Secret Tunnel on the Manchester and Milford Railway (Plus 3 others).
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- Опубліковано 4 вер 2024
- In this family friendly video we visit Four Abandoned Railway Tunnels on the Manchester and Milford Railway in the heart of Wales. The highlight for us was the TynyGraig Tunnel which we would have never found without the permission and guidance of its current keeper! This time of the year it is truly hidden until around 10 yards away! What an amazing treasure.
We explore the range of railway architecture used in the various tunnels construction in the late 1800's.
The tunnels visit were:
TynyGraig, Pencader, Bryn Teifi and Allt-y-Cefn.
If you are enjoying what we are doing in travelling around the country visiting disused and abandoned railways please check out our links below:
paulwhitewick.c...
/ everydisusedstation
Twitter: @PaulWhitewick
Inst: PWhitewick
facebook: @EveryDisusedStation
Big thanks to:
Andrea - Her guidance and local knowledge have been a god send and we are very grateful for her time and passion of the local history.
The owners of the house at TynyGraig and Caradog falls. We would very much suggest obtaining permission before coming here. (We did not seek this, our local guide did), this is private land and a private household, so please respect their privacy.
Just a quick note, as per our description, this is a private residence, so please do respect the owners privacy. We hope you enjoy the video.
Enjoyed it. Thanks to all.
@@RichardFelstead1949 flitch way soon!
@@pwhitewick thanks.
Off topic question.
If the word three is pronounced free how do you pronounce the word free ?
What an absolute delight. I love the masonry work that goes into these tunnels, there was some pride in the workmanship in those days.
Stunning tunnels, it’s amazing what industrial architecture is left in this country. Such a shame that trains don’t run on these lines anymore. Fantastic video.
Brilliant film.
And Andrea is pretty cute. 😊
Paul and Rebecca, you have produced a very slick video this time. Superb intro great editing and music. Very interesting content, very enjoyable, Thank you. Regards Garry
Thanks Garry, very much appreciated.
In the 1980s i was a student at lampeter and involved with the Gwili railway. As a consequence, i ended up walking the entire route from Carmarthen - aberystwyth plus the branches and tried tracing the route north from Strata Florida (the unbuilt bit). There were fewer gardens to climb through then, but still some.... All of the tunnels were accessible and I've managed to walk through them all. Nice to see how it's changed.
That tunnel is a spectacular garden ornament.
Fascinating. Seriously.
I stumbled upon your videos quite randomly and am now looking forward to more! Thanks.
196 to catch up on!!
The Tunnels are amazing.The beautyful Landscapes is a real green Natureparadise.Wow💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed.
I never tire of seeing these amazing tunnels since I think of what the builders had to work with. Thank you for another excellent piece.
Thanks Andrew yup, it seems quite surreal to think of the conditions that they worked under.
Hi Paul,
another great video for the subscribers who may be interested in geology as well as railway construction. When we visited the TynyGraig tunnel (with permission) some years ago the refuges shown in your video at 4.27 (with the brick arches) frame an anticlinal fold of sandstone layers that the tunnel builders exposed during construction.
Thanks for another interesting production, Brian.
Wow, thank you. Can you elaborate a tad more? Was this a requirement to build the arches in the way they did, owing to that geology?
@@pwhitewick Hi again Paul, if you do a search on the tunnel some references are made to it being a RIGS (Regionally Important Geodiversity Site) this protects it from further development and a short description by W. R. Fitches of the geology explains in more detail its features. Hard to imagine but these rocks were once part of the sea floor!
A tunnel refuge would normally be a recess in the rock face for a person (Ganger) to retreat to if a train came through while they were walking the line, some were brick lined but not so often in the shorter tunnels, your other videos show the different types of refuge over the country. The Tynygraig tunnel features have been framed with bricks by the tunnel builders/designers to show the rock fold.
Fantastic tunnels, and a lovely madness of green! There are shades of green we don't see here in SE Arizona!
Thanks Wolf. Yes, this time of year its full bloom, plus we are having a fair amount of rain too unlike last year.
@@pwhitewick rain is nice. Our monsoon season begins this month, massive thunderstorms galore, but often only in one part of town. We say that if you don't like the weather in Tucson, then go across the street. During a real gully-washer of a storm you can watch the Saguaro cactuses swell with the water they absorb.
Imagine having a garden railway and using part of the tunnel for your layout.
The tower illusion at 0:25. Cool video!
....or forgetting to film in Landscape and then panicking about how you can use the amazing slowmo in the video. Cheers, glad you enjoyed it.
What a surprise! Not everyone who can boast a tunnel mouth in their back garden! Thanks for another interesting tour - some great footage, and impressive stills inside the tunnels.
Thank you Richard. A boast indeed!
I grew up at the other end of the tunnel in Tynygriag - the end you emerged at. As soon as I was old enough to be out of my parents sight I spent all my spare time traipsing round the village and frequented the tunnel often- it felt like my own private world. To the left is a steep bank that I would scramble up and down and I had my own route to climb out at the other end without going through the garden. Last time I tried to take that route my little path was all but non existence. I have to say you did the tunnel wrong. It is best experienced without torches, hearing the sounds and feeling the cool dampness and the smells. Then, my favourite part, emerging at the end you did into a magical abandoned world. You say it looks like it has been done up recently but I can tell you that is had not been touched in all the time I've known it- so 35 years. And I doubt at any time in the near past to that as the undergrowth around it was well established.
Incidentally- you showed the mill wheel-at the beginning. that was a work of restoration by the landowner who also had to restore the entire mill pond above it.
Great video, Thanks for sharing it with us. Most people just have a shed at the end of their garden, how amazing to have a tunnel!
Thanks Hayley, yes quite something indeed. An amazing centre piece without being in view.
Could you imagine having something like this in your yard!! Absolutely beautiful
@@richdiscoveries dream house for sure!
hey paul and rebbeca , great video , how cool is that , a tunnel at the end of the garden , well im caught up on all your videos now , :)
Pressures on to get some more made a bit quick now then! 👍👍
@@pwhitewick well no rush but yea lol :)
Amazing video as always thanks for the gorgeous views
Colin Burton Thank you all so much for a fascinating video, your hard work is really appreciated, loved it.
Thanks Colin. Really pleased you enjoyed the video.
A tunnel at the bottom of your garden, to die for. Thanks again Paul and Rebecca.
The latter half of my childhood was spent, extensively exploring the old raiway system of Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro - then under the wider Tri-county border of Dyfed). I found the old trackbeds ideal in traversing vast swathes of the Welsh countryside, from Newport (Trefdraeth - 'Town on the beach') (on the Cardiganshire border) to the mainline running to Haverfordwest and on to Fishguard (Abergwaun - 'Mouth of the river Gwaun'). In fact, one such line ran from Newport to Clunderwen (prounounced - Klin'derrwin) (on the mainline), right across the Preseli range. Numerous tunnels and extremely overgrown cuttings everywhere.
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BTW - My school was - Ysgol-y-Preseli, (The Preseli School) Crymych, which was not far from this branch line to Newcastle Emlyn, explored in this video.
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Love your work guys.
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Regarding the Cymraeg word 'Cefn' (Back, or rear, or reverse), the pronounciation in Welsh (Cymraeg) is said with an almost silent 'f'... So more sounding like 'Kewn', than 'Kevin'. I used to live just south of the village of Maenclochog (where we later moved to...), at a tiny hamlet called 'Llanycefn' - Llan is Cymraeg for 'church'. And Maenclochog is - 'The village of the ringing stone' - the latter of which was actually just across the road from where we lived. I never heard the stone ring, but it did have a stunning well upwelling from beneath the large granite 'glacial erratic' boulder.
Thank you for sharing. 👍😊
So polite, leaving a note and everything. I wish my yard had a tunnel.
Always be polite....😁. Yup and so do we.
I live in the area and walked through Pencader tunnel south to north in 1998. In those days there were no walls or padlocked gates. However, English incomers started having parties in the tunnel and even abseiled down the ventilation towers by trespassing on local farmers' land and damaged the structure. The shafts have since been sealed off as have the entrances either end. Farmers who own the land nearby have keys but only give them to locals.
Most tunnels in the 90's were accessible. Sadly a minority spoil it for the majority.
No idea why these are fascinating but they are. Abandoned railways and tunnels - what's not to like? Must be my inner anorak.
Embrace that anorak Nick.... Embrace it.
Fascinating video! I walked all of these back in the 1980s, and still think the scenery around Pencader is some of the most stunning on any disused railway I've walked.
Absolutely Bill. Sadly we didn't have a great deal of time otherwise we would have done a lot more. The heritage line now have about four miles more trackbed so we have gained permission to walk that before they extend north.
I'm super jealous of the guy with a historic tunnel in his backyard
That's one hell of a garden feature.
Garden feature / Aircon
Excellent stuff! Some wonderful discoveries and, as usual, high quality presentation. Thank you!
Thank you. Very much appreciated. 👍👍
Great video thanks guy's loving your experiences keep up the great work
It’s amazing how nature takes over in so few years
Certainly is.
Well done for getting permission to explore these tunnels, most interesting - helps to have a local guide too! Excellent stuff P&R.
Cheers David. Yup we wouldn't have made it to Pencader or TynyGraig without Andreas help for sure.
gosh , loved this video to pieces , well done again and thanks for time and efforts you put in , andrea too
Thank you Peter, glad you enjoyed it. 👍👍
Absolutely beautiful, thanks for taking us along. I am new to the channel and abandoned Railways are some of my favorite places to explore so I'll be sticking around for a while😁 thank you for sharing this with us, and be safe out there my friends
Thanks Rich and thanks for the sub. Hope you enjoy the channel. 👍
That was great thank you
Thanks Linda, glad you enjoyed it.
Love seeing the tunnels, I noticed in the two videos you have extra helpers, I don't mean Rebecca or Andrea Freya and Abbie was it a family holiday and thought we'll take the kids somewhere and they can go inside tunnels with yourself and Rebecca
That's a big leak in the viaduct at Pencader. Has it been reported? It would be a shame if the break in the wall went unfixed and the water caused it to collapse. The damage would be catastrophic. Welsh is tricky to pronounce. What can I say; we made it that way to make it hard on the English? LOL Just kidding. Your pronunciations were close and acceptable. The landscapes and architecture were amazing. Thanks for sharing. And I remembered to subscribe this time. I can't wait to see where you take us next.
Yup, there is an aquaduct that takes water over the entrance and down the side of the permanent way. We intend to go back soon and try to organise a little work party to clear it. 👍
Wouldn’t surprise me if the monks had gone to Vegas (as they do in comedy TV shows and movies) but another great video, some lovely tunnels in this one 👍🏻
And love how the owner of the tunnel with the beach looking at it uses that tunnel to get a breeze
Cheers Simon. Yup built in air con for the garden!
Those old masons did great work. thanks for the tour!
Thanks David. They certainly did a job and a half at Tyn Y Graig.
Hey guys, nice to see you again. This is an amazing place, really enjoyed it and you kept it really interesting. That tunnel is well hidden, but brilliant explore.
Cheers guys. Much appreciated.
That is one of the best outdoor air-conditioning units I have ever seen.
The cool air really comes through it, quite a bizarre feeling.
Would be a great part of the yard for Summer cook outs and barbeques. Chopped Boston butt pork with a spiced vinegar sauce.
😋😚👌
The chef could even manage a 90+ degree day at the grill with that great bit of historical convenience around.
Some beautiful tunnels and rock in this video. If you do go back there at some point, any chance you could pop the drone up to the aqueduct that seemed to be ?overflowing? at the tunnel mouth? Would be interesting to see what's going on up there.
Yup, we had a plan to go back there and clear it completely. I think there is a channel that runs down the left had side as you approach.
Theres a house in huddersfield which has a tunnel portal in their back garden it was called the butternab tunnel always wanted the house lol Xx
Always enjoy the relaxed and fun way you both do these videos. Maps please! Won't stop me but it saves time looking up these locations on an old AA map book.
Thank you Thad. Give it a week or two and the maps will be on our website with specific locations. (I'm a tad behind!).
It's very interesting to see the tunnels and to see how much work and engineering it took to build them, it would be great to have some info on build dates and reason or possible reasons the line was discontinued and the approximate year they were closed
Thanks Joseph. We are often left in awe at the monumental workings undertaken. Making the videos entertaining, not too long and enough to capture a sense of the railways is our most difficult task. (Also having the time to edit). We are gradually trying to introduce a little more info as we go. 👍👍
The Gwili Railway could extend north and work trains through Pencader tunnel.
Yup I understand that they own up to Llanpumpsaint and have plans in place to connect that 4 mile stretch soon.
one to do: Kemp town railway in Brighton
Andrea seems very nice.
Awesome Video Great Finding Old Rail Lines
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed.
Thanks for your tunnel videos really enjoyed this 1 looking forward to seeing more . Martin zero is right about how good you're channel is.thanks John Rooney
Cheers John. Much appreciated.
What a wonderful property! Wow!
Oh my imagine owning a house with a tunnel in your garden 😮 thank you for another explore, these uploads are quality 🙂 I hope you visit Derbyshire at some point, Bennerley Viaduct was my last venture 😉
Cheers Lee. It was a massively unexpected tunnel entrance. Quite an experience.
Hi Paul, this was a random find, as my main interest is railways, and disused infrastructure. What a great video, the music accompanying the scenes is fantastic, really setting the melancholic atmosphere of what we are seeing here. Happy tunnel hunting in the future.
Thanks Jon. Glad you liked the channel and the music, we certainly get mixed reviews from it!
Love the history. Superb video. 4 tunnels - how exciting. Shame the culvert was inaccessible.
New subscriber from Martins channel, if everywhere you go is as nice as this place I'll be watching more.
Get binge watching, plenty from this area. Wales is a delight and never fails
Another great vlog, keep up the good work.
Cheers Mark. Glad you enjoyed it. 👍👍
That would be an amazing cycle route! 😍😁
I think quite a bit of this line is, (obviously not their garden!).
Awesome video, glad I came across your channel. If I was at the third tunnel I would have to do some climbing, if not over the gate to check out the tunnel definitely to the top to check out the aqueduct, that kind of thing absolutely fascinates me. Anyway, you've got a new subscriber here.
Cheers Matt. Glad you are enjoying. Agreed it didn't look like too much of a climb.... But... We are aiming to get hold of the key officially soon. Watch this space.
Whitewick's Abandoned Railways will do, can't wait to see more👍
Thank you so much for this video.
Thanks for watching Lisa, glad you enjoyed it.
The river Teifi is pronounced Tavy, which is the same as the river flowing from Dartmoor through Tavistock to the Tamar and was only a few miles from the Princetown branch.
Ah we thought it was more.... "Tayvee".
great video .... really enjoyed it
Another great video!
The best yet, keep them coming.
Ah cheers Paul. Much appreciated. 👍👍
Best video so far - I bet Rebecca selects the music - really enjoy your challenge.
Cheers Peter. We both have a dable at the music selection.
Imagine that a monk that didn't want to be contacted 🤣 did you find the velociraptor? 🐉😜🤠🚂🏰🚇
wow having your own Tunnel
Pretty cool huh!?
@@pwhitewick cool to say the least
IF YOU CAN in your tunnel expeditions PLEASE (If it is possible) Show a better picture of the Tunnel millage Signs (4.08 White oval sign in this Vid) They are indeed Just as Much a part of the tunnels & in mapping out where these tunnels are to Keen tunnel enthusiasts.... CHeers... Again Another Excellent Vid
Thanks Mike. Yup, absolutely doable for us. Missed them on this expedition!
Cool video, the music was AWESOME!!
Thanks Nunna 👍👍
Great video Paul, it’s amazing that no matter how remote , you still get graffiti on a bare wall.
Yup. Interestingly all the grafitti we came across was only on the recent walls such as the breeze blocks. None on the masonry. #respectfulgrafitti!
Graham at least he had a Pretty translator along for the Welsh graffiti ? Good team work ,nice video .
@@pwhitewick Yes, surprisingly, the graffiti didn't look out of place in such a wild and beautiful spot. It looked more like primitive art designed to enhance rather than to desecrate. I can imagine our neolithic ancestors being quite impressed. Like modern archaeologists, they'd probably put it down to some sort of ritualistic practice. And they'd probably be quite right in thinking so. (Of course, they'd be totally gobsmacked by the tunnel itself!)
beautiful scenes full of mysteery. thanks again
Thank you. Very much a fan of your videos so very humbled by your comment. Thank you 👍
you should call your tunnel series TUNNEL VISION.lol
Now that's not a bad idea.
good work
Woah! Editing upped a gear there, loved the three section screen split!
You're a tad behind Damo... 😉😉...
I know, bloomin work. Still means I’m rewarded with double video goodies this weekend!
Great video! Martin Zero may know some history on this, he's quite knowledgeable on disused , old railways, tunnels etc etc.
I certainly don't doubt that. Thank you 👍👍
@@pwhitewick Haha!
Great vid, newly subbed too, love the brickwork on the tunnel ends, it looks immaculate and clean! Love the fact you ask / seek permission, always best to check and be upfront, what's the worse someone can say? - No!
Well done both!
I wonder when they rock bolted the face of that tunnel? I just stumbled across this video and as the rest of your work, it's great!
Nice small tunnel at the end
The little culvert was great wasn't it.
I know some of these well👍
Hope we did them justice. 👍👍
Sounds like you need one of those collapsible ladders for these escapades....
Yes!... Often thought that...
@@pwhitewick or stilts 🤔
Another great video you chaps thankyou - interesting as always. btw I believe the official name for the things you call 'recesses' are really 'refuges' Paul.
Oh my, you know as I've been saying that in the last few videos I've said to myself it doesn't sound right!.... Apologies and that's for the correct name. 👍👍
@@pwhitewick No big deal Paul; keep up the great work!
Great Vid.
Thanks Mr Jimbaloid
I think I know why you could not get into that third ttunnel. U obviously would need to find a Monk key. There's not a lot of them in Wales. Lol. Sorry.... Excellent video. Cheers for that.
Lol..... Ooooh dear. 🤪😂
Not sure how I found this, but must admit found it interesting.
Looks well worth a subscribe.
Thanks John. Welcome aboard Sir. 👍 (No pun intended, obviously).
I visited Pencader Tunnel for the first time twenty years ago to this day, and was heartily traumatized by the experience (sunk up to my knees in soft mud at the entrance) - I've returned a few times since then and walked through it end-to-end - an amazing bit of engineering. You guys did a brilliant job photographing it and the other tunnels on the old Carmarthen & Cardigan and Manchester & Milford lines.
There is actually a horizontal adit on the surface that is believed to have connected with the north-eastern ventilation shaft - I've seen the entrance to this with my own eyes but it's impossible to penetrate far inside due to it having collapsed.
As a suggestion, have you considered visited the Manchester and Milford Railway's unfinished tunnel at Cefn Myherin? This was located on the aborted 15-mile section that would have carried the railway across the Cambrian Mountains to Llangurig, and would have been among the highest railway tunnels in the UK, in terms of altitude. Contractors begin digging the approach cuttings at both ends before the project was abandoned, and they can indeed be seen marked as 'Old Quarry' on the old OS maps held by the National Library of Scotland.
Thank you, Rhys. Someone suggested we try to find the cuttings to the tunnel that was never built but I haven't had a chance to look. Do you have the location details?
@@pwhitewick Cheers for the reply Whitewick, and I'm happy to help - here's some excellent online resources detailing the unfinished cuttings:
coflein.gov.uk/en/site/406893/details/manchester-and-milford-railway-cefn-blaenmerin-tunnel-north-east-entrance
coflein.gov.uk/en/site/406894/details/manchester-and-milford-railway-cefn-blaenmerin-tunnel-south-west-entrance
And here are two scans I found online of the plans submitted to Parliament for the tunnel and adjacent parts of the unbuilt line:
oi67.tinypic.com/i3a1hg.jpg
oi68.tinypic.com/2aak3ty.jpg
Between them these elevations give a fairly concise idea of what the tunnel under Blaen Myherin would have been like if completed - a formidable structure both to build and operate. Equally impressive would have been the viaduct proposed to span the Ystwyth valley south of Devil's Bridge.
PS: I'm based in Aberystwyth, so if you'd like an extra pair of hands along with you during a survey, I'd be happy to weigh in
have you checked out the butternab tunnel on the huddersfield meltham line at one side been converted into a nice house
Working my way through the Tunnels videos right after having watched all the EDS episodes, and I had an epiphany of some sort: I envied all the people living in old station houses (with platforms and trackbeds in their garden) or right next to a tunnel (such as shown in this video), but actually my parents have one of the coolest houses there could be (in my region) - not only is the house and garden alongside a former heavy rail track now used by light rail (the Cologne Stadtbahn), but it is actually the house built by the then head of the railway company that owned the railways going along there! I think that's just as cool as living next to a tunnel or in an old station house. :D
I'd like to link you some information, but Wikipedia has only got it in German (and Dutch), but anyways:
The Railway Company: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6ln-Bonner_Eisenbahnen
The Line: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheinuferbahn
Excellent Rafael. I can confirm that this is definitely pretty cool!! Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely fascinating . I started walking old railways back in the late 60s and remember walking in stages from Aberystwyth to Strata Florida in summer 1970 when visiting my Grandparents who lived in Penparcau just outside Aberystwyth . I recall , apart from a couple of blown bridges ,the course being fairly walkable throughout then and distinctly remember Tyn y Graig tunnel with its open rock interior. I now live in Huntingdon , Cambs and there are several old lines round this way, especially in the St Ives area . Are any of those staitons ticked off on your list yet?
Just found your videos. Sometimes the music covers the talking.
Thanks Jim hope you are enjoying bthe channel. Yup we are amateurs learning, getting better slowly.
Alt-y-Cefn tunnel had telegraph lines inside which suggests a nearby signal box any idea where that was?
We've actually still yet to cover this line in an #EveryDisusedStation sense, so will have a poke around later in the year.
Hi, I've been a subscriber for a little while now and really enjoy the channel so I've been delving into your older stuff.
Some fantastic tunnels in this video, did you ever get the key from the monks and go back to film inside the long one?
Just discovered your channel.
I assume tunnels 1 to 4 were railway tunnels.
The small "bonus" tunnel, is that an adit, for water egress or air intake, or is it an artifact of a furnace or something else.
Do you know?
What an adventure.
Thank you.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. Yes all railway tunnels from the Manchester and Milford Railway. The final tunnel was a culvert which would have helped guide water away from the line and its embankment.
Did you know there was a secret room in deb dale park house( gorton house ) , that run down to the servants quarters from the bedroom . Love if you guys could get permission and explore this lovely old house
Interesting stuff. No clue I am afraid.
Manchester house that used to be a woollen mill, bakery, cafe and the food supply for the army camp just wanted to know if my house is special cuz I found a arrow in my house just the word Manchester is in my house name so yeah
Generally speaking does anyone know who own the trackbed of all the old disused railway lines. And who is responsible for the old tunnels.
Very interesting content from these 2 people. Well done.
Would be nice if you can amend your video to include a map of the area where the 4 tunnels are and a rough sketch where the tracks ran.
Hi Gary, have a look at the link "paulwhitewick.co.uk' and click on the 'EveeyDisusedStation' tab. Then have a look at the map. In a few days the tunnels will appear as blue pins. Hope that helps.
I'm glad even a Briton has trouble pronouncing Welsh words. Like so many foreign languages, some words look easy, others not so much.
WOOHOO FROM TEXAS 😎😎😎
Good video
Cheers Caroline.
Does Network Rail still own it or the gentleman with the breezy garden? Oh Mersea, why can't I have a tunnel?
Nice intro and video . Wonder if the mill in the beginning was once served by the railway line ? Was this an line that mainly served passengers?
Cheers Montie. This particular station (about 100 yards away from the tunnel was used for passengers mainly as it served the village and visitors to the falls below.
Shame you couldn't go through pencader tunnel but maybe when you come back for the Gwili ride
Great vid btw
Thanks Dyfan. Hoping for your vid to be up in two weeks. Well behind with my editing!
Ok thanks for the heads up