Report - Butterhouse Tunnel, Diggle - July 2012.

Ojay · Jul 20, 2012

Butterhouse Tunnel, Diggle

(Pict0r credits - TLR)

I was poking about in the area this afternoon, when TLR got in touch and said he was off for a mooch back in the old Butterhouse rail tunnel

Why not, turned out to be a good laugh anyway jumping about and trying to draw fish

Needless to say his 2 daughters probably did a better job than the pair of us, haha

Some History:

Constructed in 1886 by the London and North Western Railway Company and known as the 'Micklehurst Loop' between Stalybridge and Standedge

It was used to bypass the 1846 LNW old line between Stalybridge and Standedge, as widening the existing route was not possible

Mainly a goods line, it finally closed in 1966, except for a short stretch which served a power station at Hartshead until 1972

The Micklehurst Loop was around 7 miles long, running up the east of the Tame Valley

With junctions at the east end of Stalybridge station and rejoining the old route just south of Diggle station

There were 3 tunnels on the line, Stalybridge Cocker Hill, Royal George and Butterhouse

The Cocker Hill tunnel (510 yards) is currently walled up at its east end and the western end is stranded within a sheer walled cutting blocked by a main road a short distance from the tunnel

Royal George tunnel (140 yards) has been backfilled and the portals landscaped

Butterhouse tunnel (302 yards) remains (partly) The western portal has been backfilled

Constructed in engineering brick, the main lining is seven bricks thick at the crown

Towards the eastern end, a secondary lining has been added in red brick, itself 3-6 bricks thick, Its purpose was presumably for strengthening

The tunnel is slightly curved and constructed for two tracks, also with refuges provided for the platelayers, there are no airshafts

Access is via the easten portal, which the local farmer has kindly bunged up with a fuck tonne of horse shit

Step in the wrong place and you could end up waist deep in festering shite

A few pics for my troubles...

Eastern Portal