Tunnelling in the 1740s: The Water Mine at Coleshill House

Abstract

Tunnelling involves boring and arching through various strata in a straight line from one definite point to another; and more often than not the tunnel is dug from both ends so the tunnellers meet in the middle. It is distinguished from mining, where the passage is propped rather than arched, and where the purpose is to follow the ore bearing strata wherever it leads. In this paper the state of tunnelling in the 1740s is exemplified by a water mine that was built at Coleshill House and by correspondence with the Rev. Stephen Hales, who described how air quality could be measured using a calibrated candle, and how it might be improved by use of a mechanical ventilator, both of which he had invented and used to considerable advantage in mines, ships, hospitals and so on.

Keywords:

• tunnelling
• water supply
• mining
• explosives
• air supply
• ventilators
• Sir Mark Pleydell
• the Revd Stephen Hales

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bryan Lawton

Bryan Lawton was, until his retirement, Reader in Thermal Power at Cranfield University, Shrivenham, and is now retained as a consultant. He has published numerous papers on diesel-Wankel engines, heat transfer and wear in gun barrels, computer tomography and skin burns resulting from explosive devices. His published books include volumes on transient temperature measurement, trauma, internal ballistics and, recently, a two-volume work on the pre-industrial history of mechanical engineering.

Correspondence to: Bryan Lawton. Email: [email protected]