Rail tunnel under the Trent at Wilford


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OK chaps. I need a definitive statement that there was in fact NO rail tunnel under the Trent linked to Clifton Colliery.

There's, ludicrous, talk on another forum about a secret tunnel.

I know that a tunnel never existed but if one of local rail/colliery experts could confirm that please.

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Plenty of roadways under the Trent, like the Stone Head Drift and South Main Return, but they were for transporting men, materials and coal, plus air for Cliftons workings....LOL There was no tunnel in the sense you mean under the Trent from Clifton Colliery, if there was , I never saw one in the time I was there.

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Never heard of it before. If others say it existed, where are they saying it went to? Clifton Colliery to where?

Clifton was linked to the MR by sidings off Lenton South Junction, and also to the GC near Wilford Road/Toll Bridge. I can't see why it would need any more connections.

I was thinking of "proper" railway tunnels, but as Ayupmeducks has pointed out, if we are talking about "service" tunnels then the other forum might be correct

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The only tunnel I was aware of was the fan drift to the upcast shaft, there were no tunnels at the surface area to anywhere.

I don't know where they got the idea from.

Remember that was a huge flood plain and both shafts were built up for that very same reason, about 12 feet above the main pit yard, so I can't see anyone building a tunnel between Wilford and the pit, wouldn't make any sense, and for what reason??? Coal used to go by train down Colliery Road and out the back to the main lines pre NCB days, then later on a loop line to the power station.

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nowt to with Clifton pit etc but have heard similar "tales" regarding the "air raid shelter" top of Mansfield Rd opp the cem, how it leads to the old railway tunnel, indeed even heard the latter can be got to from caves in the cem, think one person gets an idea,

without knowing whether real or not then tells others who do believe it "cause so and so told me " and the mistruth spreads

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nowt to with Clifton pit etc but have heard similar "tales" regarding the "air raid shelter" top of Mansfield Rd opp the cem, how it leads to the old railway tunnel, indeed even heard the latter can be got to from caves in the cem, think one person gets an idea,

without knowing whether real or not then tells others who do believe it "cause so and so told me " and the mistruth spreads

Not at all saying that the cave on Mansfield Rd with the air raid shelter leads anywhere Ashley but it was genuinely an air raid shelter. There are toilets down there and all. I know somebody that was brought up in the property above and he went down there often. Seen pics too.

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  • 7 months later...

they are caves that were later used as air raid shelters.....owd "in laws" used to own/live in a massive house at the bottom of st andrews road near the twitchal that runs up to the childrens hospital and the caves came out into her garden....owd wife used to make her dens in there as kids and i had the tour as she knew them like the back of her hand......and no they dont lead to the railway tunnel or the graveyard.....

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There is a lot of information on here about the "tunnels" in the sandstone around the top of Mansfield road - most of them were actually part of the "sand mines" that operated in the area. Many of Nottingham's caves would have been used as air-raid shelters during WWII but I doubt if any were originally excavated for that purpose!

Like Ayup, I see no reason for a conventional "tunnel" under the Trent at Wilford, but I do agree there were probably a number of mine roadways (or tunnels) that went under the Trent for men, materials, coal removal, ventilation, etc. but they are all totally inaccessible today!

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they are caves that were later used as air raid shelters.....owd "in laws" used to own/live in a massive house at the bottom of st andrews road near the twitchal that runs up to the childrens hospital and the caves came out into her garden....owd wife used to make her dens in there as kids and i had the tour as she knew them like the back of her hand......and no they dont lead to the railway tunnel or the graveyard.....

i have been down these shelters back in the late 80s, they lead the golden fleece pub carpark were there used to be a raised entrance like the one on mansfield road. it has now been filled in as far as i know.

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