After almost two centuries of speculation and guesswork, the mystique surrounding Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Box Tunnel near Bath might finally be at an end. It appears that the legendary British engineer had constructed the tunnel with a celestial spectacle in mind – a tribute to his beloved sister.

The Box Tunnel, constructed between 1836 and 1841, is a triumph of Victorian engineering. Stretching 1.83 miles, it was the longest railway tunnel in existence at the time, a testament to Brunel’s ingenuity and ambition. Yet, for years, it harboured a tantalizing mystery. Every April 9th, a ray of sunlight would penetrate the darkness of the tunnel at dawn, slicing straight through its length. The precision of this phenomenon led many to suspect that it was no mere coincidence, but a design feature embedded in the tunnel’s construction. How awesome is that!!!!

The researchers have now disclosed that the spectacle appears to correspond to the birthday of Brunel’s sister, Emma Joan Brunel, born April 9, 1804. Brunel was known for his close bond with his sibling and it seems that he wanted to honour her in an extraordinary, albeit cryptic, manner.

The theory was formulated by a team of academics from the University of Bath, who have been studying the alignment of the tunnel for several years. The team employed an array of historical research, computational modelling, and architectural analysis to substantiate the claim.