Sandsend Disused Railway Tunnel - Is it waiting to collapse?  

It never ceases to amaze me the guys who did the brickwork they were special men for sure thanks for a great vid

Brilliant Ant probably the best photography I've seen in there The Northern portal collapsed about 15-20 years ago, those rails were installed about 56-57 before it closed . There are pictures of the portal looking quite misshapen with the line still open. When I started on BR in the early 80s I worked with drivers that had been firemen on that line and that tunnel had a terrible reputation as not only was clearance quite limited above the chimney but it is on quite a severe gradient. Frequent stories of going in flat out with heavy holiday trains and getting on cab floor with a wet cloth over their faces. Very few diesels ever worked through it. DMUs took over the service the day after the coast route closed but an 08 was used on track lifting trains. I does look sadly that it may collapse soon. There was talk a few years ago of it being turned into a cycle track but would be bloody expensive now

I'd be worried incase some team where to fix the security gate whilst I'm inside.

Stunning!! Great photography and a fascinating insight to yet another lost relic. Digging up the past like this I find extremely interesting

Nice video, went there about 6 years ago, some sections inside the tunnel look worse, although somebody seems to have done some work to the collapsed portal. The orange gunk and staining is from iron :)

Great video Ant. When I was young and daft, I would have loved to get in there. Now much older and more risk averse, I was quite worried when you filmed behind the brickwork which was disintegrated and delaminated from the other brick walls adjacent. Thanks for showing us that tunnel and the really dodgy addits. Keep 'em coming, but stay safe. We don't want you coming to any harm just to feed the RU-vid monster.

As mentioned below, reddish brown sludge is going to be from iron (not copper). Copper would be green.

Assuming that copper stuff is iron oxide, I would highly recommend you get a co2 detector for the adit, because as iron oxidises it reduces the oxygen in the air and in mines is called bad air.

Love your vids 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

all the blood sweat tears death injury gone into that only to let english heritage let slip from their hands great vid though ant ,cant wait for the re visit

I peeked into this yesterday from the kettleness side. I was looking for a way back up the cliff to the path. I thought hell no.

The photographs are such stunning artwork. Architecture and a kaleidoscope of colour combined. Amazing!

Another brilliant and informative video.As Russ P said,it's a shame that it has been neglected,and I have to agree that the part where the brick work is cracked and bulging out looks like it could collapse sooner rather than later.I wouldn't go in there myself as I'm a bit claustrophobic!

Wow! Another fascinating video. I've been aware of Kettleness tunnel ever since I started exploring disused railways back in the late 70s/early 80s. It's just a bit too far away to make the trip on the offchance that it will be open, so I'm quite jealous 🙂 Apart from the crumbly bits, it seems in good shape for most of the route - and seems to be quite "dead" acoustically, which always makes it seem more confined in my opinion, especially as it does appear to be quite a small bore. And, of course, I'm intrigued about those adits - and the teaser you put on screen about returning with proper equipment to explore them! I'd also be interested to know if there's anything remaining of the abandoned tunnel shown on the map on the original planned route - there's a tantalising picture on Forgotten relics of the position of the southern portal, collapsed in the cliff face.

Very nice excursion! - Ant, how do you do these wonderfully colorful pictures in the dark?

Fantastic video, Ant. I remember that tunnel so well, but sadly, never got inside it. Marvellous atmospheric music too.

Interesting video, but do take care. Some of those side walls looked like they were bowing out ready to give way.

Sandsend viaduct was of iron and steel not wood. All of the viaducts between Whitby and Loftus were iron and steel and were the bane of the maintenance crews due to the salt atmosphere they stood in. The viaduct at Staithes aldo had to close if the wind produced a pressure of IIRC 28lb/sq. ft. No trains could pass over the viaduct until inspected.

Where you've entered the portal and roof has all collapsed which is the rubble and mangled ironworks you pointed out.

If the tunnel did collapse then a lot of the mountain above it would go too. This is what comes of not doing any maintenance work after a railway closes. Mossdale Tunnel on the former line from Garsdale to Hawes is about ready to collapse with the tunnel walls slowly but surely being squeezed by ground pressure forcing the roof of the tunnel up. One can easily see the mortar between the stones is falling out.

This is just fantastic, Ant. Those light painting photography are perfect. Another top-notch explore. Can't wait for the adit exploration. Hopefully, only the first one, the rest are a bit iffy.

Another world beneath the surface. Incredible. Thanks for sharing

Nice surprise to wake to a video about the other tunnel, great explore as always, thank you!

The people with you exploring the tunnels, did they also make video's of the tunnels.

Interesting. I think the coastal path passes right by the western portal (at a higher level), hence the existence of the path you saw. Whilst February has been dry in that part of England, December/January was very wet - I live in the general area and I've never seen the ground so saturated. I guess this explains the amount of water coming through the shafts. I always think its a shame that all this expensive infrastructure has just gone to waste.

This line cuts thru most rugged countryside when it closed the associated bridges closed very quickly to stop it being reopened

This line cuts thru most rugged countryside when it closed the associated bridges closed very quickly to stop it being reopened

This line cuts thru most rugged countryside when it closed the associated bridges closed very quickly to stop it being reopened

This line cuts thru most rugged countryside when it closed the associated bridges closed very quickly to stop it being reopened

This line cuts thru most rugged countryside when it closed the associated bridges closed very quickly to stop it being reopened

This line cuts thru most rugged countryside when it closed the associated bridges closed very quickly to stop it being reopened

This line cuts thru most rugged countryside when it closed the associated bridges closed very quickly to stop it being reopened

Thank you for a very interesting video showing yet another sad abandonment of our railway heritage. May I suggest that you wear a hard hat in these tunnels; some of the brickwork looked extremely dodgy!

The water ingress has done some real damage. Interesting detail still remains.

I think this is the messiest tunnel you've been in hope your not wearing white trainers I'm enjoying watching you 😀 xx

Another enjoyable video to go with the Kettleness one. Thank you.

Back in March 2021 they were going to do a study to see if these tunnels could be opened for walkers and cyclists but not heard anything since then...!!!

Thanks for this video Mate. You work hard doing this and it shows.

The 'copper residue' is in fact, iron, and it's an iron oxide colour - rust.

Amazing Tunnels within a Tunnel Ant - Thanks very much for sharing 🙂🚂🚂🚂

Great video , we went in the summer only just managed to find the tunnel it was that overgrown,brickwork seen better days , also there is a nice little culvert at at the south end of the tunnel👍

Great vid mate keep them coming please.

Superb video , i did this tunnel about twenty years ago and the deterioation is amazing ,not long before they seal it up i reckon for good ,if you think this one is bas try Burdale that is scary ,one for your viewers show me a picture of Whitby West Cliff station with a Totem sign

This line cuts thru most rugged countryside when it closed the associated bridges closed very quickly to stop it being reopened

not copper its iron stone

Brilliant. Saw this as a child, and more recently. Fascinated by it. What was the purpose of the side tunnels?

We couldnt find the north entrance. We found the south entrance easy enough but no way of getting in. Still has the 8ft brick and metal fencing above. But never mine, I watch your video. 11/7/23

Your path at the far end is the Cleveland Way a national trail. Climbs up some steps and follows the cliff edge

Could easily send DMU or EMUs through there, but that would mean rebuilding the railways, which the gov doesn't want us great unwashed to have... :P

Great music Ant, I was expecting a 1950's epic movie with Moses or someone walking towards you in the tunnel. Joking apart, so interesting, keep it up. I spent a lot of family holidays in the early 1950's in the area, Scarborough and Whitby. I so wish we'd had taken a ride along it but I suppose we were well off for the time, always having a family car.

Walked the tunnels in the early 60s a couple of times and the drainage was not too bad then. It's a long way out to the coast along the side tunnels! They were reasonably dry then but look to be pretty grim now. The North Portal was not staggered but collapsed quite a few years ago. That bent rail was part of the strengthening that was done as there had been cracking years before its closure. That end of the tunnel is in poor condition and would require a lot of work before any idea of reusing it as a footpath or cycleway could be considered. The shafts runner with water so badly that they would also need a lot of attention. It was a pity that they were in a great rush to get rid of the bridges and divert the coast road onto the railway south of Sandsend and rule out any chance of the line being reused. The goods shed stood for many years after closure, but the goods yard had housing built on it some years ago now. It would have made a very scenic route if it had been rescued as a cycleway like the Monsal Trail. It could have gone as far as Boulby Potash Mine, through some lovely countryside. It is still a railway from the mine to its junction with the Saltburn - Middlesbrough branch required several bridges to be rebuilt before mine traffic began. One of several routes that with hindsight would have generated tourism by being reused for the benefit of visitors for walking and cycling on traffic free paths. Areal missed opportunity.

Fascinating video, especially as I live not far away. I wonder why both ends of the portal aren’t kept sealed off, is the council or anyone actually responsible for disused tunnels? Could you locate the air shafts on ground level, the one with the light shining through seemed particularly interesting?

One hell of a tunnel. Wonder how long it took to construct.

really enjoyed this one Ant.. my brother has walked the trail several times.. and told me all about this tunnel.. he never went inside tho.. just shone his torch in at the end portal which was inaccessible.. just sent him a link to this vid now.. sure he'll watch it

Excellent vlogging as always the music and material is fantastic. Loved the photos. You definitely push all the boundaries, see how far you can go, excellent lighting to. Looking forward to the next one

Truly brilliant video Ant, with some amazing stills, well done, hope you get to explore the adits!

Really interesting explore. Wee bit dangerous with walls crumbling, thank you again Ant. Loved the music at the end as well. Filming superb.

Looks like you just got this one in time. Don't envy you going back through that clay adit, those pit props look a bit iffy. Where will the glue sniffers go when it finally succumbs?😀😀

Fabulous . Your best video so far. Interesting & atmospheric. We love this part of the world & have walked the old railway lines between Scarborough & whitby many times & the coastal path past sandsend. You can stay at the former sandsend railway station which you can see in 2 of the pictures you have featured. If you look up an old film called holiday camp from 1947 you can see a train pulling onto the sandsend station. You can walk on the railway line from sandsend which then bypasses the southern portal of the tunnel and is then a beautiful coastal walk up to runswick bay.

when i was a young boy my parents took me from ormesby station to whitby on this line i loved it

Wow absolutely amazing 👏..just come home today from robin hood and whitbay xx

Amazing how the condition of the tunnel deteriorates from one end to the other. Looks quite sketchy at the Sandsend end.

Great video Ant. Thanks for posting

Thanks for another interesting video, maybe walk the rest of the line and show the features that are left and the former trackbed?

iron oxide from coal seams TE, that's your coppery colour, may also be related to iron ore.

where did you get the torch from the pound shop ? . i dont do explores and i have a better torch than that , hell i had a better torch in the 80s . the vid was cool but the torch ruined it.

It's rust or iron oxide, not copper. Copper oxides are usually green. :)

Nice video Ant, well put together as usual, I love your railway videos. I actually watched this on my tv a few days ago, I have not been so well with a bad cough I can't get rid of. Been to doctors now so hopefully on the mend. So it was nice sitting there watching your video on the big screen, thanks again for your work that you have put into this. Chris

Hi Ant, as always really enjoyed your video and like everyone else here who has viewed and commented your work in planning, walking and editing etc is just so admired and just a massive thank you for enhancing so many life’s with the efforts you continually make. I posted on another video about a suggestion of looking round the old Morton Colliery Pit Tip in Derbyshire and an old railways line that ran between Morton and Stonebroom and beyond. I have just thought about you walking the old Ashover Light Railway which I believe ran from the old Clay Cross Works through to quarries in Ashover, running through Ogsten to get there. The line was lost to the reservoir I believe when the village of Ohsten was flooded to make the reservoir to serve the carbonisation/coking plant at Wingerworth (which has long since gone now). Thanks again

What a fantastic tunnel. It’s a pity it isn’t fixed up. In the future it will be gone if they don’t. That would be a crying shame. Thank you so much for that Ant, just loved it. Please take care

Another mint blog Ant 👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

It's most unusual, Ant, to have those two adits as well as five air shafts in that tunnel. In a conventional tunnel, the air shafts would be used for excavation of the material, but those adits seem extras for some reason. The last part of the investigation seemed extremely dangerous with that collapsing of the wall. Glad you came out safely. A well produced video, with the camera work and the maps showing the route. The photos are great of the old Gresley type tank engines. Many thanks for this video, and looking forward to your next one. Keep safe.

Very interesting!👏🏼

Great that Ant, I bet the cap on that last shaft is in pretty dangerous condition, hope it doesn't give way on anyone poking about up top.

2 of the adits lead out to the cliff face used for dumping waste when digging out the tunnels and one of them is bricked up at the end of it with waist deep water :) Saved you a trip lol ;)

Iron oxide young man

Hi My name is Charlie I am from Middlesbrough, I left there in 1968 and came to West Australia. Back in the 1950s myself and friends used to go to Eston hills.At the time the Ion mines were just closing. One of the the places we explored was an old mine working on Ugthorp moor there was a few houses still there (about ten of them) there were two vey deep vertical shafts and a very large stone building I think it was either a pump house or a winding house. We explored it several times and eventually found a way to get in through a long tunnel. The tunnel started on Flats lane near Ormesby. When I came back to the UK for a visit in 1957 the shafts and the houses and the pump house had gone but the tunnel was still there and open I went in for about 100 yards I do not know if you are interested if you are I can give you more details as to were it was and were the entrance still is Charlie ps love those videos of yours

Fascinating video Ant, it did remind me of Indiana Jones, yes it does look ready to collapse, superb footage as usual,❤️ x

How ageing makes things look artistic. Thumbs up 👍 Thanks Ant

Awesome again,did you expect to see Indiana Jones in there! What next?you keep on amazing me.

I was in there only yesterday! There is also one of the key stones in the arch about 1/4 way in which is literally just waiting to fall. It has dropped about 8 inches from the roof of the tunnel. The metal work you mention at the beginning was strengthening and collapsed in 2008. This was also one of the final reason the line closed in 1958. I noted that there was at least 8 sections beyond the middle of the tunnel where huge areas are bulging ready to pop. Only a matter of time as you documented the crack is very alarming most has happens in the last 24 months according to my friend who was there with me yesterday.

This is mint 👌

That tunnel looks like a nasty one to work through. I’ll bet it was pretty steep if you noticed the falling gradient as soon as you went in. And that whole line was full of pretty severe climbs. Chokingly tight!

Very interesting and enjoyable video, subscribed cheers

I think that due to coastal erosion that line would be been doomed anyhow.The remaining bit from Saltburn to Boulby has some sections pretty close to the sea.

I loved every bit of this. I love the explore, the history the narration and the excellent cinematography and tonight have you noticed how beautiful every shot is. If you freeze frame a lot is just pure artistry. The colours and textures are phenomenal. It like someone got out a huge paint pallet and brush and created an absolute lovely art work. At least it’s caught before it goes. Love it… All the best Alex.

Brilliant tunnel, love the colours of the bricks etc.thanks for sharing

Another fantastic video Ant 🙌🏼😀. And absolutely stunning photography as always 😯👍🏼. Something I’ve never tried, but I have a Shadowhawk 10,000 Lumens torch which would hopefully be suitable for illuminating a scene. I’d heard that there had been collapses in the tunnel, but it doesn’t look as bad as I imagined. Keep up the great work 👍🏼😊

The other end is now open thanks to a mash hammer on the brick

Gorgeous photography as always. Just gets better and better, Ant. I especially liked the pics of the shafts. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing. It's inspiring. Cheers. 🤓

More railway tunnels plz

Another great video, very informative, sad to see its calapsing, the last video I watched maybe 12 months ago the walls hadn't given way, only huge bulges. Be good to know if the tunnel on the original line around the coast is still there

Great video of a fantastic piece of railway engineering. The train journey must have been thrilliing. Thank you.

Great watch again and very well presented top watch

Suggestions Ant, wear a safety helmet!

Beautiful tunnel and a great video. Always knew Sandsend offered more than beautiful coastline.

You do such an amazing job but I always get a feeling of dread 🤔 I've walked a good few tunnels in my time on the railway and the one that fascinates me the most is the Drayton park to Moorgate tunnel. There's an entrance of the down bore into a complete tunnel that was never used, but the darkness is seemingly impenetrable to the powerful torches we carry. I've no idea where it goes but I'd love to find out, guess I'm to chicken to explore 😮 Anyway enough of my ramblings, great video and the history you give about these places is awesome 😊

👍👍👊👊

Thank you 👍

Very enjoyable Ant keep up the great work