The history
The single bore 619 yard long tunnel was opened in 1897 as part of the Newport Godshill St Lawrence railway. The line was finally closed in 1952 and some time after it's closure the tunnel got repurposed as a mushroom farm. Today the northern portal is used to store a load of old junk.
The explore
I took the dogs for a wander looking for the north portal but ended up walking the length of the tunnel above ground and entering by the southern entrance. The tunnel its self is still in very good condition with very little graffiti or damage. The start of the tunnel was pretty clear, just the odd beer can and a couple of old wheelbarrows but as you walk further you come to the remnants of the mushroom farm, lots of plastic sheeting, old compost bags, irrigation pipes and lighting cables scatter the floor and hang from the ceiling. The northern end of the tunnel is full of a very random collection of old junk including quite an impressive pile of knackered fridges and a cannibalised jet ski. I spent over an hour wandering up and down playing with my camera, fiddling about with all the settings and the lighting trying to get some passable pics. I borrowed a monopod for this explore so the camera was a tad more stable and I think i actualy managed to get a few decent shots for once!
The single bore 619 yard long tunnel was opened in 1897 as part of the Newport Godshill St Lawrence railway. The line was finally closed in 1952 and some time after it's closure the tunnel got repurposed as a mushroom farm. Today the northern portal is used to store a load of old junk.
The explore
I took the dogs for a wander looking for the north portal but ended up walking the length of the tunnel above ground and entering by the southern entrance. The tunnel its self is still in very good condition with very little graffiti or damage. The start of the tunnel was pretty clear, just the odd beer can and a couple of old wheelbarrows but as you walk further you come to the remnants of the mushroom farm, lots of plastic sheeting, old compost bags, irrigation pipes and lighting cables scatter the floor and hang from the ceiling. The northern end of the tunnel is full of a very random collection of old junk including quite an impressive pile of knackered fridges and a cannibalised jet ski. I spent over an hour wandering up and down playing with my camera, fiddling about with all the settings and the lighting trying to get some passable pics. I borrowed a monopod for this explore so the camera was a tad more stable and I think i actualy managed to get a few decent shots for once!
