Welbeck Abbey and its subterranean tunnels


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Other threads on subterranean workings have proved popular previously on here. I'm assuming that one or two have a similar fascination to me on this subject.

I've always been intrigued about Welbeck Abbey and the Fifth Duke of Portland's commisioning of several miles of sophisticated underground tunnels, a huge ballroom, billiard room and a library amongst other things. Apparently his ambitions for the abbey created work for 15,000 folk local to the area.

Does anyone have any first-hand experience or anecdotal material about Welbeck's undergroun system?

A bit of info below regarding this interesting story, including a photographic investigation of one of the tunnels:

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=13119

http://www.follytowers.com/portland.html

http://www.rotherhamweb.co.uk/h/welbeck.htm

http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/Jacks1881/welbeckp1.htm

http://www.warsopweb.co.uk/articles/history/mole.htm

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1960 Inside the tunnel

According to this 1907 article , there were 11 miles of tunnels !! From the bit I have read (and I may be wrong) but the tunnels were built in trenches with brick arches and then the brickwork covered

I was a student at Welbeck College from 1965 to 1967. Like many before and after me many hours were spent exploring all the tunnels in the estate. Most memorable was the large tunnel leading from the

A fantastic place, not publicised or seen.

I once sneaked in via a garden centre, but didn't get anywhere underground despite seeing the access doors and rooflights.

I gather that there was supposed to be a linking tunnel to Worksop so that the bizarre Duke could fulfill his obligations in the House of Lords once a year without being seen. He had an enclosed blacked out coach that supposedly was taken to Worksop station via a tunnel and his own personal railway coach was fitted with blackout curtains, he was thus able to get to Parliament with only seeing daylight as he crossed the courtyard.

Shades of believing he was a Vampire perhaps.

A pity that this place is taken over by the Army, until they go elsewhere we'll never know the full story.

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Cheers Firbeck

Yes, I think one of the pieces corroborates your tale there. It seems there were a few theories as to why the Duke was so 'shy' of being seen in public. One (mostly discredited) one was that he was disfigured in some way.

I'm pretty sure that travel writer, Bill Bryson visited Welbeck on his travels featured in his Tales From a Small Island travellogue. I seem to recall that he was disappointed in his quest to access the caves.

Hopefully one day the public will gain physical access to this fascinating part of Nottinghamshire history.

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Just a clarification - from reading the linked articles, they aren't caves, or really even "tunnels" in the classic sense of the word (they weren't "tunneled"). They were created by a technique called "cut and cover", which means you dig a big trench, build a "tube" of some form inside the trench, then cover it with dirt. These days is is a common technique for "tunneling" under rivers - actually the tunnel is a large pipe that is laid on the bottom, then pumped dry. Some of the London Underground was constructed the same way - notably sections of the Green and Circle lines.

Not to distract from the interest and "puzzle" of the tunnels at Welbeck - they certainly would be worth investigating both to determine their extent as well as probable use - and "reason"!

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Yes Eric, I think one of the articles refers in particular to the library that was created in that way. Must have been quite an undertaking for the local labour force. As you say, well worth investigating though.

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  • 10 months later...

Other threads on subterranean workings have proved popular previously on here. I'm assuming that one or two have a similar fascination to me on this subject.

I've always been intrigued about Welbeck Abbey and the Fifth Duke of Portland's commisioning of several miles of sophisticated underground tunnels, a huge ballroom, billiard room and a library amongst other things. Apparently his ambitions for the abbey created work for 15,000 folk local to the area.

Does anyone have any first-hand experience or anecdotal material about Welbeck's undergroun system?

Yes i have plenty of 1st hand experiance of the Welbeck Tunnels.

I heard of them initially from my dad when i was 12 or so but when asked more about them and where they were situated etc he wouldnt say. (I think because of the dangerous stae of some of the tunnels).

Undeterred i set about finding out more about the tunnels in the local library which was a mine of useful information. With the information i had gleaned from various books me and some friends set off to find these tunnels and when we did we was amazed at the labrynth we found.

From semi-submerged greenhouses to underground stables and a rail-road to name but a few features of what we found.

The main tunnel was as reputed big enough to drive a coach through there were also smaller tunnels that led to the various lodges on the estate the sunken gardens and the underground ballroom.

Some of the tunnels where in a dangerous state of repair were as others looked like the brickwork was laid yesterday.

All in all a interesting piece of historical architecture that should be preserved.

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I didn't realise that the Army were no longer using the Abbey.

I note that the descendants of the family are now living in part of the house, but the building is so massive, I can't imagine what most of it is used for, I would imagine that it will soon become unmanageable and in need of so much money spending on it that the whole place could be at risk.

This makes me wonder whether their only option would be to do a deal with English Heritage or the National Trust, and with such a unique building, opening up the tunnels and underground rooms to the public would be the obvious thing to do, as the only place with such structures, it could be a winner.

I'm intrigued as to how MickeyT got in there without being detected, the Subterrania Britannica people are well known and not popular and their internet information exchange is making landowners very wary of the possibilities of trespass, mainly due to the dangers involved.

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  • 2 months later...

As a young officer cadet in Autumn 1947 I well remember Welbeck Abbey where I underwent an education course prior to going to RMA Sandhurst. We were quartered in damp Nissen huts situated in woods, the most uncomfortable accommodation I experienced in the whole of my military career. We

used the tunnels on a daily basis to get to and from our classes, this was convenient as it seemed to be raining most of the time. I can not now remember if we ate in the Abbey or in a hut in the woods. Interestingly my house master from school, Lt Colonel David Rickards, became the first headmaster of the Welbeck Army College

David Vetch

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I would like to put the wheels in motion , but I think it best if someone a bit closer to hand were to make a few subtle enquiries first.

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  • 2 months later...

I would like to put the wheels in motion , but I think it best if someone a bit closer to hand were to make a few subtle enquiries first.

Not sure if you have been to explore the tunnels yet but I spent 2 years at school there. The whole place is a bit of a maze and even some of the classrooms were underground! I've explored some of the tunnels as once lessons were finished we had free rein of the whole place except for the 2 state rooms. I've explored many of the tunnels. Some are large having housed tanks in WW2 and some quite small and/or blocked up. Not sure what the security is like there now but I can give you some pointers as to where might be best to enter and explore.

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Thanks for that Jimmy , hopefully some one a bit nearer to Nott's can put the wheels in motion.

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  • 1 month later...

MickyT123, have you got any more information?

In reply to your request for more information.

When we first "discovered" the tunnels as children the army where in residence at Welbeck College and there presence was security enough. Since they have left i am told the abbey and it's attached buildings have been split into some sort of millionaires apartments. The high level of security now in place at Welbeck (cctv etc) i assume is to do with this. There are still areas that can be accessed but you would need local knowledge to understand any directions i could give you.

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