Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Very interesting but how do I actually get to the tunnel mouth without trespassing? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilboro-lad 294 Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 The area is full of dog walkers. Never seen so many. It's about to be made into a country park so forget about trespassing. It's just that when it is made into a park they'll either brick up or bulldoze the tunnel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DavidA 153 Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 It looks from those pics to be in a far worse state than when I last went down there, 20 odd years ago. I only took a small torch, and it had been wet for days before - water was pouring into the tunnel in various places. The light beind me got smaller and smaller. Then eventually I came to a massive pile of rubbish which came from above through one of the Pepperpots. I could go no further. I was glad to get back out again! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilboro-lad 294 Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 As far as being dangerous goes, just take a torch so you don't twist your ankle. In your car and in your home you are at the greatest risk. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I don't worry about risks as long as I keep my wits about me. I still want to have a look down there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilboro-lad 294 Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 It's well worth a visit if you like old railways. It's very atmospheric. I once worked as a guard on the goodsies in Oz and I visited this place 45 years ago as a kid so I love the place. I'll be going a few times this year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,684 Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Some old stories mentioning Mapperley Tunnel. First is part of a large article describing a journey along the "Northern Line Extension" 13/08/1875 . Strange that the extraction of the rock was through 6 shafts sunk into the tunnel . You would have thought it easier to draw the rock out the tunnel on rails as work progressed . A cave-in in the tunnel in 26.01.1925 A long piece about the construction of the Suburban Railway from 03.09.1887 mentioning the Mapperley Tunnel but this is 12 years after the first article ......are there 2 Mapperley Tunnels ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 The 'Mapperley Tunnel' on the Suburban Railway referred to there was known as Sherwood Tunnel by the time it opened. It was the tunnel with the northern end near Sherwood station at the top of Winchester Street where the blocks of flats are now (assuming they're still there - haven't been up there for years!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,684 Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 re #33 That explains it ....thanks Merthyr Imp Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fch782c 144 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/gallery/mapperley.html I knew I had read somewhere that there was some reason the tunnel had never been closed and backfilled, Something to do with nesting bats Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Roosting bats 782c...bats don't build nests Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fch782c 144 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I bow to your better knowledge. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 The tunnel near the flats was called Ashwell's Tunnel I believe. I remember walking through it around 1967. We sat at the top of the northern portal eating our sandwiches. I used to deliver milk in those flats - Winchester Court and Woodthorpe Court. Again a long while ago - 1974. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilboro-lad 294 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I think Ashwell's tunnel was the one near to Woodthorpe Drive. It was facing that daft little replica steam engine coming out of the bridge. The longer one was Sherwood tunnel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 There were four tunnels on the N.S.R. 1) Sneinton Tunnel 183 yards long 2) Thorneywood Tunnel 408 yards long 3) Sherwood Tunnel 442 yards long 4) Ashwell's Tunnel 70 yards long There was a 5th tunnel(110yuards long) off of Thorneywood station to the Nottingham Patent Brickworks. This short branch was rope worked. Info"The story of the Nottingham Suburban Railway"(volume 1) by David G Birch Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fch782c 144 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Bubblewrap, If I remember rightly didn't the tunnel emerge on Carlton Road just below the Porchester Road and Cardale Road Junction and during the 1980's was used as a registered Gun Club Firing Range Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,473 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 As several people have mentioned, Ashwell tunnel is the one under Woodthorpe Drive, which is the winding road along the bottom of this picture. The row of trees mark the path of the tunnel.. If you go along Woodthorpe Drive you can see the embankment/cutting at the northern end (from the bridge wall towards the sign in the grass on the right). From Picture the Past, clearly after the lines were lifted. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Had many a snogging session in there... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,090 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Bubblewrap, If I remember rightly didn't the tunnel emerge on Carlton Road just below the Porchester Road and Cardale Road Junction and during the 1980's was used as a registered Gun Club Firing Range That was when Post Office Telephones (later BT) had Marmion Road Technical Engineering Centre (TEC) in the cutting there. The tunnel was used by the PO Shooting Club, although the local residents probably never heard a shot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,473 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Re: the BT depot and surrounding area. See photos at #62 (and a lot of the other posts in the thread) http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4886&page=4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilboro-lad 294 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 If anyone wants to go to Mapperley tunnel: OK here's how you get there: You want the Gedling end Of Arnold Lane at the old pit entrance (later Gedling tip). Enter at the side of the gate post. Walk down the road through the green bar gate and keep walking. On the left you will come to a field. Hop over the little fence. Take the diagonal path to the far end of the field and hop over the fence. You will see a Y junction of paths. Take the left hand one and walk for five mins until you come to the old railway bridge. Go down into the cutting and the tunnel is directly ahead of you. It's pretty muddy so take care. It's an eerie place and supposedly haunted. It's worth going though. It won't be there forever. The world has forgotten about it, it's an oddity that doesn't belong in the modern world. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 By the 80s the tunnel was used by the Arnold and Carlton Rifle and Pistol club run by a guy called Mike. The GPO had their own range in what was going to be a nuclear shelter under the Bath Street offices. For those who worked for the GPO it was run by TK Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
banjo48 928 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 As mentioned in another railway tunnel thread on here, my wife's brothers best mate (a Nottm businessman) owns the house just off Woodthorpe drive and he has the remains of the Southern end of the tunnel in his garden. His original idea was to use it as a wine store, and spent a fortune building a closed timber facade to it, but it proved to flood during heavy rain, so now it is just a garden store. My brother in law often house sits there (looking after his mates dog) so I have actually been there a few times, and seen it first hand. By the 80s the tunnel was used by the Arnold and Carlton Rifle and Pistol club run by a guy called Mike. The GPO had their own range in what was going to be a nuclear shelter under the Bath Street offices. For those who worked for the GPO it was run by TK Colin I also worked as a Post Office Tech and spent a fair time on the Bath street Parcel sorting office, both original construction and some maintenance, (as did another member here "The engineer" ) I remember the bunker well and did a fair bit of electrical work in there. I also did a lot of work at the Brook st letter sorting office. Cannot for the life of me remember that the bunker would be big enough though as a shooting range ! unless they removed some of the internal walls, but again as it was all built in the foundations in reinforced concrete, with very thick walls, that could have proven very difficult. And then again time plays tricks on our memories. Newbasfordlad What is the reference to a TK in your thread and the GPO ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,684 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Bilboro-lad mentioned about the area around the MAPPERLEY TUNNEL being a bit spooky . This account from 19.04.1890 gives an account of a railway worker being killed at the mouth of the tunnel . 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 #48. It was tight but they got a 20 yard pistol range in there, licensed up to full bore. One of the biggest jobs was cladding all that concrete to prevent ricochets. TK was one of the gaffers first name Terry but known as TK. Big mate of mine we have been shooting together for over 35 years. Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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