Fenton Manor Tunnel, Stoke-on-Trent

Fenton Manor Tunnel is a short, disused railway tunnel located in the Fenton district of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It lies immediately beyond the site of the former Fenton Manor railway station, on the line that once ran north toward Leek and the Biddulph Valley. The tunnel passes beneath the Victoria Road area and formed part of the North Staffordshire Railway’s expanding network during the Victorian era.

The tunnel was constructed in the mid-19th century as part of the North Staffordshire Railway’s industrial expansion. The Potteries were a major centre of coal mining, ceramics, and heavy industry, and new railway connections were essential for moving raw materials and finished goods. The line through Fenton Manor provided an important link between Stoke-on-Trent and the Biddulph Valley coalfield, as well as onward connections toward Leek.

Fenton Manor station opened in October 1889 to serve the growing residential and industrial population of Fenton. The tunnel lay just beyond the station platforms and allowed trains to pass beneath the rising ground and road network as they headed north. Measuring approximately 97 metres in length, it is a relatively short but solidly built Victorian brick tunnel.

Passenger services declined after the Second World War as road transport became more popular. Fenton Manor station closed in 1956, although freight traffic continued to use parts of the route for several more decades, mainly serving local industry. Eventually, declining coal traffic and changing transport needs led to the line being mothballed in 1988.