With this explore I decided to explore the railway tunnel as most people do but as there are 5 ventilation shafts I decided to try and follows these above ground and follow the route of the tunnel back through the Haddon Hall Estate.
HISTORY
In 1850's Midland Railway company were try to establish a permanent way between Derby and Manchester. The earl of Devonshire would not let the railway cross his Chatsworth estate, but the Earl of Rutland who owned the Haddon Hall Estate agreed that the railway could cross his land as long as he could not see it or see any steam . This meant that the Midland Railway company had to build a 1056 yard tunnel through the his estate. The work was started in 1860 and finished in 1862. Trains used the tunnel for over 100 years until it was closed in 1867 as part of the Beeching Report.
THE EXPLORE
With my local knowledge of the area I new there was no where to park near both tunnel entrances, so I chose to park at Peak Village shopping outlet at Rowsley, £2 gave me 6 hours parking. A 2 mile walk in wellingtons got me to the southern portal, and having read previous report I had a good idea what to look for in the tunnel, a lot of people tend to spend just a couple of hours in the tunnel, I intended making a day of it especially after a 2 mile walk. I spent about 3-4 hours in the tunnel doing a lot of light painting, it was massive in there and sections of the tunnel dark with soot so a lot of light was needed and many photographs were taken with a 2 minute exposure.
When I was happy that I had covered most of the tunnel and got all the photos I wanted I exited the tunnel at the northern portal into bright light having been underground a fair time. My plan was to follow the tunnel back over ground through the Haddon Hall Estate, if anybody challenged me well I had just got lost. I soon found the fifth ventilation shaft, the one with all the trees growing out. The others were easy to find some very overgrown and the large open box ventilation shaft was in a poor state of repair very neglected withe the steel fence falling down. I never saw a soul and made it back to Rowsley knackered but what a great explore
THE PHOTOGRAPHS
Southern Portal
First View Inside Tunnel
Ventilation Shaft 1
Looking Towards Open Box
Approaching Second Section
Ventillation Shaft 4 Heavy Calcite on Walls
High Section of Tunnel
High Section Again
High to Low Section of Tunnel
Low Section of Tunnel Near the End
Out at the Northern Portal
Ventilation Shaft 5
Ventilation Shaft 4
Ventilation Box 3
Overgrown Shaft 2
Ventilation Shaft 1 Shotgun Cartridge One
HISTORY
In 1850's Midland Railway company were try to establish a permanent way between Derby and Manchester. The earl of Devonshire would not let the railway cross his Chatsworth estate, but the Earl of Rutland who owned the Haddon Hall Estate agreed that the railway could cross his land as long as he could not see it or see any steam . This meant that the Midland Railway company had to build a 1056 yard tunnel through the his estate. The work was started in 1860 and finished in 1862. Trains used the tunnel for over 100 years until it was closed in 1867 as part of the Beeching Report.
THE EXPLORE
With my local knowledge of the area I new there was no where to park near both tunnel entrances, so I chose to park at Peak Village shopping outlet at Rowsley, £2 gave me 6 hours parking. A 2 mile walk in wellingtons got me to the southern portal, and having read previous report I had a good idea what to look for in the tunnel, a lot of people tend to spend just a couple of hours in the tunnel, I intended making a day of it especially after a 2 mile walk. I spent about 3-4 hours in the tunnel doing a lot of light painting, it was massive in there and sections of the tunnel dark with soot so a lot of light was needed and many photographs were taken with a 2 minute exposure.
When I was happy that I had covered most of the tunnel and got all the photos I wanted I exited the tunnel at the northern portal into bright light having been underground a fair time. My plan was to follow the tunnel back over ground through the Haddon Hall Estate, if anybody challenged me well I had just got lost. I soon found the fifth ventilation shaft, the one with all the trees growing out. The others were easy to find some very overgrown and the large open box ventilation shaft was in a poor state of repair very neglected withe the steel fence falling down. I never saw a soul and made it back to Rowsley knackered but what a great explore
THE PHOTOGRAPHS
Southern Portal
First View Inside Tunnel
Ventilation Shaft 1
Looking Towards Open Box
Approaching Second Section
Ventillation Shaft 4 Heavy Calcite on Walls
High Section of Tunnel
High Section Again
High to Low Section of Tunnel
Low Section of Tunnel Near the End
Out at the Northern Portal
Ventilation Shaft 5
Ventilation Shaft 4
Ventilation Box 3
Overgrown Shaft 2
Ventilation Shaft 1 Shotgun Cartridge One
