Clifton Rocks Railway

The Avon Gorge. The Clifton Rocks Railway ran from a lower station just beyond the furthest buildings at river level, through a tunnel to an upper station at bridge level.

The Clifton Rocks Railway was an underground funicular railway in Bristol, linking Clifton at the top to Hotwells at the bottom of the Avon Gorge in a tunnel cut through the limestone cliffs. The upper station is close to Brunel's famous Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Construction of the railway was funded by the publisher George Newnes, also proprietor of the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway, and as at Lynton and Lynmouth the engineer was George Croydon Marks. It opened on 11 March 1893, but was never a great success; in 1912 it was sold to the Bristol Tramway Company, but it continued to struggle and closed on 1 October 1934.

The railway had a length of 450 feet (137 m), overcoming a vertical distance of 200 feet (61 m) at a gradient of about 1 in 2.2. There were four cars in two connected pairs, essentially forming two parallel funicular railways, each running on 38 inch (965 mm) narrow gauge tracks. The system was operated by gravity, with water ballast being let into the cars at the top station and out at the bottom, and an oil- or gas-burning pump returning the water to the top of the system.

During the Second World War blast walls were installed in the tunnel, which was used as offices by BOAC, as a relay station by the BBC (who also constructed an emergency studio there, though it was never put into use), and as an air-raid shelter. The BBC continued to use parts of the tunnel until 1960.

A voluntary group has now been formed to preserve and restore the railway. They hope to raise funds for a feasibility study into the complete restoration of the railway. The cost of complete restoration is estimated at around £15 million.

External links

• Map sources for Clifton Rocks Railway.
• Clifton Rocks Railway website
• Clifton Rocks Railway refurbishment