Submitted by thegardensurgery on Tue, 2008/07/29 - 12:02.
[img_assist|nid=506|title=harecastle rail tunnel canal link tunnel|desc=to prove that there are side tunnels linking the canal, very tight access and limited air...worth the risk..|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=427]
Submitted by thegardensurgery on Tue, 2008/07/29 - 20:36.
Lets just say one or two health and safety bods would not be too happy about me and my fellow explores being inside a condemned tunnel, even more so a side tunnel cut out of the rock, i Have many many photo`s of buildings in stoke that are long gone
Do you have any of Nine Windows the old steam house that used to be next to the rail line in Chatterly Valley. Used to climb up it as a kid. I never knew it with a roof on so it had been derelict for years.
Submitted by thegardensurgery on Wed, 2008/07/30 - 07:22.
Three blast furnaces opposite Ravensdale forge. A blast engine was built for the Company in 1868, it was an Adamson ( of Manchester ) vertical blower. The engine house was finally demolished for the construction of reg Mitchell Way.
Sorry being a bit thick here - where exactly is the chatterley valley entrance? Is it near the harecastle canal entrance? I take it the kidsgrove entrance is the one just beneath the road from the north car park leading into bathpool park?
Submitted by D5314mcrat on Tue, 2008/07/29 - 11:06.
Hi
I have been wondering about the harecastle railway tunnel myself, but was wondering is it only accessible from the kidsgrove end, as on google earth cannot make out the entrance I can see the kidsgrove end when I go through there on the train. Do you have any pics of the entrances.
Submitted by thegardensurgery on Tue, 2008/07/29 - 07:39.
One of the more notable episodes from BBC TV's "The Wednesday play" series of the late sixties was (imo) "The last train through the Harecastle tunnel",
A young train spotter heads to Staffordshire for a historic journey through a soon to be condemned tunnel. During his trip he encounters a series of curious characters and stumbles upon a dark family secret.
Show full synopsis
Alan Clarke directed The Last Train Through the Harecastle Tunnel for the BBC's Wednesday Play series in 1969. Written by Peter Terson, who came to prominence as the writer of the National Youth Theatre's successful production Zigger-Zagger, the play follows train spotter Benjamin Fowler's curious encounters during a weekend trip to Staffordshire for a ride on the last train through a condemned tunnel.
Submitted by thegardensurgery on Tue, 2008/07/29 - 07:32.
Brief History:
Tunnel Complex is located at Kidsgrove in Staffordshire, There is a small railway tunnel (@ Bathpool Park) on the Manchester - London part of the WCML still in use.The Main tunnel was built in the early 1800`s and has been disused since 1960 on account it was too small for modern rolling stock, the tunnel heads east for several hundred yards before turning right to head south towards Stoke on Trent. The tunnel itself is 2/3 mile long.
The Other two Harecastle tunnels are a couple of Canal tunnels on the Trent Mersey Canal the northern end starts in Kidsgrove alongside the Manchester to London railway line, the tunnels were built by James Brindley for Josiah Wedgewood. The First tunnel was abandonned to after being opened due to mining subsidance and a replacement bulit which is still in use. In the middle of the tunnels were connected to small off shoot tunnels which went into a local mine where tubs were floated down to to the canal. The Harecastle Railway Tunnel (disused) passes over the top of the canal tunnel by a few feet, they are rumoured to be connected by several v small and tight passageways.
There is also a network of drainage tunnels which can be viewed in Bathpool Park these eventually flow into the first abandoned Harecatle Canal Tunnel.
The tunnels apparently suffers from a 'haunting manifestation', the ghost of one murdered Kit Crewbucket, whose headless corpse was dumped in the canal. During the 19th century, boatmen were so convinced of her existence that some would choose a long detour to avoid a trip through the tunnel. The train tunnel is also supposedly haunted by several people that died during two serious crashes, mid tunnel, in the late 1800`s
On a more sinister side Bathpool Park and the drainage tunnels are the scene of the Lesley Whittle murder committed by the Black Panther. Lesley Whittle was abducted from her home in Wolverhampton and she was tied up naked on a landing between ladders. A ransom was demanded and when her father came to pay it unfortunately he drove into the park on a foggy morning and didn't see anybody despite driving around and around. For some reason the Black Panther found out that he was about to be trapped by the Police and in a rage and most callously kicked Lesley Whittle (who was still tied up and had a noose around her neck) off the landing platform. The Black Panther is still in Prison (or at least was last time I heard).
Submitted by thegardensurgery on Tue, 2008/07/29 - 07:28.
The pathway follows the trackbed and it heads around the east edge of the chatterley valley and then heads under chatterley lane and into a deep cutting and heads into the harecastle tunnel...which i have walked or swam on that day. if yopu look on google earth you can see the faint lines of the route.
Comments
a group shot before in the
[img_assist|nid=507|title=a group shot before in the entrance of the tunnel|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=515]
harecastle rail tunnel canal
[img_assist|nid=506|title=harecastle rail tunnel canal link tunnel|desc=to prove that there are side tunnels linking the canal, very tight access and limited air...worth the risk..|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=427]
The faces have been changed
The faces have been changed to protect the innocent.
Lets just say one or two
Lets just say one or two health and safety bods would not be too happy about me and my fellow explores being inside a condemned tunnel, even more so a side tunnel cut out of the rock, i Have many many photo`s of buildings in stoke that are long gone
Do you have any of Nine
Do you have any of Nine Windows the old steam house that used to be next to the rail line in Chatterly Valley. Used to climb up it as a kid. I never knew it with a roof on so it had been derelict for years.
Three blast furnaces
Three blast furnaces opposite Ravensdale forge. A blast engine was built for the Company in 1868, it was an Adamson ( of Manchester ) vertical blower. The engine house was finally demolished for the construction of reg Mitchell Way.
I've just created a new
I've just created a new forum area called Local History. I can't speak for anyone else but Iove this stuff.
harecastle rail tunnel
[img_assist|nid=505|title=harecastle rail tunnel chatterley valley portal|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
Sorry being a bit thick here
Sorry being a bit thick here - where exactly is the chatterley valley entrance? Is it near the harecastle canal entrance? I take it the kidsgrove entrance is the one just beneath the road from the north car park leading into bathpool park?
harecastle rail tunnel
[img_assist|nid=504|title=harecastle rail tunnel bathpool portal|desc=this is just below acres nook|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480]
Hi I have been wondering
Hi
I have been wondering about the harecastle railway tunnel myself, but was wondering is it only accessible from the kidsgrove end, as on google earth cannot make out the entrance I can see the kidsgrove end when I go through there on the train. Do you have any pics of the entrances.
tunnel
[img_assist|nid=502|title=tunnel|desc=|link=popup|align=left|width=455|height=640]
One of the more notable
One of the more notable episodes from BBC TV's "The Wednesday play" series of the late sixties was (imo) "The last train through the Harecastle tunnel",
A young train spotter heads to Staffordshire for a historic journey through a soon to be condemned tunnel. During his trip he encounters a series of curious characters and stumbles upon a dark family secret.
Show full synopsis
Alan Clarke directed The Last Train Through the Harecastle Tunnel for the BBC's Wednesday Play series in 1969. Written by Peter Terson, who came to prominence as the writer of the National Youth Theatre's successful production Zigger-Zagger, the play follows train spotter Benjamin Fowler's curious encounters during a weekend trip to Staffordshire for a ride on the last train through a condemned tunnel.
Harecastle rail tunnel
[img_assist|nid=501|title=Harecastle rail tunnel|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]
Brief History: Tunnel
Brief History:
Tunnel Complex is located at Kidsgrove in Staffordshire, There is a small railway tunnel (@ Bathpool Park) on the Manchester - London part of the WCML still in use.The Main tunnel was built in the early 1800`s and has been disused since 1960 on account it was too small for modern rolling stock, the tunnel heads east for several hundred yards before turning right to head south towards Stoke on Trent. The tunnel itself is 2/3 mile long.
The Other two Harecastle tunnels are a couple of Canal tunnels on the Trent Mersey Canal the northern end starts in Kidsgrove alongside the Manchester to London railway line, the tunnels were built by James Brindley for Josiah Wedgewood. The First tunnel was abandonned to after being opened due to mining subsidance and a replacement bulit which is still in use. In the middle of the tunnels were connected to small off shoot tunnels which went into a local mine where tubs were floated down to to the canal. The Harecastle Railway Tunnel (disused) passes over the top of the canal tunnel by a few feet, they are rumoured to be connected by several v small and tight passageways.
There is also a network of drainage tunnels which can be viewed in Bathpool Park these eventually flow into the first abandoned Harecatle Canal Tunnel.
The tunnels apparently suffers from a 'haunting manifestation', the ghost of one murdered Kit Crewbucket, whose headless corpse was dumped in the canal. During the 19th century, boatmen were so convinced of her existence that some would choose a long detour to avoid a trip through the tunnel. The train tunnel is also supposedly haunted by several people that died during two serious crashes, mid tunnel, in the late 1800`s
On a more sinister side Bathpool Park and the drainage tunnels are the scene of the Lesley Whittle murder committed by the Black Panther. Lesley Whittle was abducted from her home in Wolverhampton and she was tied up naked on a landing between ladders. A ransom was demanded and when her father came to pay it unfortunately he drove into the park on a foggy morning and didn't see anybody despite driving around and around. For some reason the Black Panther found out that he was about to be trapped by the Police and in a rage and most callously kicked Lesley Whittle (who was still tied up and had a noose around her neck) off the landing platform. The Black Panther is still in Prison (or at least was last time I heard).
The pathway follows the
The pathway follows the trackbed and it heads around the east edge of the chatterley valley and then heads under chatterley lane and into a deep cutting and heads into the harecastle tunnel...which i have walked or swam on that day. if yopu look on google earth you can see the faint lines of the route.
Ah, didn't even know there
Ah, didn't even know there was anything there until the other day.
How do you know these things...
This tunnel was originally
This tunnel was originally on the route of the old mainline railway, until it was diverted in the 60s due to the harecastle rail tunnel subsiding,