The Mystery of a Rail Tunnel below a Nottingham Railway 

That was a nice explore. What intrigues me is that these old abandoned tunnels and culverts are silently sleeping with their history, some completely covered and inaccessible. It's great that you can wake them from their slumber if just for a moment. ❤❤❤

I rode the line featured ! As a young boy in the 1950s (it might have been early 1960s) with a few mates we discovered the tunnels featured. They were abandoned at that time and to our surprise we discovered one tunnel was still complete with rails. What a find for young lads looking for adventure. Added to that we also discovered a 4 wheeled bogie within the tunnel. The tunnel in question was the one with the concrete blocks supporting the rails above the shallow water. The rails were intact a short distance both sides of the tunnel from the Mile End Road/Colwick Industrial Estate end through to the other side. With the assistance a slight gradient on the approach on the Colwick side we enjoyed the journey through the tunnel with a bit of scooting along courtesy of the concrete blocks. No great speed but hazardous. What did male teenagers care ? Great fun during the summer school holidays. No damage done, everything left as found. If I may add a correction to the mention of the 'refinery lines' running above the tunnels- the purpose of the rail activity by the oil company (Total) was to receive up to loaded railcars from Lindsey Oil Refinery to be discharged at that point, by underground pipeline to the Total Oil Ltd storage and distribution terminal on Private Road No.3 on the Colwick Industrial Estate. That activity took place from 1972 to circa 2016. Coincidentally, I worked at Total Colwick for 33 years. Thanks for prompting my memory about happy days all round.

I discovered this rail yard on my Google Map wanderings only 3 week ago (looking round on maps/Google Earth for old/forgotten railways) and watched a few videos of people exploring the rail yard and the hidden tracks, including one from you from 2020, before Colas moved back in but no one mentioned this hidden tunnel. Great to see another explore show other details of this site!

Love how these areas are so quiet now but at one time we’re so busy. I enjoy the old wheldale pit in castleford the old track bed is still down on the bridge spanning the river aire

Another fascinating explore Ant. Thanks for sharing.

Your tunnel photographs are always beautiful.

Amazing all these hidden away and mostly forgotten places, thanks :)

Loved that explore. What beautiful tunnels they were. Love the blue brick. Thanks for taking me along. Please take care

I didn't realise Rectory Junction had ceased oil production some time ago but did see some trains stored there a few years back. This certainly is an interesting and lucky find you've made here!

Thank you for your efforts. Without you this would have remained undiscovered for people like me.

What a great channel I accidentally came across. As a railway lover this is exactly the same kinda thing that I love to do❤

Hi thank you for sharing this was really fascinating. Some great drone shots as well. Thank you for the work you have put in getting this all together. A big 👍 from us. Best wishes Dave and Dawn 👍

wow look at the old signal box at 9.25, the amount of rail and industry we've lost is mind blowing thanks for another great vid

A vary good video of The Mystery of a Rail Tunnel below a Nottingham Railway👌👌👌👌

Thanks Ant once again for this video, love seeing inside the old tunnels and a little bonus of seeing some rolling stock to.

Thank you for the walking tour this day. An interesting area to look into. Enjoy the week ahead and the weekend, Ant. 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸

Brilliant video, as always. What fascinating little tunnels they were. Wish you'd come to Warwickshire and find some!

So much variety every video.Thanks Ant.

I always welcome unsolved mysteries of my home town! This is a gem and to think of the numerous times I have crossed this tunnel, completely oblivious to its former function. I dot have many recollections of Colwick Yards, but it becomes pretty apparent of its existence from the drone footage. I look forward to seeing more mysteries of Nottinghams railway history!

Another good video Ant and one other thing I would like to thank you for introducing me to Scott Buckley's music and others.

I was born in Netherfield and we used to play around these tunnels in the late 60s early 70s when the fences weren't there. You could walk through the one with the concrete blocks. Never knew what the blocks were for but some said it was the base of a conveyor system. We called it the bogey tunnel and had hours of fun scaring each other with frightening tales of giant tunnel rats and the like. The back filled tunnel was once open all the way through but the story was that one of the narrow guage trains that ran through there overturned and klled the driver. It was back filled to stop morbid curiosity of people walking through after it fell into disuse.

Fascinating explore. Brilliant filming. Did look a bit marshy for you without wellies. But my goodness so interesting. Your enthusiasm is catching. Well done Ant. You brought us another excellent video of history.

Thanks for that video, Ant

Great video Ant! I used to walk around the lagoons a few times a week until I moved out to Australia a couple years back. I’ve tried peering into this tunnel so many times, and looking for signs of the old railway. Would love to see you explore the other end of Rectory Junction Viaduct where it veers off from the mainline!

Excellent video and explore. Nottingham really was awash with rail lines and tunnels back in the day. Be good if you could explore the old Dragonby Mines near to Scunthorpe, and their associated old track beds nearby.

I work at the big Green clad warehouse between the main line and the old oil sidings. I have always been fascinated about the history of the area.

I do like the old b/w photos that you use Ant!!! 🙂🚂🚂🚂

Really fascinating video! I live in Netherfield I have no idea that tunnel was there.

another fine one ant,i must say between you and darren you love finding nettles lol

Was going to visit here last week lol but the flooding put me off 😮you've beat me to it. Great video

Nice to see those locos at the end ❤

A fascinating explore, I really enjoy the railway explores. I don't know the area, I'm in Norfolk. Here we have some good former lines of which I aim to walk this year.

There is narrow gauge trackwork in the Park Logistics yard.

Great video surprised I didn’t see you ant I walk around there I see u when in the afternoon late evening I go in the mornings. Never new there was a tunnel at the end I’ve always wanted to have a look but when I go it’s all over grown impossible to get to I see this time of year is good to have a look. One them tunnels think it’s the second one it takes u to the other side and there are steps to get to the active line when I went up there few years ago the line wasn’t active. Enjoyed this video thanks

Interesting subject, as you rightly say you couldn’t go any further into the tunnel. But never the less a worth while exploration.

Interesting and on our doorstep as well 👍🏻 What would all those concrete blocks be for inside the tunnel? Weird place for them I thought. Cheers Ant' 😄some good drone footage as always.

Hi Ant, Great little explorer, I just love the blue brick, I would have liked to see what was inside tunnel bridge 4 or 5 that looked like a colvert

Very interesting, I have been looking at some old maps where I live and there is a long forgotten railway tunnel which left Salford docks and it runs under the streets of Salford the entrance has gone. one day some workmen where digging and found it by accident did not know what to make of it.

Hi Ant, there's a short bit of railway track at the old cotgrave pit site and track bed through adbolton . Over the A52 eventually leading to the main track.

The old moor green colliery in Eastwood is a good explore

Could you do a trek on the Louth to Mablethorpe line?

really enjoyed watching this ,very interesting. there is an old tunnel in leicestershire near my home town of Ashby De La Zouch which would make a good explore , it is on the old Ashby to Derby line ,it is infilled at one end but open at the other, last time i went down it wasnt to bad to find or get into ,very long tunnel .it is near a village called Smisby and there is a farm track you can walk along.

“Looks a bit minging”, good Nottinghamshire speak right there😂

Very interesting Ant, was that standard or narrow gauge as it isn't obvious if it connects with other lines. . I used to go over the top of that nearly every day when I worked for Central trains 20 years ago and had no idea it existed. Mind I was normally shutting cab windows and gagging with smell of the maggot farm that was nearby

The bridges and culverts are still NR property and are inspected. The large Bridge you finished up at is NOG1 Bridge 38 Alcock's Drift and is part filled. I've always known these as flood arches for the Trent, also Stoke Bardolph Water works did have a 2 Ft Gauge railway, I wonder if they where linked up?

New to your channel and I note that I have about 5 years to catch up on What camera do you use good video and sound quality

"Find a sensible safe way" What's the fun in that.... lol Ant, you seem to have a knack for finding little bits of history all over the place. Thanks for your time, work, "and getting the spiky bits in your legs" just for us..........

Can there have been a foothpath or low drivepath in the culvert with the concrete blocks of some kind maybe?

I wonder if the tunnel with the concrete blocks was used to carry pipework, only thing I can think of that would make sense. 👍

I'd like to see it from the other side of the tunnel and track?

Im going to Nottingham Uk this Sunday

Skew brickwork at 4:55

👍

Come see the old goods shed in Ripon before it makes way for new houses

i have keys to all gates on the western line:p

Take your wellies with you. the amount of times I've heard you say you cant do something because you didn't bring ya wellies.

Why is blocked off? 🏳‍🌈