Exploring NINE Abandoned Tunnels in One Trip.
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- Опубліковано 4 вер 2024
- As part of our Adventure on the Abandoned Bullo Pill Railway, we identified 9 old tunnels along the route. Whether they were part of the railway or perhaps the former Tramway meant that they were added to the list!
The tunnels we identified were as follows:
1. Bullo Pill
2. Bradley Hill
3. Bluerock
4. Old Mine entrance?
5. Shakemantle Quarry Tunnel
6 and 7. Tunnels under the road at Nailsbridge.
8. Drybrook Tunnel.
9. Hawthorns Tunnel.
As always our goal is not necessarily get inside, its more to explore, document, and tick off, whilst having an adventure and getting outside. Albeit in the rain this time around!
BIG THANKS to Phil Toogood and Brian Mills for their photos of the Bullo Pill Tunnel portals.
We hope you enjoy the adventure, if you do why not consider having a look at the following links:
www.paulwhitewi...
/ everydisusedstation
With thanks to:
Google maps.
Rail Map Online: www.railmaponli...
National Library of Scotland
Brunel - By Robert Howlett (British, 1831-1858) - Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public Domain, commons.wikime...
What you need is more arrows on that thumbnail Paul ;)
And of course, great video. Horrid weather but many tunnels and random culverts/small tunnels. Good job guys :)
pro tip : watch series at flixzone. Me and my gf have been using it for watching all kinds of movies lately.
@Grant Brandon yea, been watching on Flixzone for since november myself :)
@Grant Brandon definitely, have been watching on flixzone for years myself :D
Hi Paul & Rebecca,
Love your videos.
I was born and bred in Drybrook and have only just broken ties following the loss of my father this year. Incidentally I am now 60 years old. We lived in Whitehill lane.
I can remember Drybrook tunnel as a 'proper' tunnel and the 2 road bridges just to the south. (Morse Lane and Whitehill Lane) In the summer bats used to leave the tunnel at dusk and fly up and down the lane. I can remember in the 70's the quarry to the north filling in the cutting and hence blocking the southern end of the tunnel.
As far as I can recall the northern portal was still accessible in 2000 ish but probably now well overgrown.
Interestingly, the last tunnel to the north (Pronounced Eurok-cly-den) was used I believe in WW2 for storing ammunition and latterly storing explosives for the quarry. It's a very steep gradient down to the north and also on a curve. I worked with a guy who had actually walked the tunnel, was in the FoD cave rescue and possessed an explosives license.
As far as I'm aware the line was never used north of Drybrook halt so the 2 tunnels mentioned above were never really used. Trains stopped at Drybrook halt (usually consisting of a motor coach) and then returned to Cinderford.
I can also remember looking down from the road bridge adjacent to Hales Builders at the 2 cuttings. One was the railway and the other the tramway. Hope I've been of assistance to you.
Hi Malcolm. Thank you for sharing all the information, that's great.
I live in the Forest of Dean and the amount of industrial history is incredible, due to the abundance of trees coal and iron.
No way! You got inside Blue Rock!! I've walked Haie Hill and Bradley Hill, but never made it inside Blue Rock because it was blocked with a solid wall up to a height of about 12' when I visited in the 80s. Walked around it and saw both ends, but didn't get inside. So now you have one over on me :-)
And as for Euroclydon - one of my all-time favourite tunnels. S-shaped, so it's really dark in the middle. There is a platelayers' hut situated in a recess off the main tunnel about halfway through, and that is the darkest, quietest place I think I've ever been. Pitch black. The tunnel itself, however, was alive with reverberations - so much so that I revisited it a few weeks later with a portable cassette player and recorded some sounds inside the tunnel. The southern entrance was blocked the same way as you show it, with a concrete wall a few yards in - but the iron door was open, and we were able to get inside. My tunnel diary from 1978 notes that there was a concrete roadway throughout the tunnel, meaning that you didn't need wellies once you were inside. As far as I can remember (from Harry Paar's excellent books on the Railways of Dean), this tunnel never actually saw any rail traffic, and was apparently used for storing ammunition during WWII.
When I walked it, the northern portal opened into a quarry; we visited on a Sunday, and I remember climbing inside the cab of one of the unattended quarry vehicles.
It made a lasting impression and, a few years later when I was a music student at Keele University, I actually named a late-night musical jam after this tunnel just because the atmospheric reverb on the recording reminded me of the experience of walking this tunnel.
BTW - you haven't mentioned yet Coles Rock tunnel - just 22 yards - I drove my car through it once in the 90s.
Brilliant thanks for sharing all that Bill. Yes Matt suggested that Blue Rock had been closed off for many many years.
We were gutted we didn't get in Hawthorns. Might have to ask the Lea Beer gents very nicely.
Your dedication to the cause knows no bounds!
Great video Paul and Rebecca, i love all these Abandoned Tunnels, its like there stone have recorded the history forever of the Trains and people going through them and the people living around them!
Absolutely Theo. I am sure they could tell a thousand stories.
Sandstone and red stone was very easy to bore through, using the tools the tools they had back in the day. Quite a soft rock to work with.
Smashing pair of wellingtons Rebecca!
Great video,wonderful part of the country.
Thanks Kim, we could spend a very long time here and not get bored!
Another Winner Guys, with or without the Bobbly Hat 🇬🇧👍
Winter hat stage 1
Very interesting video while in lockdown level 3 here in New Zealand thank you
Pity you couldn't access Hawthorns tunnel. There's some really amazing stuff in there just lying abandoned since WW2, plus the higgledy piggledy lining and exposed rock are quite amazing to see.
Gutted indeed. We will drop the Lea Beer team an email.
@@pwhitewick Lea Bailey....I think you're thinking what you need after a hard days exploring ;).....They are great guys there. I'm sure they would be very helpful.
Is the tunnel fully explorable ? Or do these big steel doors in the photos prevent access ?
Super video. Exciting to see all your finds. Great history.
And you thought that our Scottish weather was bad!
Great video again Paul and Rebecca, it's a shame that so many old tunnels are inaccessible.
Yup, it might be better to come back in the winter with less plant life around we think.
wow just wow you guys, 9 tunels im going to have to watch this one. stop it im addicted to your channel.
Carry on Sir!
Welldone both for braving the weather and producing a superb video !
Thanks Merv, very much appreciated
most enjoyable video. you two must walk miles and miles no matter the weather. Hats off to you both. No matter what your sense of fun shines through.
Cheers. We walk a fair way, but nothing too excessive!
Brilliant. All your efforts against the odds are appreciated. I'd never have guessed so much history existed in abandoned rail works.
Thanks Tumbril. The Forest of Dean has so much!
our old house was built on top of the tunnel in drybrook... the tunnel is still there, its blocked one end but the other end is privately owned and used for storage....
The video was fantastic. The brickwork in those tunnels were fabulous...please send us some of that beautiful rain we are desperate
Thanks Linda. Yes, we have been following the news and really wish we could send some of our weather in your general direction. I hope it eases soon for you.
Thank you
Brilliant videos and maybe you could consider the old North Staffordshire Railways and the old loop line around the 6 town of stoke on Trent
Jake
Cheers Jake. We have done just the one from that area so far. Keele Tunnel etc. Is that the line you are thinking of?
That's on the old that ran from Newcastle but there is one that ran from stoke to leekbrook junction and most of the track is still in place and there is the preserved railway the churnet valley which currently runs to Kingsley and froghall but there the track bed runs on to uttoxeter plenty of old railway lines around Staffordshire
Oh I need to get back out exploring again. Work has seriously got in the way over the last few months! Fabulous video as always
Yup you certainly do. Come spring we will get a few more South Wales lines under our belt.
I love how the commentary goes backwards forwards back again and then forwards. You are down to earth . That is why your vidios are so intresting. Looking forward to the next. RESPECT.
Thank you. I'm not 100% sure what you mean but I'm taking it as a compliment 😁👍
Skimmed through the comments but didn't notice any on the little tunnel at 12mins That was a stone mine, it went a lot deeper but caved in when they built the road up on top. You can feel a lot of aiir gushing through, probably connects up to the findall/shakemantle/buckshaft/st.annals system
Thanks Alex.
Lovely video , real shame about the covered tunnels, lots of history and great place to visit. Thanks all xx
Cheers Colin. Yup not the most successful tunnel visits but a fun explore anyway.
excellent videos and very knowledgable. oh hello rebecca.
Great programmes really enjoy. Grand for your average couch potato. Keep them coming.
2 intrepid tunnel explorers foraging around in the Forest of Dean (and getting fairly wet), sounds like an epic adventure for some, keep up the good work
Cheers Craig. Yup this was indeed a very wet one!
@@pwhitewick If I were you I would take a pair of shears or secateurs with me to cut down the brambles etc
@@craiglogistics2092 yup. A trip back in the winter might be on the cards.
So lucky finding the tunnel open love a nice tunnel to explore
Cheers. Yup twas a great weekend.
Captured some amazing tunnels there, great video.
Cheers Simon
Another brill video...what a great trip.... some nice tunnels there
Not long found out about you guys through watch Martin Zero, any ways great video keep up the great work, I am getting the inspiration to get out there a d if I can find anything of interest.
Cheers Stuart, Martin is a Legend, much planned with him for 2020.
Nice line to do would be the "golden valley line" which ran between Pontrialys and Hay on Wye!!
Thanks Richard. That's definitely on the list.
Inter sylvas quarre scientium??? Doesn't that tunnel entrance look better with rails coming out of it!!!! Rewarded at the end with a tunnel you could shelter in. Great stuff as usual about a long lost and forgotten part of our heritage🚂👍🔦❤
Thanks Bob. Yup the shelter / tunnel portal was an extremely welcome sight!
Interesting video as always. Iam impressed that you both have time and interest to do all this videos. Thanks for cheering to all of us.
Thanks Thomas. We definitely enjoy making them.
@@pwhitewick thats Good for I like to watch them.
Hi Guys, As you predicted this was one to wait for. I really enjoyed it and thank you for all of your efforts to get the shots. Ken.
Thanks Ken. You know us too well!!
Fabulous video as always, and in that weather! Hats off to you both - actually, keep them on, it's raining.
Hats, wellies, waterproofs.... All on! (Next time).
Great work,thank you
Thanks Simon. Much appreciated. 👍
Here's a suggestion for you Paul, what about the line that ran between Worcester and Leominster? They're looking at turning it into a cycle path, so I believe. Another great video, well done both of you.
Cheers Graham that's definitely doable for us
Brilliant! What a treat of a tunnel for you at the end. Made up for the slightly inclement weather. I think your next trip should be to a nice central heated room, exploring Netflix, a takeaway and a bottle of grown up pop! Thanks for hard your work. It is immensely appreciated.
Now that sounds like a trip I can cope with!
Big thumbs up for bringing us this video. Shame about the weather yet you both did a great job.
Thanks Andrew
Another great video! I like how that last tunnel has been bricked up a little way in.
Very interesting tunnel visit thank for all efforts always enjoyable from New Zealand
Cheers Terry. Much appreciated
That was one strong torch, flying down the hill like that. That last tunnel was such a tease, with an open portal and then bricked up and gated a few yards in!
Rebecca, would you consider doing a video with Vicki Pipe on her new Vicky explores subchannel, of which I am a patron? It might be a bit of fun!
It was indeed. We think we know the team with the key now so might be able to go back.
Watch this space with regards your second point. You never know what's around the corner.
@@pwhitewick Hmmm verry interesting ! (strokes long haired white cat)
Thanks for this video, old tunnels are always great. Hoping to make a video of the Ravenscar tunnel in North Yorkshire myself soon.
Brilliant. Make sure you let us know the link!
Whitewick's Abandoned Railways will do, keep up the good work! Btw loved some of the edits in this video too, matching to the music etc. Didn’t go unnoticed 👍🏼
Always pleased to see your videos....
That was a bit good. Can't beat a good explore. Extra pointage for the pink wellies.
Thank Alan.
Thanks
Thank you 😊
Another great, interesting & informative video guys. The time & effort you put into them is appreciated. 👍👍😎
Thanks David. Always a pleasure.
I have to give credit for braving the rain. I have braved the rain on my motorcycle quite a few times. I expect I will do it again sometime come next summer. I'm now suffering from PMS (parked motorcycle season) as winter has come down on me!
PMS is not good! Roll on the spring.
@@pwhitewick I did build a mock up of a full size drum set using a synthesizer to make actual sounds of drums and cymbals fed into a stereo amplifier. I have many hours of songs in my computer that also is connected to another stereo amplifier with a radio receiver. It gives me something to do to keep me occupied when I can't ride my motorcycle.
Great video as always, got to applaud both of you on this one for binging us the video regardless of the foul weather. :)
Thanks Gerry. Applause gladly appreciated
Excellent, I have really been enjoying your videos -- Canada has nothing like these tunnels - we do have plenty of abandoned lines and former station sites but they are fairly recent compared to the ones you two hunt for (30 - 40 years and are usually within towns and villages) most if not all of ours have been abandoned for economic reasons and the refusal of governments to subsidize the rail Companies to keep them open. I can remember riding on passenger cars in the late 50's early 60's and the cars were usually attached to freight trains. They were discontinued throughout the 60's and 70's and when the grain companies closed the Prairie Elevator System in favor of inland terminals it led to the shut down and abandonment of 80% of the rail system in Canada and a loss of a great piece of our History
Thanks Brent. Glad that you are enjoying the channel and thanks for sharing your local story.
While traveling along the Trans Canada Highway on 5/20/24 we came across the Spiral Tunnels at Kicking Horse Pass and actually saw a freight train making its way thru even though it was getting towards night. They apparently were quite difficult to construct and I imagine to travel up and down through. Lots of trains to see in Western US and Canada especially (we are from the east in Maine and always marvel at all the train activity out west). Been subscribed for quite a while here and just doing some catching up of older videos, love history.
So creepy as cool! Thanks!!
Got to love the UK, rain rain and more rain. Great videos , keep up the good work👍👍 P.S you can send the rain my ways 🇦🇺
We've been following the stories online. Certainly wish we could share it with you!
What a fascinating vid. Have you ever explored any areas of Scotland?
Like the pink welles
as usual my friends - absolutely brilliant - pity about the weather
Cheers Robin. Yup not the greatest weather but a fun adventure anyway. 👍
Showing those closed tunnels through a keyhole rather seems to enhance the mystery. Especially when you get to see ghostly white emanitions that are probably caused by the weather (common sense, boring explanation) but that might also be, say, the wandering soul of a miner lost in those tunnels in the late 1700s....
11:08 Did you see that gap where Matt is? It looks like they've closed that bit with stones from the quarry to hide the portal
Last tunnel needs more looking into . Not sure why they used brick to close off tunnel unless it was done by the railroad a long time ago .
I think it was used as a WWII storage area and therefore heavily guarded. We had lost the will to carry on looking for the southern entrance however owing to the persistent rain.
Imagine exploring a walled up tunnel through an unlocked door and then someone comes and locks the door while you are inside.
Believe me... this cross my mind.
Brilliant...as usual
Thanks Ian. Glad you enjoyed.
And home for a hot shower..... Very rewarding for you and our viewers me thinks. This video took a great deal of investigating and hard graft fighting the elements..I felt that the final tunnell was a big reward..Well done and thank you
Cheers Keith. It was a beautiful sight. A tad disappointed we didn't get fully inside as we had heard it was open. Still chuffed we made it.
Whether no. 4 was a mine entrance or not, you should definitely adit to your collection. Ha ha !! 😎😃😄
Quarry Adit to my collection 😳😁
Loving your channel, I work at Westbury signalbox so the railways are in my blood keep up the good work great content
Thank you, really pleased you are enjoying. Haven't been to Westbury for a while now but enjoy the amount of freight there!
Arrrrgh good old British weather again!
Nice video
Thank you Caroline.
I love your video
Thanks Andrew.
Fantastic, you're braver than I am when it comes to going out and filming in the rain! That really was a proper adventure, I hope you've both dried out now. The Gopro audio is a bit weird, I've had exactly the same issue with mine, I recently bought a Rode Smartlav lapel mic (that runs into a phone for recording on any sound recording app) specifically because of that issue and it is SO good. I've used it on my last couple of videos, and it makes all the difference. Definitely recommend it!
The GoPro suffers from noise in any direction so it's only good for audio if you are up close.
@@pwhitewick It really does, and that weird distortion it does when it's trying to filter out wind is really annoying. I've had to bin whole segments to camera because of that. In fact it was that particular frustration that made me get the lav mic!
Rain, mud, winter gear, more rain, maps and a bit of history. Whats not to like? Another tunnel? Bearing in mind Mrs. W's request for no rain, at this time of year, a trip beyond these shores would seem to be needed.Or stay in the car, use stock footage and lots of editing.Seriously, well done both!
Staying in the car was a very tempting prospect!!
When you say the longest tunnel in the world @5:13 that ought to be qualified as the longest railway/tramway tunnel in the world. There were several much longer canal tunnels which pre-date 1810. For example, the first Harecastle tunnel was 1,867 metres long and opened in 1796. The Sapperton at 3,490 metres was opened in 1789.
Cheers Steve, that's a very good point!
@@pwhitewick I've seen the BBC do the same when they claimed Box Hill was the longest tunnel in the world at the time it was built.
Incidentally, as a suggested railway to explore, you might want to think about the Banbury & Cheltenham Direct Railway which was made up of two lines which joined at Kingham station (which is still active on the Cotswold Line). On the Chipping Norton branch side there are two tunnels; Chipping Norton Tunnel and
It might be possible to see the Hook Norton tunnel as it seems the track bed has been turned into a nature reserve and there's gated access to at least part of it. Certainly it's on this video :-
ua-cam.com/video/96g4D_fidGg/v-deo.html
There was also a spectacular viaduct at Hook Norton, and the remains of that seem to be accessible and this site seems to confirm that at least one tunnel portal is accessible.
hook-norton.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Visible-Remains-of-the-Railway.pdf
At Chipping Norton there is a much longer tunnel. There is a footpath over the top, but I don't know of the portals are accessible. Near the old station site in Chipping Norton there spectacular Bliss Mill (now posh flats), but it's worth a look.
I now live not so far away from this area, so I ought to do some exploring myself one day.
On the western branch to Cheltenham, there are pictures which indicates that one of the portals to the Sandywell Park Tunnel is accessible. There are, of course, numerous closed stations on the line. Some of them in very pretty villages and towns.
Great video keep them coming 👍🏻
Cheers Mark, certainly will do.
love this channel. Such an adventure !
Thank you. You really can't fail in the Forest of Dean.
So what's your closest Abandoned Tunnel??
Can do Viaduct, (Mytholmbridge) Cutting (Thongsbridge), both on old Holmfirth line, but neither of closest abandoned lines seem to have any tunnels. So I guess it would be the abandoned ones near Marsden, on the Manchester line, which have been replaced by current one
Ashbourne, which is easy to go through. There’s also an interesting one at Bramshall on the old Stafford & Uttoxeter Railway. The Uttoxeter end is bricked up now but it is possible to walk through from the other end.
In use is easy as it's almost straight after leaving Matlock station (no name on maps) closely followed by High Tor Tunnel. As for abandoned, probably Hopton on the High Peak which you cycled recently.
All the one’s you’ve shown on this series. There’s still an accessible one near Lydney that was part of the old Severn and wye line to the old Severn railway bridge. Built 1875-78
506 yard long dead straight.
@@harleancarpenter8043 There's a couple of tunnels on the old Meltham line which might be closer.
Enjoyed your latest offering guys 😎
A bit too claustrophobic for me though 🙏🏻
All the best 🙂🍻🥂👍🏻
Cheers. The only real winner here was Blue Rock which wasn't too long
That was splendid
Thanks Robert. Very kind.
"Two deer's, three deer's. Oh dear oh dear Paul, you need to work on your plurals. Loved the drone shot you took from right above you though.
Nice one 👏❤️😁xx
Great video, thanks. Do you know that the first Severn Rail tunnel was attempted just north of Bullo Pill? You can see the remains of the construction shaft on the bank of the Severn.
We chatted about this with someone at the time. Is there any sign of the actual original portal entrance?
@@pwhitewick Yes it;s in the cliff face on the river, you can see the brickwork
David Moore I’ve been fascinated by this tunnel for a while. Channel 4’s Britain at Low Tide programme examined the brickwork you mention in the riverbank/shoreline. It’s odd because it appears to be a back filled working shaft to the tunnel so I assume the line would drop down a gradient over a mile or so to reach the datum level of the tunnel. It’s not clear how they backfilled the shaft though it appears the riverbank has eroded away around the brickwork. Very fascinating indeed.
@@andrewrogersdewpoint5662 The shaft in the riverbank/shoreline was by the documentation I have read was a construction shaft. As you say, a gradient would have been built upon successful completion of the under-river section. Unfortunately, the tunnel managed to get about two thirds or so of the way across when the river broke in and flooded the heading. The scheme was subsequently abandoned.
Interestingly, there have been a number of attempts to make a crossing at Newnham, a ferry did operate there for years. One unusual one was the lily pad pontoon bridge. Erected by Enock William, who operated the Severn Ferry service at Aust, used the remains of a wartime experimental sea based floating airstrip. It did not last either, but remains of the lily pad can still be found on the seven estuary, I managed to track a few sections down.
You may also be interested in the link between a disused railway and a disused waterworks save the black Country from Cholera.
Please keep the videos coming, they are a fascination insight into our industrial past.
Have you ever done the Foss navigation in York
In the through the keyhole photo of the last tunnel, there seemed to be a pipe or some sort of structure on the left. I wonder what that is.
I didn't notice the pipe but there was a lifting structure on the right. I think in WWII this tunnel was used as a storage facility and therefore a few bits where left behind. All the fencing along the right was security fencing from that era.
@@pwhitewick Thank you for your reply, I've just rewatched that part and I'd mis- remembered. The bit I meant was on the right and so will be the lifting equipment you mentioned.
cracking video and Rebecca,s wellys :)
Everyone loves the wellies!!
@@pwhitewick maybe not proper walking wear but if it works thats fine :)
That first hole looks like Brinchcombe Level iron mine. Whereabouts was it? Was it just below the road or down below the railway embankment?
I've been in Haie tunnel and Hawthorn/Euroclidean.
Just below the road. So pretty much underneath the road.
@@pwhitewick Yes, that's Brinchcombe Limestone Level. It's a fairly easy explore and you can come out in a hole further up the hill.
Hi. I have a camcorder which I would like to attach to the tripod receptacle on the bottom of the camcorder, some sort of hand accessory like a Joby. Is that what you use on your cameras? Thank you.
That's the one. Just Google, gorilla pod or Joby.
what about a passenger railway line that never carried a passenger (except for a one off special)
Yup, that was the northern end wasn't it!?
Add infrequent unexpected quick scary clips with humor to the dark tunnel scenes and you'll go viral
Haha... The temptation is real!!!
Tunnelatious.
Oh yes
5:25 Failed because there were two farmers by the falls and there was going to be some shooting?
Yup as in shooting pheasant we assume
Come here from Geoffs channel!
As your doctor, I prescribe hot cocoa and dry shoes.
Prescription noted!!
This country is a bloody nightmare with trying to get access to anywhere ! Too many private land owners !!
Yup, we try and play by the rules too, bit difficult to see the difference between open access and non-open when you are out in conditions like this.
Yep, I would find that very frustrating too. Here in Scotland, it's much less of a problem. Off the top of my head, I can't think of an abandoned railway location where getting access would be a problem, at least, not in a rural location. There are plenty of places where access would be near impossible, due to nature, but our "trespass" laws seem to consist of more common sense and less "Get orf moi land" than the English and Welsh equivalents.
They should try a few more Scottish trips, might prove more successful. The only problems I can foresee........... yep, the weather🤿 and the ******* midges🚁, although there are solutions to both, up to a point.
Was it just me or did anyone else fall off their chair at 5.45.. :/
Did I do it this time?
Yes.... Yes you did.
@@pwhitewick Yay, Yay and thrice Yay.
WHAT ABOUT YOU PAUL AND REBECCA JOINING UP WITH TONY ROBINSON IN A MEGA TIME TEAM ABANDONED RAILWAY TUNNELS MAEATHON TV SERIES !!!!????, WHICH WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT AND VERY INTERESTING WORTHWHILE PROJECT !!!!-```````````````````````````````5 V .
Rebecca is sooooo watchable🌈, so yummy 💜