One of the longest Canal Tunnels in the UK - Netherton Tunnel

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Please watch: "The Most Beautiful Closed Railway in the UK? Scarborough to Whitby Railway Episode 2"
• The Most Beautiful Clo... -~-
Netherton Canal Tunnel
In this episode I visit one of the longest active canal tunnels in the UK. At 2,768 metres in length it takes us almost an hour to walk through. Shafts, wet feet and darkness lit up with amazing brightness awaits.
Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal, in the West Midlands, England, is part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN). It was constructed at a 453-foot elevation, the Wednesbury or Birmingham Level; it has no locks. The total length of the branch canal is 2.4 miles (3.9 km) and the canal tunnel is 9,081 feet (2,768 m) long.
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#netherton #tunnel #canal #underground Additional Music by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0.
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5 янв 2022

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Комментарии : 126

@briansanderson480 Год назад

Walked under it to celebrate my 7th birthday on holiday back in the midlands from Australia

@robertkemp9685 Месяц назад

Thanks for this contribution, saves me having to do it. Came accross Netherton tunnel following OS maps for the Monarchs way walk (dont know why MW goes through here as it wasnt built till 200 years after future Charles 2 escape from the battle of worcester. I didn't have torch with me and got about 200 yards in, waited for eyes to adjust, but they wouldn't, sound of water running into canal, potholes underfoot and impenetrable dark, I came out and walked over the top. Thanks again,.don't think I'll be going back, even with wellies and several spare torches.

@Carolb66 11 месяцев назад

Wow that is one spooky tunnel! Very eerie can you imagine walking through at night? Remarkable engineering though, The victorians were very good at building tunnels, Thanks for the tour Ant,❤😊

@billkent6037 11 месяцев назад

I've been through it on a bike at night. Not really much different because it's dark whatever! You just can't see the ends. I already knew the tunnel well so I knew how far it was to the end by looking at markings along the tunnel

@quizmaniac Год назад

Went through there on my bike a few months ago just using my phone for light which is not recommended. towpath was very waterlogged and uneven but it was an experience. thanks for the vid as i didnt have chance to take in the view as too busy trying to hang on :).

@ej2095 2 года назад

The Metal things above you in the wall was for the lighting system that was removed in the 60s, Was gas lit, then electric lights powered by a small turbine where the canal runs down to the lower canal where you started. The repairs in 1983 and i think again where in 2015ish where due to the tunnel compressing the canal base and forcing it up

@2H80vids 2 года назад

Interesting. I did wonder if it would have been lit. Must have been pretty dark by lamplight.

@oxfordgreg5556 2 года назад

I think the metal plates are distances in chais. For example 45 chains is just over 900 meters...

@grahameandrew5510 2 года назад

Yep I think the metal numbers are Chains. 1 Chain = 20.17 metres

@TheGramophoneGirl 2 года назад

You beat me to it. I noticed when he mentioned 600 metres and then showed the "30" sign in the wall. 30 chains is 603 metres.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

I love having you all filling in the blanks. Thanks very much for watching 😀

@pauloakley2124 5 месяцев назад

A ' Chain ' is also the length of a Cricket pitch. Wicket to Wicket. 👌

@jamesnye6296 5 месяцев назад

I went through on my bike with a very dim bike light, I kept hitting potholes in the dark which were full of water, thought it would never end, enjoyed it though

@macca8562 11 месяцев назад

I lived on the Lost City in Tipton, walked through this tunnel many many times as a kid, back then there was a lot of the railing missing, so you clang to the wall, making a right mess of your coot, my dog fell in once about half way through and i had to grope around to pull him back out, great days.

@exileinderby51 2 года назад

Brilliant video Ant, long may they continue. You should take your narrowboat through it.

@simonballard6413 2 года назад

I was lucky enough to drive a boat through Netherton some years ago. Super video, Ant - brought back a load of good memories. Thanks!

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks so much Simon. We'll maybe get to do that in the near future

@michaelpilling9659 2 года назад

Hello ant. Greetings from Poland. Very interesting. Not seen this tunnel before on any canal videos.. What a fantastic feat of engineering even for 1853. This is last of the six videos from your playlist on the "undergound explores". All wonderful in their own different ways.

@asthenewt Год назад

Ive been through Netherton tunnel a number of times on a friend's narrowboat. it is relatively local to me and I have even cycled thru it once or twice, good light in bicycle!!

@shirleylynch7529 2 года назад

Excellent. Amazing that you can walk through on the towpath. Bit scary with the water logged path. Thank you so much for taking us with you. Loved all the colours of the bricks and walls. Take care. Brilliant filming.

@andrewwood9635 2 года назад

Ant, Wonderfull to see, I walked through in the mid 1970s, waited for a boat and kept up with that as it never occured to me to take a torch. This was at the time that the Dudley Tunnel was re-opened so there was plenty of traffic for the opening bash. I recall that the towpath was very puddly but not flooded like now. In those days I think the otjher towpath was the route of choice. Those brackets in the roof are the remains of the lighting that existed up until the eraly 1950s, I believe.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Ohhhh for lighting thanks for that. I'll definitely fancy taking the boat through it. Stick a camera on the front too. Thanks for watching 🙂

@billkent6037 2 года назад

Yes, the other towpath used to actually be the better one up until 2007 when the waterways trust decided to repair the towpath that is open today, put in some nice smooth concrete sections of path and close the other. The old path was very bumpy with massive ruts in it. I used to ride my mountain bike through there and I could clear the repaired towpath in 10 minutes in 2007. I actually timed it on a bike computer! Today, i'm not sure how long it would take but conditions have deteriorated a lot and I wouldn't be surprised if the path collaspses soon with that amount of water...

@peterboothby2878 2 года назад

Thanks for sharing. You need to take your boat through and film up the air shafts!!

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

I think we should... We've not sat down and talked about this year's boat plans however we have a few ideas 🙂

@janepatricia8779 2 года назад

Wow,that was a long tunnel,Ant, brilliant video, and lovely scenery as you came out the end.the manniquin would have freaked me out 🙄, thanks for the mention,🦆🦆 loved it,😃 xx

@macca1146 Год назад

Me and my mates walked through this tunnel many many times in the 60s & early 70s, with most of the rails missing and the amount of potholes you clung to the wall.

@keithphillips7320 Год назад

I cycled through this yesterday, in the opposite direction. It is rideable if you have a very good light to illuminate the water-filled potholes. It wasn't flooded, though, perhaps because it hasn't really rained for 2 or 3 weeks. It was an experience!

@b4mouse 2 года назад

Getting close to 10K subscribers Ant, live chat maybe to celebrate?

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

We did toy with it before Christmas then got too busy.... It hasn't been ruled out 😉

@bexhil7 2 года назад

Another great & fantastic video of One of the longest Canal Tunnels in the UK - Netherton Tunnel!.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks Michael much appreciated 🙂

@dwrowley 2 года назад

great video and pictures. the colours on the brickwork was very nice. I biked through it a couple of years ago

@LeeHadley Год назад

Brackets you can see in the roof of the tunnel are for electric lights from a few years ago, used to be gas.

@aprilshowers6752 Год назад

Interesting people are still looking at this tunnel. We used to call it the Long Tunnel. My grand father was a boatman on the local canals in the 1900's-1920's. He knew that tunnel well. When I left the area in the 1970's it was in disrepair.

@oldfart6318 2 года назад

Fascinating, superb photos. The tunnel generally seems to be in good nick although wet.

@martinmarsola6477 2 года назад

Thanks or the video. I think you should pop into the Pub for a quickie! Appreciate the trip. Cheers Ant!

@bobsrailrelics 2 года назад

Great tunnel, really long with so much hidden history, thanks Ant.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks very much Bob

@robmolloy6479 2 года назад

Great video! I went through this tunnel a few years ago on a canal boat holiday it took about 45 minutes to get to the other end! Keep up the good work

@rydermike33 2 года назад

Excellent video, thank you. What a fascinating structure, I just love tunnels.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks so much Mike 🙂🙂

@codingbloke 2 года назад

Lovely video, nice to see it with a bit more light. Pity they have closed the other side again. A few years ago (probably after the tweaks circa 2015) the opposite path was open, I remember walking that side and coming back on the path you took. That opposite side was a lot wetter and much more uneven than the one you walked so I can understand it being shut again. The "gunge" as you called it just looks that way since it is smooth and wet but are actually a rock hard mineral deposits. Some nice colourful formations in that tunnel. The orange deposits are actually iron-oxide (rust) not copper. The whole reason for the canals in the area was because it was rich in both coal and iron. The deposits come from remaining iron leaching from the ground.

@helenthorne8451 2 года назад

Wow that was really long and beautiful colours inside thanks for sharing xx

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks so much Helen 😀😀

@emmajones5047 8 месяцев назад

Cool video, brings back creepy memories going through on a narrowboat! We're planning a walk through there for next year on to bumblehole. Do you know what those recesses were for?

@matthewrail6065 2 года назад

Another great video Ant think the path needs sorting out.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thank you Matthew. From other comments it sounds like it's been deteriorating for a few years

@kenndo9906 Год назад

Lived locally for quite a few years but never ventured through until this morning... great video. The Cobb engine house above the exit is quite nice as is a replica of Titanic's anchor further down the Dudley no2 canal in Nertheton, Not far from the now-gone Hingleys chain maker that produced the original.

@Ozbert 2 года назад

Well done video and lovely still pictures throughout. Thanks for doing these - each one is an education, not presented by some D-list "celebrity" with no real interest in the subject (just their agent getting them some paid work), but by someone who exudes an enthusiasm which translates to the viewers. Thanks. ; - )

@paulallotment_fox925 2 года назад

great vid yet again well done markers I think are surveying used 80 chains to aa mile / 100 links in a chain just short of 8 inches from memory . recesses on tow path for large objects passing during construction and the likes of horses in my opinion, early tunnels normally built narrow for using planks and mem to leg push the boats

@twistagain1964 2 года назад

Yes this tunnel was built because the nearby and parallel Dudley tunnel created a bottle neck as it was narrow and required legging through causing severe delays in its heyday.

@twistagain1964 2 года назад

Are you following me?! 😅 Took a narrow boat through here a couple of years ago whilst doing doing the Dudley ring. It seemed to go on forever and as I was at the tiller, I got rained on quite a bit! Was interesting meeting several boats part way through.

@lindamccaughey6669 2 года назад

Loved that thanks Ant. Quite a tunnel the brickwork and colours are just beautiful. Thanks for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care. Happy New Year

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks so much Linda. I hope you are okay

@lindamccaughey6669 2 года назад

Really good thanks 💜

@mikebartram6001 Год назад

Cast iron segments at bottom of shafts probably came from London underground maybe ?

@nedseagoon5101 2 года назад

We used to walk through this regularly in the 80s when we were kids without a torch. Not been through for many years. The towpath was in really bad condition then as well. All ruts & floods.

@simongrinham7816 Год назад

I walked threw that tunnel back in about October 1998 age 26 with my dog all I had was a phone for light on a dark autumn night one of the most creepy places I've ever walked 🤕😂😂I was on my bike with my German shepherd dog coming from nechels ended up in Wolverhampton and back towards Birmingham City centre must of been 35 miles if not more round trip

@nethertonmagnetfishinguk2343 2 года назад

I love this canal tunnel I’ve been through it so many times when I was a kid with a candle for light 😂 lol

@keithbill310 Год назад

Life is great...

@benabel7326 2 года назад

The chimney you saw was New Smethwick Pumping Station on the New Main Line Canal. I'm not sure if you have ever visited water feeder, the Engine Arm Aqueduct which carries water from Edgbaston Reservoir over the New Main Line and into the adjacent and parallel Old Main Line. Very beautiful in Gothic Style (and listed) made of iron.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

I definitely need to spend a lot of time around here. Thanks for watching 🙂

@robbieco2969 2 года назад

The chimney is Cobb’s Engine House…it sits just beyond the southern end of the Netherton Tunnel in Warrens Hall/Bumble Hole. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobb%27s_Engine_House

@lornewolf Год назад

The old numbers are 'chains'. 1 chain == 22 yards or about 20m

@benGBRf 2 года назад

Interesting and fascinating video Ant 👍🏻

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks so much Ben 🙂

@2H80vids 2 года назад

Did you find anyone to report that dummy to? That could have really spoiled someone's day, especially if they bumped it with a boat. Even nowadays, most boats wouldn't have nearly as much light available as your death ray. I wonder what George and Jane were up to. If they're scared of boats, they've maybe been trying for days, weeks even, to get to the far end. I wonder if they flew part of the way through. Strange; London pigeons have sussed-out how to use the tube but these two haven't the wit to fly 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 the tunnel. There's maybe some fancy algy, or insects, only found in the tunnel. Interesting trip, as always Ant. I took a narrowboat through there once but it's interesting to see it all lit up. Thanks for taking us along.👍

@gs425 2 года назад

Would be interesting to take a pole and see how the depth fares. I suspect like most canals it looks eerie but perhaps 3 feet deep. That looked a bit hairy at the end when you walked over the portal lol

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

It probably is you know. If I get down there on the boat I shall give it a poke 🙂

@peter15871 2 года назад

great video ant ,you need a go pro on a pole to view airshafts

@fhwolthuis 2 года назад

Great video, Ant!

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thank you Frank

@robertscholey109 2 года назад

Great, Thanks Ant !

@ficooper8927 2 года назад

Great video and thank you for using metric measurements

@jayneshorter5418 2 месяца назад

Does this tunnel run under tivedale I found small rails in my back garden when I moved in very thin tracks only found two and loads stone x

@TrekkingExploration 2 месяца назад

Oh that's interesting I wonder why they were there? I wonder what's nearby

@grahameandrew5510 2 года назад

Interesting (to some) that the Victorians counted the distance from direction the video entered, but someone later counted the air shafts from the other end...

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Good spot. Thanks for watching 🙂

@dalanderkiplisch8039 2 года назад

Buddy it's famous for The Tunnel episode in Rosie & Jim

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

I'll have to have a search for that 🙂

@jefo2405 2 года назад

More likely iron oxide as copper oxide should be black. Cool video, informative!

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thank you for watching 🙂

@Timbopearce Год назад

Are the metal numbers the distance in chains?

@OldSonyMan 2 года назад

Nice video, at first, I got confused with netherton, Merseyside ! DOH !

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

There Is another near Huddersfield too. I'm planning on going next month. Thanks for watching 🙂

@TheGramophoneGirl 2 года назад

I know it was the last canal tunnel built but the construction seems in keeping with railway tunnels of the era. I wonder, did they design it with a possible view to converting it to rail use? Would it explain the recesses in the side? The canal was dead straight - again, ideal to easily transfer it to rail should it be needed. Obviously that never happened. Just a pondering.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

I wonder if it was taken into account that some kind of motor / engine may be developed in the future as it was? If that was abandoned and dry, towpath aside you'd think it was for a railway wouldn't you?

@TheGramophoneGirl 2 года назад

@@TrekkingExploration For sure. Does seem built with some sort of redundancy/potential dual purpose in mind.

@a11csc 2 года назад

awesome vid ant

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks Chris 🙂

@roamer2u2 2 года назад

Put your flash light on flood light widening up the beam of light

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

The torch I had that day didn't have the wide flood sadly

@Steve_Wardley_G6JEF 2 года назад

Interesting how those shafts had some sort of framework at the bottom, not sure what that's all about. Why would you have refuges in the tunnel walls for, it's not like you had express trains blasting through.

@yorkie2789 2 года назад

Great to see this, thx.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks mate 👍👍

@socklesslad 2 года назад

It's interesting that the towpath is still accessible given that the tunnel isn't lit. I'm wondering why they even felt towpaths were necessary - they could just have restricted access to powered boats.

@risvegliato Год назад

When it was built, boats were towed by horses, hence the name "Tow Path". There were no powered boats until late 19th/early 20th century!

@nigelkthomas9501 2 года назад

I never knew canal tunnels of this length had towpaths, and on both sides as well!

@martin-mi3cg 2 года назад

Yes it's rare to see, but the longest one of all, the Rove Tunnel in southern France has towpaths at both sides, but is now partly collapsed and not in use.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks for watching Thomas 🙂

@terryansell6641 2 года назад

This was so interesting fancy being a worker building the tunnel by hand

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks very much Terry :)

@greigs9384 2 года назад

You got a new laptop then?! Phew. Hope there’s some left over for other gear to enhance the channel 👍

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Not yet... At the weekend. This one was thankfully put together last weekend 🙂

@davidlamb6859 2 года назад

Maybe the recesses were to allow two horses to pass?

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

It's quite possibly for that. Thanks for watching

@andrewjones5513 4 месяца назад

I think about 8 blokes lost their lives building it

@20PhantoM07 2 года назад

Cool 👀

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

Thanks for watching 🙂

@telemachus53 2 года назад

I think I might have a panic attack if my torch ran out of batteries in there. Not for the faint hearted.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

I did have a spare but nowhere near as powerful

@nigelkthomas9501 2 года назад

Can you walk through Wastehill Tunnel?

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

I shall look into it

@briankillner1818 2 года назад

@@TrekkingExploration There is no towpath. The old horse walk over the top now goes through a housing estate.

@davidfoley5128 2 года назад

No, the Wasthill tunnel hasn't any towpaths, neither does the tunnel just before that goes under Monyhull hall road.

@bobingram6912 2 года назад

Nice one Ant. Why do boats have to keep to the right, goes against boating rules surely??? Just when you think you are on a nice country towpath you whip out your drone and spoil the illusion!!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

@gs425 2 года назад

No boats keep right in UK . It's the same on the sea. Why it's different to our roads I'll never know lol.

@TrekkingExploration 2 года назад

I need to go back and fly it around the other end where that huge chimney is

@johnhockenhull2819 2 года назад

All boats pass Port to Port be it on canals, rivers, seas or oceans.

@bobingram6912 2 года назад

@@johnhockenhull2819 As an ex sailor I realise this, so why the notice to the contrary?

@johnhockenhull2819 2 года назад

@@bobingram6912 hmm. Port to Port is your left to their left i.e. on the right.

@chrismccartney8668 Год назад

Too claustrophobic for me !!

@billkent6037 2 года назад

Damn, what kind of wierdo dumps a mannequin doll in a canal tunnel? haha, well I hope it was a mannequin....

@LorraineThompson-wb1mc 11 месяцев назад

someone put it there for a scare factor, as this tunnel i have heard is haunted, never been though it myself so i don't know for sure if it is or not. i would like to know if someone could confirm if it is or not.

@billkent6037 11 месяцев назад

@@LorraineThompson-wb1mc I've been through maybe 10 - 20 times on a bike. One time I met a person coming the other way pushing a bike with no lights. I spoke to the person and he seemed normal but I thought that it was an incredibly stupid and dangerous thing to do to walk through a wet 2km tunnel with no lights! There have been stories of a policeman being murdered in the tunnel and supposedly haunting it but this can't be true because he actually died inside Dudley rail tunnel near the town centre and not Netherton canal tunnel