Box People and Places
Latest Issue 48 Summer 2025 
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    • Issue 46 - Box Hill
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      • Issue 37 - Mill Lane Halt
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      • Issue 33 - KIngsdown Post Office
      • Issue 32 - Chapel Lane
      • Issue 31 - Saxon Box
      • Issue 30 - Georgian Rudloe
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      • Issue 29 - Darkest Hour
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      • Issue 26 - Heritage Trail
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      • Issue 23 - Georgian
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      • Issue 21 - Childhood 1949-59
      • Issue 20 - Box Home Guard
    • Issues 10-19 >
      • Issue 19 - Outbreak WW2
      • Issue 18 - Building Bargates
      • Issue 17 - Railway Changes
      • Issue 16 - Quarries
      • Issue 15 - Rail & Quarry
      • Issue 14 - Civil War
      • Issue 13: Box Revels
      • Issue 12 - Where You Live
      • Issue 11 - Tudor & Stuart
      • Issue 10 - End of Era 1912
    • Issues 1-9 >
      • Issue 9 - Health & Leisure
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      • Issue 6 - Celebrations
      • Issue 5 - Victorian Centre
      • Issue 4 - Slump after WW1
      • Issue 3 - Great War 1914-18
      • Issue 2 - 1950s & 1960s
      • Issue 1 - 1920s
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Picture
The classical portico of Box Tunnel (courtesy Box Parish Council)

Rail and Quarry Age, 1830 - 1870

Box Tunnel is far from the oldest structure in the village but it became the defining image of Box after 1841 because it was a unique and constant picture of the modern village. It remains one of the industrial marvels of the period.

The tunnel revealed massive, new seams of stone under
Box Hill and brought wealth and employment to the area.
This series features the story of the period from 1830 to 1870, which changed Box for ever.
The single-most dramatic event in the history of Box was probably the coming of the railway in 1841. It altered the future of the village making it into an industrial area, causing the building of new roads and new hamlets called Box Hill and Quarry Hill, and creating a huge increase in population from 1,550 people in 1831 to 2,274 in 1841.
List of Articles
Article, Author and Issue
Building Box Tunnel  Alan Payne,  15
Quarrymen and Boxing  Mark Jenkinson,  15
Clift Quarry Steam Loco  David John Pollard,  15
Early Victorian Timeline  Rosa Matheson & Patty Baldwin, 15
Box in 1830  Alan Payne,   15

Railway Buildings and more  Alan Payne  16
Vivash Family  Carl Vivash,  16
Lambert's Yard  Margaret Wakefield & Anna Grayson, 16
Underground Box  Mark Jenkinson,  16
A Railway Policeman  Barbara Davey,  16
​
Railway Staff  Alan Payne,  17
James Moodey, Methodist  Mark Jenkinson,  17
Impact of Railways  Alan Payne,  17

Article, Author and Issue
Quarries in 2000  Michael Breakspear,  18
Why Railways Came to Box  Alan Payne,  18
Built in Stoneyards  Margaret Wakefield & Anna Grayson, 18
Quarrymen and Families  Mark Jenkinson,  18
Light Through Box Tunnel  Alan Payne,  18

Quarrying after 1800  David Pollard,  1
Recalling Box Quarries  Richard Pinker, 18
Last Building Standing  Winston Lee,  9
Marl at Middlehill  ​John Froud,  28
Trial Shaft  Varian Tye,  29
Underbridges  Varian Tye,  29
​Station Commemorated   Robert Coles,  26
Crane 57  Varian Tye,  30
Box Tunnel Beam Engine  ​Neil Hardwick, 34
Railway Glory  Various, 39
Great Quarry Trade  Anon, 47

We welcome all corrections and additions to these articles. Please contact us via the contact tab or by emailing to: [email protected]. In addition if anyone is aware of any copyright infringement, please let us know so that we can correct any unintentional errors.