of the Watford Tunnel		Commons
commons	image		Leavesden exit, A405		Commons
commons	image		Ventilation shaft, Courtlands Drive		Commons
commons	image		Cutting south of Watford Tunnel		Commons