tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59674132126485372932012-02-06T21:44:30.157ZTracking | Bath's | 'Two Tunnels' | routeMark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-60801346267090229222012-01-31T14:17:00.004Z2012-01-31T14:38:45.705Z

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-79994013607669700552011-04-30T09:15:00.010Z2011-04-30T10:38:55.462Z

Paddy Tully and Frank Tompson shared an informal chat about the scheme (Just click on the link)An opportunity for people to see Paddy (pictured left) 'in the flesh' and for him to talk about some of the challenges and achievements alive in the Two Tunnels Project.(Dome Room in the Guildhall following the 27 Apr 11 Steering Group meeting.)

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-16962531947639151322011-04-11T12:11:00.009Z2011-04-11T12:43:53.100Z

Photoshoot of the interior (just click on the link)A brief impromptu record for any tunnel enthusiasts of when Graeme Bickerdike and his lighting engineer Ron visited the inside of Devonshire Tunnel on Thursday 7 April 2011 to make a historical photographic record of its condition before work starts to make it fit for its new purpose in the next few months.Graeme's Forgotten Relics website

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-55541204930259437092011-03-29T13:02:00.007Z2011-03-29T13:21:41.437Z

To mark a mile of surfacing Linear Park from Devonshire Tunnel to the Network Rail Bridge62 people and a few dogs gathered in the sunshine to travel the 4 miles from the Royal Oak pub in Bath to the Hope and Achor pub in Midford.The star of the show was Frank Smith. At age 88 Frank had travelled over from Glastonbury to make the walk, and looked as fit as anyone going up the hills!Possibly the

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-56861226334963563272011-02-12T20:20:00.008Z2011-02-12T21:15:30.430Z

A short ride from Devonshire Tunnel to Monksdale Road(Just click on the link)

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-83586127196844304172011-01-27T16:28:00.005Z2011-01-28T11:42:59.783Z

A short walk from Devonshire Tunnel to Hiscocks Drive bridge (Just click on the link above)

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-1064593539281557622011-01-24T10:24:00.007Z2011-01-24T10:52:43.524Z

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-90244184216215962482011-01-22T17:30:00.005Z2011-01-22T18:12:00.574Z

Linear Park work continues with the first Bitmac (Tarmac) now having been laid - (Just click the link)

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-29217265761539341752011-01-14T21:51:00.002Z2011-01-14T22:01:01.374Z

Two Tunnels Project - Linear Park start of work - (Just click the link)

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-36991083122860354562011-01-10T18:54:00.002Z2011-01-10T19:05:44.908Z

Hydrock's digger awaits duty on the Two Tunnels route. Two opportunities in one, a quick mid-day visit to the start of the surfacing works on Bath's emerging 'Two Tunnels' route with a chance to grab a bite to eat in the form of an 'Angelo' from Bear Flat's excellent 'Da Vinci' delicatessen. Here, the digger that will be used to lay the surface for Linear Park waits at the top of the public

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-88016890507221372442010-12-29T21:34:00.004Z2011-01-02T16:55:28.265Z

Works to Linear Park will commence on 5th January, with the route split into five sections as follows: Devonshire Tunnel Portal – Hiscocks Drive Bridge. 10-23rd January, access from Bloomfield Road open space. Hiscocks Drive Bridge – Monksdale Road. 24th January - 6th February, access from Monksdale Road. Monksdale Road – St Kildas Road. 7th - 20th February, access from Monksdale Road (and no

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-83241117580013311822010-09-23T11:18:00.014Z2010-12-29T14:30:40.431Z

Drawings of the new bridges which will be used in support of the planning application for their construction, and due to be submitted shortly by Sustrans, are attached in pdf format. Dartmouth Avenue bridge Monksdale Road bridge   Find a link to the planning applications themselves from the Bridges page on the Two Tunnels web site.

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-48309198358792142932010-08-18T07:39:00.001Z2010-08-18T07:43:55.913Z

Click here for details

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-45465514387837193902010-06-24T21:23:00.000Z2010-06-24T21:23:50.795Z

Seen on the fence ... first shipworm, and now an enigma. Oh, hang on, its not an enigma, it's a qr code. Bath's Spot the Lion has some of these ... It looks like the project's getting some information up at the worksite. Good. Now, what does it say? First one to post the answer in the comments gets ... a big collective grin from the committee!

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-74504234095339771312010-06-20T21:03:00.005Z2010-06-23T08:04:46.255Z

The lack of activity on the ground does give the impression that everything's at a halt. Behind the scenes though, there's the nitty gritty work on the planning of the exact form of the route - the project plan isn't slipping all round the calendar, physical work is currently booked to restart in the autumn. Meanwhile, up at 'The fence' at Devonshire Tunnel, we're looking out signage to inform

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-85701162670112104372010-05-23T16:05:00.007Z2010-05-24T20:10:48.289Z

Well, things on the construction front are at a stand - the project plan always did indicate a bit of a pause at this point, but in several ways we'd rather not have had this further opportunity to gather our thoughts - while the project itself perhaps risks a stall. I'm checking its pulse, as there are doubtless still people who think that the clearly expressed wish by a great many for a 'Two

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-69893932283334195452010-04-19T08:34:00.009Z2010-04-23T12:17:37.489Z

Slightly off topic as construction of this section is some way off, but Rob was enquiring about getting to and from the Bath to Bristol Railway path across the Lower Bristol Road. As this is something that has had little exposure I thought it might be worth a posting, albeit well in advance of any work starting. (nb - this section will be managed by B&NES as part of the Bath Transport Package (

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-91560363776245881922010-04-15T20:22:00.000Z2010-04-15T20:22:14.595Z

Just a few short weeks, and the new route's brought great changes to the top end of Linear Park. The current newcomer being what appears to be a red carpet, rolled out perhaps to honour two particular teenagers who along with their footsteps appear to have been quietly haunting the place. The Devonshire Tunnel excavation isn't representative of the work needed to the rest of the Two Tunnels

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-43812270398466292812010-04-11T19:09:00.002Z2010-04-12T11:00:38.352Z

The blog post titles just get more gripping, eh? When first visiting the excavation just a few weeks ago at the end of a cold March day, I remarked that the new excavation was drier underfoot than I expected. The person in charge pointed to a strip of freshly exposed stuff that looked much the same as the rest: 'There's a drain'. I'd not noticed the filled trench - filled with rather grubby

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-26027926861932383652010-04-05T17:38:00.000Z2010-04-05T17:38:14.918Z

The excavation continues, and new for last week was the removal of some of the infill from the site. The contractors have laid a haul road right into the work site for this. About 40 lorry loads will go, leaving ... space to excavate some more stuff from the filled cutting. That 'Stuff' has turned out to be as indicated in the test borehole - clean subsoil, pretty heavy and 'Clayey'. Some of it,

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-53308107452302239892010-03-29T17:41:00.004Z2010-03-30T07:42:15.907Z

Unseen since 1973, here it is at last. The contractors, Hope and Clay, have just a few feet to go now before they're down to the original level of the trackbed. Pleasingly, the excavation hasn't filled with water. As for the portal, it seems to have survived its burial rather well ... Given the location, it's just about the most minimal structure possible. The same can't be said for the access

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-22038219596225208832010-03-26T19:02:00.000Z2010-03-26T19:02:31.765Z

The end of another working week. You'll see that Hope and Clay have been carefully plugging away to excavate the earth from in front of the structure. Their method has been to remove the load on the structure in an 'even handed' way, monitoring for movement as they go - tunnel portals can be sensitive, in that they sit at a junction between made ground and undisturbed material. Hence, they reward

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-7462402691917785052010-03-24T22:05:00.003Z2010-03-25T07:50:12.107Z

Wed 24 Mar 10, and, despite the dreary weather, the Hope Clay diggers continue apace. Working in tandem, this YouTube video shows how one digger removes spoil from the tunnel portal and the other moves it back towards the spoil heap.

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-72536684287691833332010-03-18T19:19:00.003Z2010-03-18T20:23:37.589Z

The contractors - Hope and Clay - have now dug an initial pit - with the intention of proving the location of the tunnel portal and also its condition - it was quite possible that the structure had been seriously damaged in the process of burying it. However, a length of the capping stones to the portal itself are now in the light for the first time since the nineteen seventies, and it appears

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-21278955087145314322010-03-17T15:06:00.003Z2010-03-17T16:29:19.231Z

Following a few days break while the Council licencing issue was sorted out, work has re-started to clear and excavate Devonshire Tunnel northern portal.

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-43176225024706187292010-03-12T14:34:00.006Z2010-03-13T10:18:37.290Z

Following the highly successful start of work celebration the previous day, on Tuesday 9 March 2010 the Hope and Clay contractors started work on excavating the Devonshire Tunnel. Unfortunately it stopped shortly afterwards due to the Council Parks Dept not having issued a license to work on Council land. It is hoped to re-start work on Monday 15 March 2010 or soon thereafter.

franktompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14380644965842872983noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-73673045618145870012010-03-08T21:39:00.000Z2010-03-08T21:39:42.270Z

We're pretty overwhelmed by the support shown this afternoon, people braving what turned out to be ... actually not too muddy and a glorious sunny day for good measure ... all there to witness the start of work on the Two Tunnels route. A very impressive digger had been brought to the site by the contractors Hope and Clay, forming a backdrop to the ceremony. Nigel produced a smashing engraved

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-63851890713191508872010-03-01T21:20:00.000Z2010-03-11T21:02:38.099Z

We didn't expect this. A litter pick organised by an Oldfield Park community group on a threateningly wet and chilly Sunday afternoon dragged improbable amounts of crap from the historic collection of litter between the Dartmouth Avenue and Monksdale Road bridge sites. This would have been an unpleasant and expensive job for a three person council crew. Split between about thirty people armed

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-35778506854499008152009-12-28T13:21:00.001Z2009-12-28T13:24:24.930Z

This is the grassed area above the filled cutting at Devonshire Tunnel at Christmas 2009 and at last, there's a (small) piece of real physical work on the route. The yellow pip in the centre foreground marks the position of a core sample taken to prove the material used to fill the cutting. We're confident that this is spoil removed from the embankment to the north, but best to be sure.

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-17639457858789200622009-10-25T15:52:00.013Z2010-02-23T18:21:44.950Z

The Two Tunnels route now has its own member of staff at Sustrans - since April of this year - an engineer/project manager tasked with bringing the route into being. Their work's really beginning to pay off. And now we have a blog. It has actually been around since 2007 ... and there hangs a pig-tail ... it was put in place to provide an interactive resource for news of the project. Hopefully it

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-40125560063823215132007-06-11T13:36:00.003Z2009-10-25T16:42:01.799Z

Life in the city will be rather dusty for the time being, as the Southgate redevelopment involves removing various structures 'not wanted on voyage' before digging some rather large holes. Here, the creature has just been told that it can't eat the bus station for a month or so, and it's not happy about this. Here's a link to more images. Hopefully the 'Two Tunnels Project' can be an antidote

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5967413212648537293.post-7668386209475535232007-05-08T14:14:00.000Z2007-05-08T14:27:48.250Z

It's a little known fact that the bridge carrying the railway line downstream of Bath is supported on the four funnels of a world war one battleship. The battleship itself rests on four turtles, but these can only be viewed in low water conditions ...

Mark Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663836950715069290noreply@blogger.com2