Four Tunnels from the Peak District Railways. CHPR. 4k. 

Cheers for the comments peeps. QUESTION: Weather permitting, where should we head on next week's adventure???

I haven’t scroll down all of the messages so I might be just repeating this. It was built during the Second World War as a magnesium extraction plant the idea was to process the hill unfortunately or fortunately it was later discovered that the magnesium limestone was not the correct compound and could not be extracted. This is why the ruins remain and Hopton rocks are still there there’s also accounts of a family that lived in the cave during the 18 century.. less than 300 yards north from Hopton rocks is the rooming of an old paint works on the right hand side.

5:57 A beautiful antique transformer house the 3 top holes had ampere meters. And at the back of a volt meter each cabinet had 6 fuses and a blade switch. I suspect 400 volts 300 Kilowatts. The empty room on the other side used to house the 10,000 volt transformer.

BT cables used to run through this tunnel, but I believe don't anymore (I know the guy who was the 'local' engineer responsible …). It was used during and after WW2 for munitions storage - part of the RAF base at Harpur Hill, now HSE laboratories (where the blown up tube trains are - part of the investigation into the London 7/7 terrorist attacks). The bricking up dates from, I think, the 70's when BT took it over. About 8 years ago I walked past the northern portal and the door was open ! Underfoot it is very wet and muddy for the most part, there is no door at the southern end. The tunnel itself has been well maintained by BT and is a mixture of gritstone blocks and bare rock with sections of concrete and brick infill/reinforcement. There is a concrete plinth running the full length which, I think, supported the BT cables (as opposed to them being encased in it - there are no access panels …). There are tractor tyre tracks along the length from portal to portal that presumably date from just prior to the time of portal closure !

Thank you for this video! It got me back wanting to go out and explore, so that’s exactly what I did today by walking the southern end of this Railway trail! Very interesting indeed. Looking forward to seeing more from you both!

That was fabulous. I so love the brickwork in the tunnels. Biking with you is great and refreshing. Haha. Keep up the great work

At Harboro Rocks: What you see there are the remains of the lead ore crushing and smelting process. Bronze age artifacts have been found in the cave and if you search around a bit among the rocks, you'll find some Roman lead mines, some neolithic rock carvings and a rock carved into the shape of a throne which is possibly Bronze age too.

Thanks! I've cycled the CHPR several times but didn't realise the trackbed avoiding the Hindlow section was still navigable.. From memory the line was originally a "canal without water" and trucks were pulled up Middleton incline by a stationary engine and hauled along the line by horses before moving steam engines came along.

Perfect timing for my afternoon break and on a Wednesday! Awesome work as always, this looks like a great explore!

I've always liked Derbyshire, but the views from your video is something else, it's a beautiful landscape. Great video.

Landscape up by Burbage tunnel was beautiful. The last time I walked 4 miles (in one hell of a mood!) In wellies I ended up with huge blisters! Hope your toes didn't suffer the same fate. Excellent video as always. Have got a bit behind in watching so I'll watch EDS19 right now!

another must watch there, and great it was. keep going guys.

Wow.. nice video and beautiful places, Sir! 👍

hi Paul and Rebecca two great videos on CHPR love the tunnels and the high embankment what a great area to explore, what if trains still ran magic, thank you both. xx

Damm good video. Thanks for cheering whit us all. Keep on the good work.

Love the creepy stairs to nowhere!! Excellent drone footage! What a gorgeous area!

Breathtaking highlight, 11:57, the walk leading to Burbage tunnel ... superb.

Absolutely love your vlogs. Very interesting. 👍👍👍👍👍

I use the 515 a lot, and i never knew that tunnel runs underneath it at Newhaven. Top vid again from the both of you. Regards Paul.

Awesome video guy -thanks!

Another great video, Paul & Rebecca!!

So pleased to see an explanation for the concrete pillars in the comments. As an unusual coincidence, I'd been looking at the sustrans page for this trail earlier today, and there's a photo of these on there, too, but also offering no explanation.

Nice to see Hopton and Newhaven tunnels being used and not left to decay. Harboro Rocks - very interesting abandoned structures, love that kind of thing. Hindlow tunnel line is a freight line, serves Hindlow Quarry (Tarmac) which is now closed (I believe) but the Dowlow Quarry (Breedon Group), where the line terminates, is still used.

Excellent video again, Rebecca and Paul. I was worn out just watching you walk all that way. The mixture of rock and stone/brickwork is a feature of many tunnels I've worked through in days gone by but it always fascinates me to see it and, when I was driving trains through these places, it usually started off my line of thought regarding who built these places and what hardships were they suffering in this dark, damp and cold environment that I was travelling through in the comfort of a modern locomotive cab. After all, we take so much for granted these days with almost every aspect of our lives mechanised in some way or other. Anyway, many thanks to you both for your troubles and the wonderful results you've provided us with. Stay safe both.

Another great video as always

Very interesting video thank you.

Lucky enough to live in the peaks. Great to get an outsiders perspective off stuff I have seen many many times...

Nice work team,thanks

Back to your best team! Geography, History and P.E. for both of you. Had to laugh at the sunglasses in the tunnel...

I think that that BT number is for maintenance engineers to use before entering so that they know someone is inside. I work on the railway and occasionally have to phone a control center miles away before entering some places even though I have the key to get in. It's most definitely a safety measure.

In 1830 they would almost certainly have dug out the tunnel the old-fashioned way - navies with pickaxes! it's doubtful they used Dynamite or even nitroglycerin as they weren't invented for another couple of decades.

I wish we had such interesting hiking/biking trails, such a beautiful landscape. At 2:17 that looked like a "doorway" or safety niche but could be a partial collapse from damage in the 1940's.

Another great video! Burbage Tunnel is just up the road from me and I didn't know about it until I watched this video! I'll go up there one evening next Summer! I have traveled on that bit of not closed railway near Hindlow on the only and only steam tour which has been up there since the 1960s. It's the highest mainline steam I've had in the England as I believe it's higher then the Settle & Carlisle!

Great video, fascinating stuff

Great video Paul and Rebecca,hope you have success in gaining access it would make a great video 👌😀

Really awesome sense of adventure with this video, really cool tunnel to ride through too. Sweet exploring. I was wondering why she still had her sunglasses on though lol sweet job on the map too, just to put the length in perspective.

Another good one. Staggering, the amount of unspoilt nature to be glimpsed and traversed in Old Blighty. That phone call sounded suspiciously like something out of Monty Python.

Great video very enjoyable , keep up the good video

Hi Paul and Rebecca. Loving you vlogs. I am gradually catching up on the backlog and enjoyed this one relating to the C & H P railway. I don’t know if you have already viewed it, but there is a lovely 1.5hr commentary about this abandoned line on the RU-vid channel. It is called “Cromford and High Peak Railway 1: The route”. The inclines are explained and also there is plenty of footage of the railway in action, including travelling through the tunnels! I hope this is helpful. Take care and stay safe! Stan

Ye gads, that was good, especially the walk to the Burbridge tunnel...sublime. Now, ... reinforced concrete or concrete reinforcement.

Another Very interesting video

Great video as always. I realise that when I watch your vid on the smart telly via Amazon I can't leave a comment. So back to the PC. It would be great if someone in BT Deep saw the video and came on board to help you with access, that last tunnel looked so interesting. As far as places to visit, I'd love to see you explore Dinorwic Quarry no stations as such but a wealth of railway interest, and I would still like to see your take on the necropolis railway, and I am aware there are other videos, but its all about the style. Your research and style is why I come back and so do your subscribers. Regards Garry

great channel, ive watched a load of your vids. i like your content and you have earned my subsription :P keep up the interesting waffle

I walked through Burbage Tunnel in the late 1960s when the northern portal had partially collapsed making access possible. It was in excellent order inside except at the very northern end where some earth movement had taken place causing the portal to collapse. The present wall has been built since then using the collapsed material. Hope this helps your understanding of the current tunnel end. R. Smith. Retired railway civil engineer.

The abandoned house at Harboro rocks, I stayed there about 20 years ago during a few very cold days in December and climbed the rocks behind. The house was then owned by a youth charity in Aylesbury though no idea who owns it now.

You're at it again, playing around with time - you said this would be worth the wait so will to let you off due to the content, cracking tunnels and ruined buildings with bits of rusting equipment. I'll be sending you some maple syrup for your waffle!!!!! 👍❤

Lovely combination; cycling and railway exploring. Like to dk the same over here in Holland (not so much lines) or across the border in Germany.

I believe the concrete structures are the plinths that held the lead/rock crusher mechanism above it.

If ever you get to Ilkeston Derbyshire, please let me know, I grew up there, there is an interesting foot-bridge that is still in use and Three arch river tunnel not far away, where the River Erewash goes under the railway. There was a station near the foot-bridge, now long gone, but I could easily find traces of it. A609 Trowel junction.

Like your channel 👍 Think you should have another go at phoning them. Use a landline, tell them you are researching tunnels and are historians (you've done that already, but do it again). Mention your YT channel and this video. Nothing to loose here, you never know, they might let you look in or even take you inside. Worth a try I think.

SprayCrete. Technically not reinforced although it does contain polymers to aid strength and adhesion.

Hopton tunnel, don't want to be the know it all pain, but the bits you referred to as reinforced concrete is actually something called shotcrete, I used to use it on tunnelling and mining projects. Its kinda like really strong glue that is sprayed onto loose faces for stabilisation. Hope that is interesting rather than annoying. Nice to see sensible investment to preserve these structures. Great video's, always interesting. Thank you for all the effort you put in.

Very interesting. The only times I've been up near Hindlow and Burbage is when I've been driving up the 515 to Buxton so I knew nothing about the tunnels there.Typical Peak District weather I see.

Agree the tunnels were in great condition probably had some funding from various sources to get them safe for walkers & cyclists. The BT call was quite entertaining as well!

2:56, wow, that is one amazing tunnel. I took a .... feast of that, oops, I meant I feasted my eyes on that. What a tunnel ...

Nice to know there are still like minded people willing to explore the unusual !? Keep you fit too😊😄

The section through the Hindlow Tunnel is most certainly an active railway line. If you'd like to see what it looks like the first part of this excellent video on Don Coffey's channel is a cab view ride from Hindlow initially up the LNWR route to Buxton where the Loco runs round the train and follows the old Midland line out of Buxton, Hindlow Tunnel is about 6 minutes in but the whole section is well worth a watch as Don adds quite a lot of info both about Train operations and interesting features in and around the local area. You may even find another place to head for your 'Every Disused Station' section on there.

love me an unscheduled whitewick vid ❤👍

Didn't expect to see that - I spent a couple of nights in the Harboro Rocks house as a child. It wasn't in a much better condition back then to be honest.

Sounds like a real interesting railway. Bob Alberta.

You pointed out that the in-fill of Burbage tunnel looked as old as the tunnel itself. If you look at around 13:12 , you see that a large part of the portal is actually missing, so quite possibly they built the wall out of the re-used materials to save cost.

4:03 Quip worth a thumbs-up all by itself.

Just imagine if the railway was still there , what an incredible tourist attraction that would be.

ooh look a tunnel !!! HOW EXCITING !!!!!!!

hi paul and rebecca , another wonderful video , i love the tunnel ones , pity about the phone number but he sounded like a jobsworth guy anyway lmao , :)

You were so close to the "peak forest tramway" opened in 1780, and still working in 1935. Stodhart tunnel, although blocked at one end, is still visible, and most of the line is walkable.

Tunnel 2 was a cut and fill tunnel 👍🏻 Burbidge Tunnel looks cut and fill too.

excellent.

Good music and video too

great video :)

another interesting vid i have seen one about th wholel history of the line including pictures

England is a Paradise of Tunnels. England have a beautyful Landscapes.☺️💟💟💟💟

Historians sounds right !!

Harboro Rocks, I found reference to it being a disused lead mine on Flickr.

Intriguing

The section containing the Burbage Tunnel was closed in 1892, along with most of the line to Shallcross in Whaley Bridge. You may have come across - while researching - a fascinating extract from Edward Bradbury's book "All about Derbyshire" published in 1884 in which the author takes a trip on the line from Whaley Bridge to Sheep Pasture incline (probably in an open truck!). This is also reproduced, in part, in John Marshall's book on the line (1982). Marshall tells us that the tunnel is 580 yards in length and that it is stone lined throughout and is completely sound. (Or it was then!). It took him about 6 minutes to walk through before it was sealed.

Some 'random' history (or nearly history?) you missed on your trek eacch side of the 2nd tunnel which rans under the A515... Back in the late40's/early50's a race track for cars & bikes on a closed road circuit, a first in mainland Britten, was proposed in the Peak District starting at Parsley Hay railway bridge, just after the A515 tunnel, which was a short walk to the Start/Finish line with the community hall looking building, a telephone exchange as far as I CAN tell, is located on the corner.. The proposal was abandoned after the incidents at Monza, then le Mans & shortly followed by Dundrod in 1955 which broought an end to closed roads being used for motorsport in many countries across europe.... The track would have been approximately 11.6miles to a lap, in rough figure-of-eight 'double triangle' layout which intersected the railway twice... The second meeting of the two 'tracks' is in the xxx at the '1st' bridge a little before the A515 tunnel, where a bend before, back along the 'race' track you will find a block of houses VERY similar to the abandoned ones in your clip, but currently fully occupied & in good repair but two steps from the road.... Back on the A515 where it crosses the railway tunnel we go back 'up' the 'race' track a mile or so we find the Jug & Glass Inn, located again a few steps from the roadside, which shut down only a couple of years ago (as far as I can tell from their FB page). How does a random Aussie thats never been there know this & why??? Besides an interest in old railways & machinery, I also have a fascination with old roads & race tracks.... Ive been working on a rendition/model of this track for a few years now, below will be a link to my last work-in-progress upload (now a bit dated) & a link to an article which is nearly all the information about that I can find on it.... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VG-DDBx2Ddc.html www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/may-2012/92/peak-practice Hope this might spur ideas for another trip out that way at some time as the countryside around that area very much 'peaks' my curiosity... :) Thank you for sharing, BLeeK

Very interesting video as always. Have you ever thought of putting together some sort of book with some of your walks along with directions? I would definitely buy a copy.

If I'm not Mistaken that Line you say is "Mothballed" is actually used atleast once a week it looks like Dowlow Briggs Siding (leads down to Dowlow Quarry it's called Siding because it's basically used as a Long Siding! I'm sure it leads down to Peak Forest or around that way

Again enjoyed your interesting & informative video. Re Harboro, the remains of the structure look like some sort of mining installation? With possible winding gear? Was there mining in the area perhaps?👍👍😎

Loving the hoodies

I'm fascinated with that embankment before the final tunnel. That seemed quite deep on both sides and very narrow on the top! I think you should chase up BT and that number and get access to the tunnel. If cables run through it should be safe, and at least they need to do checks sometimes and maybe get an invite to an otherwise necessary check, so no unneeded trip by anyone to the tunnel.

14:12 The farmer at the opposite end of Burbage Tunnel (Burbage end) suffered a serious case of 'get off my land' when we tried to explore there as kids. It's got worse in the last couple of years, with the land owner blocking public access to the line that has been enjoyed by walkers and cyclists for decades.

I belive that Harboro rocks used to be a lead mine... what you found was the remains from the smelting process...

4 tunnels. Wonderful scenery espcially around the last tunnel. Did you manage to sort out to BT problem? Great video full of very interesting information.

I always find the number of tunnels in UK railways to be amazing. In the USA railroads go through much more difficult terrain with very few tunnels. The main line that goes from Philly to Pittsburgh only has one and the railroad traverses the Allegheny mountains that are more than double the height of the Pennines. The NYC route from New York to Chicago only has one really short one on the Hudson River. The tunnels on the Cromford and HP would have been bored without dynamite, it wasn’t invented in 1830. They would have used brute force and gunpowder. Even nitroglycerin wasn’t available.

Not reinforced concrete, just concrete or cement.

Years ago Probably 1982 I worked for the tube I knew that 'getting permission' was a nightmare So I simply put on a HiVi at St Pancras Station There use to be a disused platform and I crossed it, then climbed stone stairs through an open stone arch, just like a castle and came out on the station roof I actually waved at the signal cabin I climbed all the way to the top on the Duck Boards In those days security was almost non existent and huge areas of railway architecture were easily accessible As long as you had a Hivi and a lot of Hutzpah you could see so much

BT Deep control. Love it What are they hiding !!! ???😏

I wouldn't put money on it but I'm sure when I was a kid in the mid 70s Burbage tunnel was open (possibly where the door is now) and I'm pretty sure it was a few feet longer. I remember walking through it so far. I also remember it was in a pretty diabolical state even back then, however I believe a phone trunk line runs through it so it might have been maintained since. Cheadle tunnel is the only one I've been in that was more scary (only had one entrance!)

Also in the same area around Buxton they do unusual things. Like blowing up tube trains to test them.

YARDS ! Lovely Y A R D S ! ... not a meter or a Kilometer in sight. Fan.. blooming... tastic ! Then you went and said you were about 390 Napoleons high. .. shame on you 😊 great vid. Loved the atmospheric music. P.S. I think your career is cute 😂

some nice tartarian tunnels

The brick built building at Hrbro Rocks looks like an electricity substation with the switches and cables remved. The clue is the three holes above three holes, one hole per phase

Nice video, maybe you should try and get into Burbage Tunnel and try and get BT to sponsor the video lol but in serious I think it be doubtful that you would get access to that tunnel but IF you try again in the future, good luck

Just finding your channel. Living in Western New York in The good U.S.A.! We have lots of old railways that have been closed and converted to cycle trails. But I do have a question... I wonder if you can find someone in BT to let you in. Maybe even a fan of this channel... or maybe if they are doing service work and they can get video or images for you. It's worth a shot. It might be really insightful for all involved.

Burbage tunnel is regularly accessed by BT engineers - they have cabling going through there

Another superb production, you seem to have mislaid your bikes going towards the last tunnel how did you get back to your car Regards Rob Edit I just read your reply to another peep, vlog split over 2 days.

Got to love who people whisper outside tunnel entrances? Lol

Strange how different UK railways are to US. Ours are usually all fenced off, many US trains will run beside a road, in town with no fencing. Great videos.