Report - Kelmarsh closed tunnel (The Rat holes), Northants, Feb15

[The Wombat]

I heard this place was doable, so when a free slot arrived, dashed over to have a look. Met up with Infrared, and his box of light painting tricks.

The southbound bore is open to the public as a cycle path, and I have visited many times over the years. But this is my first visit to the gated northbound bore, and although not as packed with features as it’s cousin at Great Oxendon, I still found plenty to photograph inside. There is no airshaft in the closed tunnel, and it’s authentically still soot covered.
Finally getting to grips with my new wide angle lens. Thanks to Infrared for showing me some more of his light painting tricks.

The Northampton to Market Harborough line opened in 1859 and had tunnels at Great Oxendon and nearby Kelmarsh. The original tunnel was single-track (480M), and when the line was doubled a second single-track tunnel was built. The second tunnel had an airshaft, and is now a cycle path all the way to Northampton. The line closed in 1981.

Soot covered ceiling

2 Wombats, on 1 Frame

south portal

Infrared's light toy

The outside

Tried to get both portals, but difficult, even on the wide angle

THE OPEN TUNNEL
As last time; a couple of shots of the open tunnel

This one was from a visit a couple of years back

Here is my visit to the Oxendon Tunnels last year:
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums...ls-(The-Rat-Holes)-Northants-Oct14?highlight=

Thanks for looking

 

[The Lone Ranger]

The 2 Wombat photo is excellent, looks a lovely tunnel

 

[The Wombat]

The 2 Wombat photo is excellent, looks a lovely tunnel

Thanks TLR
Third attempt lucky!

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

No problems with those pic mate, very nicely shot

Impressive Portals for a short tunnel, must have had some spare money

You want to get up Yorks mate, our closed Tunnels have Cannabis farms in them....so i found out

Just looking at access....nah I"m not getting in there

 

[The Wombat]

No problems with those pic mate, very nicely shot

Impressive Portals for a short tunnel, must have had some spare money

You want to get up Yorks mate, our closed Tunnels have Cannabis farms in them....so i found out

Thanks AR
Yes; need to get up to Yorkshire, there's some good stuff to see up there

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Trouble is mate, for some reason Network Rail have taken advice from HMP by the looks of things and really gone to town on portal defences

So much so my local Barnsdale had to be opened with Stihl Saw by NR just to inspect it, before being re welded up again. So we found out a fortnight ago

You have Pallasade, plus it"s then plated over before grease. You need ladders up here, a nice "A" frame one to save getting stuck in the 1/2" thick Grease would be preferable, or a carpet Oh and did i mention Razor wire

Queensbury Tunnel

And just in case you get over the first hurdle

 

[The Kwan]

Fantastic photo's Mr Wombat, the first shot looks more like it is trying to keep something in rather than out, if that makes any sense, thanks for sharing this

 

[Lenston]

That first portal is amazing mate, some cracking images there

 

[stranton]

Trouble is mate, for some reason Network Rail have taken advice from HMP by the looks of things and really gone to town on portal defences

So much so my local Barnsdale had to be opened with Stihl Saw by NR just to inspect it, before being re welded up again. So we found out a fortnight ago

You have Pallasade, plus it"s then plated over before grease. You need ladders up here, a nice "A" frame one to save getting stuck in the 1/2" thick Grease would be preferable, or a carpet Oh and did i mention Razor wire

Queensbury Tunnel

And just in case you get over the first hurdle

I cant believe this.
assuming the opposite side is beneath water?

 

[The Wombat]

Trouble is mate, for some reason Network Rail have taken advice from HMP by the looks of things and really gone to town on portal defences

So much so my local Barnsdale had to be opened with Stihl Saw by NR just to inspect it, before being re welded up again. So we found out a fortnight ago

You have Pallasade, plus it"s then plated over before grease. You need ladders up here, a nice "A" frame one to save getting stuck in the 1/2" thick Grease would be preferable, or a carpet Oh and did i mention Razor wire

Queensbury Tunnel

That is a ridiculous amount of security for a relatively safe derelict tunnel!!
thanks for sharing mate

 

[The Wombat]

Fantastic photo's Mr Wombat, the first shot looks more like it is trying to keep something in rather than out, if that makes any sense, thanks for sharing this

That first portal is amazing mate, some cracking images there

Cheers Lenston & uncle Kwan
The portal is pretty impressive, especially for a single track tunnel

 

[Lenston]

Reminds me of this

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

I cant believe this.
assuming the opposite side is beneath water?

Yeah mate about half a mile of it last report i read

And there was a torrent of water falling down about 30 ft in from the portal at this end, it was quite deafening TBH

I"ve done lots of the local Tunnels and they"ve all been well protected TBH

Even more so since the cannabis Farm in Clayton that was a scary place solo. They? were using a rainwater collection system fromm the stream that came down the Airshaft to irrigate 500 plants, with fans & humidifiers and a massive Poly tunnel in the Tunnel 1/2 mile in

God knows where the power supply came from ? There"s only a Pylon near

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9765434.Drugs_factory_found_in_disused_railway_tunnel/

Funnily enough i"d been following some dodgy looking blokes with Pitbull type Dogs towards this tunnel and waited till they"d f@cked off eventually, bumped into a local after doing it and he told me the story. Nobody local knew about it till the Network Rail inspection (which is ironic due to it"s open location) and by all accounts he shit hiself ....no kidding
Should have known something was wrong when their padlocks had been replaced

 

[stranton]

I done Gildersome & Queensbury tunnels March last year,

is Clayton the tunnel 1/2 mile east of the latter,
with a spoil heap & deep decent at the west portal believe east portal is buried?

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

I done Gildersome & Queensbury tunnels March last year,

is Clayton the tunnel 1/2 mile east of the latter,
with a spoil heap & deep decent at the west portal believe east portal is buried?

That"s the one mate

Need spikes on yer boots to get out when it"s raining, it"s like trying to get out of the swimming pool in Poltergeist