Glenfield Tunnel Ventilation Shaft, rear of 21 Fairefield Crescent
21 Fairefield Crescent, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8EJ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1474205
- Date first listed:
- 21-Sept-2021
- List Entry Name:
- Glenfield Tunnel Ventilation Shaft, rear of 21 Fairefield Crescent
- Statutory Address:
- 21 Fairefield Crescent, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8EJ
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Location
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1474205
- Date first listed:
- 21-Sept-2021
- List Entry Name:
- Glenfield Tunnel Ventilation Shaft, rear of 21 Fairefield Crescent
- Statutory Address 1:
- 21 Fairefield Crescent, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8EJ
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- 21 Fairefield Crescent, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8EJ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Leicestershire
- District:
- Blaby (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Glenfields
- National Grid Reference:
- SK5487806408
Summary
A railway tunnel ventilation shaft of 1832 by Robert Stephenson.
Reasons for Designation
The Glenfield Tunnel ventilation shaft to the rear of 21 Fairefield Crescent Leicester is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural Interest:
* its function as a ventilation shaft gives the structure a distinctive shape and size;
* the tunnel was the largest passenger railway tunnel in the world on completion, giving the shaft claims to significant architectural interest through its innovation and technical accomplishment.
Historic Interest:
* it was designed by the famous railway engineer Robert Stephenson, giving it a good claim to special historic interest;
Group value:
* the shaft has strong group value with the other elements of the tunnel which are listed.
History
The Leicester and Swannington Railway was constructed to transport coal to Leicester city from north-west Leicestershire. As a secondary function it carried fare paying passengers. George Stephenson (1781-1848) consulted on the establishment of the line and helped arrange finance, and his son Robert Stephenson (1803-1859) was the engineer. Opening in 1832, it was amongst the earliest steam locomotive railways in the world. At this date, the stretch of track carried by the Glenfield Tunnel north-west of Leicester city centre was only the second tunnel on a passenger carrying railway line, and the longest tunnel on a passenger railway in the world. The tunnel is just over a mile long at 1796 yards (1642 metres) and is serviced by 13 ventilation shafts. These shafts were required to provide access during construction, regulate temperature, improve air quality and reduce fire risk. This shaft is the third one from the west end of the tunnel and is in the back garden of a private dwelling.
Details
A railway tunnel ventilation shaft of 1832 by Robert Stephenson.
MATERIALS: brick with stone coping and a metal grille cover.
EXTERIOR: the shaft is circular in plan and rises without obvious tapering to a height of about 2.5m. It is constructed in a mix of red and blue bricks laid in English Bond. The uppermost brick course is topped with stone coping, and sitting on these stones is a flat metal grille covering the shaft.
Sources
Websites
Leicester City Council Story of Leicester website, accessed 20 January 2021 from https://www.storyofleicester.info/a-working-town/glenfield-tunnel/
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 08-Jun-2026 at 11:15:51.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.