A corner of yorkshire

THE CLAPHAM TUNNELS

Often thought by visitors to be old railway tunnels, this pair of adjacent structures was built by the wealthy Farrer family of Ingleborough Hall in the early 19th century in order to lower a track used by farmers and give them more privacy. The Farrers were Lancashire landowners who inherited a farm at Clapham in

North Yorkshire. After making a fortune in London, in 1814 the family built Ingleborough Hall in the village.

However, a rough track known as Thwaite Lane which runs eastwards from nearby St James’ Church to the neighbouring village of Austwick stood between the hall’s grounds and an area of parkland the Farrers had established. In what has been described as a remarkable piece of social as well as civil engineering, the course of the track was hollowed out and effectively buried within two tunnels, enabling the Farrers to build an unobstructed ornamental drive to their park.