Beaufort's Dyke
Location type
PlaceName and dates
Beaufort's DykeDescription
This is a marine trench between Scotland and Ireland. It is a notable barrier to the building of a fixed link between the countries. In addition to the depth of the trench, there was dumping of considerable quantities of surplus munitions for over ten years following the Second World War. Further, nuclear material was dumped here in the 1950s.
Several schemes have promoted tunnels between the countries. In 1901 this was chosen as a suitable route for a railway tunnel, the tunnel would run from Portpatrick to Whitehead and pass round the north end of the underwater feature. The idea was revived in 1934. Such a tunnel would have linked the Portpatrick Railway with the Carrickfergus and Larne Railway.
Again, in 2020, a fixed link bridge or tunnel was proposed.
Tags
Marine trench12/11/2020
| Nearby stations Portpatrick Harbour Portpatrick Colfin Stranraer Town Stranraer Transit (London Road [Stranraer]) Castle Kennedy Innermessan Dunragit Challoch Junction Golfers Platform YMCA Cairn Point Glenluce New Luce Larne Harbour | Colfin Creamery Piltanton Viaduct Stranraer Shed Stranraer Harbour Junction Stockton Haulage Depot [Stranraer] Cairnryan Junction Yard Cairnryan Junction Construction Junction Drumflower Viaduct Tourist/other Kirkmadrine Stones Drummore Bay Castle of St John [Stranraer] Little Gennoch No 2 Level Crossing Little Gennoch No 1 Level Crossing Castle Kennedy Gardens |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
Chronology Dates
| / /1901 | International Engineering Congress, Glasgow Three tunnel routes considered from Scotland/Wales to Ireland: Mull of Kintyre to Antrim (revival of the 1868 proposal, rejected due to remoteness of Kintyre), Holyhead to Howth (rejected due to length), Wigtownshire to Larne/Donaghadee (passing north round the deep trench of the Beaufort's Dyke). Latter considered most suitable with a route from north of Portpatrick to Whitehead. |
| / /1945 | Cairnryan Military Railway Surplus munitions start to be dumped in the Beaufort's Dyke, much conveyed by rail to Cairnryan. |
| / /1958 | Cairnryan Military Railway Dumping of munitions in the Beaufort's Dyke ceases. |
