How we Mapped an Abandoned Railway Tunnel. The Garnddyrys Tunnel

[@XmarkedSpot]

I'm only two minutes in and i already have to burst this out: i really cannot overstate how much i appreciate what lengths you are willing to go for your audience. With all the love an internet stranger can send: Thomas from Germany

[@michaelcampin1464]

Thank you it was a pleasure as always to watch your video.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Michael.

[@malcolmsmith6615]

Unusual to have such a shallow tunnel and so close to a steep slope on one side. It almost cries out “instability”. Fascinating.

[@reeley]

my favourite of all your vlogs.

[@chrisandteresabartley438]

Great to see you back, and finding that it's 2 tunnels. What wasn't mentioned is that it was for a horse drawn tramroad, and the tunnel was believed to be to protect the tramroad from the activities at the forge including dumping slag (there are lumps of slag on the ground near the west end of the tunnel)

[@nickshipway8199]

That break in the tunnel has to be a deliberate thing. All the masonry, piled into it, suggests that there was something built over the top of the break, which was just piled into the space underneath when it was demolished. Possibly a loading chute?

[@sharonjones4509]

OMG this is actually just across the way from where we live, I am sat on the edge of my seat watching you guys filming at Garnddyrys, never realised that the tunnel/tramroad was still there. I know what I'm going to be doing this weekend. Thank you so much to showing us just because you can't see something doesn't mean it's not there. You are both truly amazing. xx

[@pwhitewick]

Cheers Sharon. Tread very very carefully. CADW are now aware of its existence and we have been working with them to try and safeguard it from further collapses etc.

[@carlwilson1772]

You are right about it being a world heritage site. The entire concept of an industrialised, advanced society that we now take for granted has it's roots in these sadly long forgotten structures. A story of human endeavour and the desire to create a better world. And of course, the desire to make lots of money!

[@robertnightingale4101]

I really appreciate your interest in industrial history. What l find strange about this particular tunnel is how close to the surface it is. Surely it would have been easier to cut into the hillside and support the high side with a retaining wall or a battered slope.

[@pwhitewick]

Cut and cover and then protection from the Forge and workings.

[@vsvnrg3263]

robert nightingale, i think it was mentioned early on about the tunnel giving the company the opportunity to dump waste around and over it. you cant dump as much waste around the place if you need to leave space for the tramway. there was a timeteam episode hunting for an old tram tunnel. they had trouble finding it because the whole thing had been well and truly buried under waste.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

@@vsvnrg3263 believe by "waste" you mean spoils. Difference being that waste normally refers to garbage, while spoils is all the rock they dig out of the mines that doesn't contain any of the ore they're looking for. But in this case it doesn't look like the spoil heaps go over the tunnel. It could also have been covered to keep the tracks dry, since this appears to be a very wet area and it'd make it easier for the horses to pull the heavy carts, although there are plenty of samples from the UK where they didn't cover the tracks like this, so it's only guesswork. They could of course also have expected the spoil heaps to grow over the tracks and then stopped using the mines before it became the case

[@Loagun]

I would also like to say thank you for the content that you upload. This is one of the channels that I follow that amazes me time and time again as I am a viewer from Canada. I am blown away by the amount of abandoned or in a lot of times forgotten about underground railways or even whole subways in the UK. I find it quite interesting because it really calls into question how old things really are and when things were actually invented.

[@stevenholden9520]

I think the tunnel was probably cut and covered to protect the tramroad through a (possibly proposed) spoil heap. There is evidence of the same at other locations in Wales. I seem to remember Time Team doing an excavation of one a few years ago.

[@stevenholden9520]

@SteelRodent After a bit of searching found it to be at Blaeavon, South Wales. The tramroad was on a 10 metre high viaduct which slowly became overwelmed by spoil so had to be culverted with an arched roof. They found it 12 metres below current ground level.

[@justvin7214]

A nice revisit to this area, glad you finally explored the tunnels. I remember watching a video of this location with a lady that remembered the workers cottages just across the road.

[@lindamccaughey6669]

That was fabulous as usual. I just love the way you investigate these tunnels. They truly matter and should be taken care of. Just love how much you put into it. Thank you so so much for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care

[@ExploringWithEmAndStu]

Great bit of editing here.. really well explained with all your map diagrams. Another forgotten piece of our heritage documented before it becomes lost forever.. Keep up the great work! 😁👍

[@williamlloyd3769]

Fantastic explore. In another one of your videos you mentioned the National LIDAR map. It would be interesting to compare your finding with all the shrubbery stripped away

[@HenrysAdventures]

Another great video! I remember your previous videos on this tunnel and its always nice to see a revisit.

[@MarkS-vo5vu]

Fantastic guys and good to see you back 'on track'. I would love to get a 'tunnel team' together to clear out the rubble and dig out each portal so instead of it slowly disappearing into the landscape it becomes ongoing living history to walk through and explore so current and future generations can marvel at and experience a unique part of our very early railway engineering achievements.

[@pwhitewick]

Cheers Mark. Lots of rails to come in the next few weeks.

[@rileyuktv6426]

Keep up the excellent work - why have a tunnel rather than a cutting?. Also future project - the Phoenix Trail, Thame? and Chinnor to Watlington line?

[@chrisstephens6673]

That was my thought, it seems so shallow that a cutting must have been cheaper or am i missing something?

[@nickcaunt1769]

@@chrisstephens6673 It's a very old tunnel, so it was probably built as a 'cut and cover'. Essentially dig a cutting (in sections and build the tunnel as you go and cover it. The reason being that you don't have to maintain the cutting for erosion and more importantly the amount of earth to remove is far less. Important if you are digging manually. For a short while and building walls as you go you only dig the width of the tunnel with near vertical sides. This would also explain why they probably built the west end as a separate short tunnel after a small bend. @Paul and Rebecca Whitewick

[@chrisstephens6673]

@@nickcaunt1769 thanks for that but just imagine if they had a JCB for a couple of days and just leveled the lot.😆

[@spiffyspits3605]

Stinky brave thing to do to go by yourself & without a trailing rope for your wife to pull ya out when need to, maaannnn. But. What you did was well worth the trip to locate them & save them, and waaayy better than a drone. Extraordinary!!! Thank you so much for sharing.

[@Lulu-jl5zd]

IMHO this is the best one the two of you have done. Great filming and very thoughtful insights. Congrats!

[@ThatCoalSoul]

You and Rebecca continue to be for old tunnels and canals what Jago Hazzard is to the tube! And well done on crossing the 45 thousand subscribers point.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Mark.

[@nilo70]

Thank you both for making this and taking me along with you !

[@MrGreatplum]

Fantastic video - really interesting and it’s great to see some light shone into some of these more obscure industrial remnants. (I also now know how to say Cadw properly! 😆)

[@pwhitewick]

Haha.... we actually learnt that from some Welsh friends!....

[@stephendavies6949]

Great to see you back on the disused railway theme. Please keep up the good, high quality work. South Wales - my homeland - is indeed jam packed full of industrial- and therefore railway - history

[@pwhitewick]

Lots of disused Railways coming in the next few weeks.

[@stephendavies6949]

Thanks for replying. May I suggest a couple of places to consider in East Anglia? The Waveney Valley Line from Tivetshall to Beccles would add 11 stations to those you've visited in just a few hours, and also the "Swindon/Crewe of East Anglia", Melton Constable.

[@neiljenkins2011]

Another brilliantly interesting video. Well done again, Paul and Rebecca! We sometimes go for walks up on Blorenge as a day trip from North Wiltshire and I never knew that this was just down the slope from us. During your previous video(s?) on this tunnel I hadn't clocked the proximity to Blorenge. Next time we go I really must poke my nose in, so must remember to take my old caving helmet and lamp along!

[@shirleylynch7529]

Such an interesting vlog. Really appreciate all your travelling to these different place. It must be such a thrill when you find these tunnels. Thank you for sharing.

[@7Heist7]

Beautiful landscape

[@tompettersson3814]

I was wondering when you would continue with this explore :) Finally piece of mind. Great content as usual.

[@robinjones6999]

more brilliant content - Luv it - Buy a hard hat Paul!

[@vodaploda]

Great channel, great work, great to watch - thanks guys

[@jonathanmorgan1882]

My ancestors lived and worked here, my great grandfather was the engine driver for the quarries on the opposite side of the valley and the family later ended up working in the ironworks and big pit. My grandfather could probably have told you all about these tunnels but sadly he died before he could share all his history of the area. To me the line and connections strike me as being some sort of culvert rather than a tramroad. There are plenty of tramroads in the area and you can usually see the remains of stone sleepers with holes where the tracks were, could you see any evidence of these in the tunnel ?

[@pwhitewick]

Sadly nothing left in the tunnel of that nature. What a shame your G-Grandfather didn't have a chance to leave those memories.

[@rogercmerriman]

Always nice to see my home area, I come past the tunnel few times a year generally when I’m down, sadly the tram road has collapsed or rather the quarry under Pwll du few years back, though I tend to take the track down to the valley floor, steep track after the bridge.

[@robertlewis2]

Good mapping of the tramway tunnel; please do more of it.

[@Sim0nTrains]

When you were in the tunnel exploring it felt like watching a Shiey video but it was a awesome explore as you showed us the tunnel as if we were in there with you, it is a brilliant video and liked the start of the video as well, also that red arrow needs to be bigger lol

[@tokk3]

Again, thank you for making such great content.

[@ianmckeand2265]

Fascinating. Why would a tramroad tunnel have inlets from ponds?

[@pwhitewick]

Very good question!.... The outlets certainly came down from the ponds, and we have read just that, but why into the tunnel. No idea.

[@firesurfer]

@@pwhitewick I think there may have had a wooden gate there to control the water to flush the tunnel of silt that may have entered after heavy rain. There are metal brackets on the walls that may have held hoses that connected to the flush gates. 8:42

[@annarboriter]

@@firesurfer And thank you. I was wondering about the original purpose of those iron projections

[@jackprier7727]

Love it, love the perfect stonework, the adventure of sharing your exploration. I wonder why it was not just a roadcut for the RR, being so shallow?

[@RobertSmith-zv1xo]

I'm glad you love this place as I am enjoying the vlogs! The research, search and filming on site and then the edit is really great.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks so much!!

[@UKAbandonedMineExplores]

Nice video, that tunnel is so shallow, I'm surprised they even built a tunnel. I'd have been wanting to explore up those inlets.

[@pwhitewick]

Those inlets were tiny. I don't think they would fit my shoulders.

[@firesurfer]

@@pwhitewick Maybe a camera line of the sort plumbers use, or a drone if you dare.

[@sr6424]

Brilliant video. Love the idea of enthusiastic, but amateur, explorers researching history. Inspirational!

[@volvos60bloke]

I really like the way you pronounce your consonants, Paul.

[@royjennison3916]

love your vids , they are so good

[@martin-mi3cg]

Many thanks for a great video, Blimey I was there a while ago and looked around but found nothing so now a return visit is inevitable 😵‍💫 Have you been to Rhymney tramway tunnel that's a nice one too. There's so much of our past quietly hidden away keep the adventures coming 👍

[@eddiek0507]

A very interesting video and story with a comprehensive explore. I really enjoyed this one, well done to both of you...😃👍👍

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Eddie

[@paulhennessy5627]

Impressive, intelligent and informative video as always. Great to see you getting a handle on you pronunciation of Welsh🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 place names. 👍

[@michaelgreen1515]

It really is a world heritage site it is wonderful. It needs some lazer mapping and some love.

[@Hairnicks]

Paul and Rebecca, I love you, what you do is so important as you are taking somewhat obscure history that might be lost and bringing it alive. It doesn't matter that it's not cared for by those who should, but you have exposed this wonderful bit of archaeology and it's added to my bucket list as a place to go for a lovely walk and see some fascinating industrial history. Thanks for all your efforts, I noticed you got one thumbs down, aren't there a lot of arseholes about, what's not to like. Keep doing what you're doing, I love every episode. Who needs TV?

[@andrewbradbury8527]

All that stonework done in the Victorian era! It's unbelievable how good they were...all hand chiselled. I live near Chee Dale... Britain's most complex arrangement of tunnels, cutting etc.

[@davie941]

hi paul and rebecca , thank you for another really interesting video , the tunnel was in real good nick , lets hope some group sees this video and takes the tunnel on to try and save whats left , well done and thank you guys :)

[@richhughes7450]

I enjoyed that. Its good to know I ain't the only one that is fascinated by this kind of thing. Its long been a dream of mine ti explore the Sapperton tunnel.

[@bobparsons77]

Some good looking ferns there

[@edenviews]

Fascinating exploration. Great bit of fearless tunnel walking. Very obviously the fire brigade were loitering in the area waiting to free you if you had difficulties??!!!

[@pwhitewick]

haha... we did wonder.

[@ianlainchbury]

Very very interesting. The tunnel looks in remarkable state!

[@andrewreynolds4949]

Looking at that break in the tunnel I think it is both a clear divide between 2 sections of tunnel AND a collapse. I suspect that there were originally 2 tunnels, then the middle section was closed off in portions, possibly multiple over time. That would explain the section that’s “shifted” in relation to the rest.

[@michaelpilling9659]

That was a brilliant video. - very very interesting. What fantastic historical value

[@furryanimal8776]

Always great when you do a video just up the road...one day you will do disused stations in Cwmbran😀

[@syncrosimon]

This is great guys, thanks so much👍👍👍

[@BlaiddLlwyd]

Always good to see you both back in South Wales, I like seeing how the place is doing since I left. Just a thought about that gap between the tunnels, yes I agree that they are separate and not collapsed. On the map the second smaller tunnel runs in a slightly different direction, would it have been easier for the original builders to separate them rather than build in a curve? I'm not an engineer or historian so maybe a curved tunnel would have been easy back then. It's a theory anyway, so anyone with more knowledge is free to jump in and correct it :)

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Blaidd. Yes certainly separate, and I think the gap was even bigger, but as for the curve, the eastern half has a very long curve, so guessing they knew how to deal with them by then.

[@DJGeeks]

Great video as always you put so much effort into the post production which makes it a good interesting video to watch. There is one thing I have noted though no hard hat especially entering old tunnels like this . It just takes one block to hit you. Really would like to see you wearing hard hat if you going to visit such tunnels in the future. would not want to see an end of this fantastic content

[@pwhitewick]

Much appreciated! Really no need in tunnels like this that are in such good condition.

[@johnathanrowley2707]

Great video, without you documenting these lost railways they would be forgotten into history

[@Bender24k]

Brilliant as usual! Thanks you two.

[@pwhitewick]

Our pleasure!

[@raphaelnikolaus0486]

Great job, great contribution! And much respect to you, Paul, for going in deep, also through the tinier holes. I'd be to claustrophobic or maybe only scared to do that. My thinking with the two tunnel endings in closest proximity with each other would by the way be that it might have to do with there being a curve (and them back then not being able to create a curvature in the tunnel, at least at that point). And yes, the bit you noted in hindsight as an addition appears to be an addition to me too.

[@rexgeorg7324]

Top show Guys !!! .

[@dukeofaaghisle7324]

Next time you visit, if you go a bit further west, there is plenty of tramway relics on Llangattock Mountain, including an incline. I have a photo from the 1970s of a GWR boundary post along the incline. Go a little further west to the south side of Clydach Gorge and you can find remains of the old Merthyr, Tredegar & Abergavenny Railway and a previous tramway. As a teenager, my dad used to clean the engines of the line at Abergavenny shed.

[@johngleeson6351]

excellent vid,well done both of you.

[@RolfStones]

Drone shot at 14:45, above the yellow arrow you see a platform, the level/sloping field with sheep, with what looks like remains of massive walls.

[@pwhitewick]

Yup indeed, I mention this at that point. I feel its the trackbed.

[@derekp2674]

Thanks very much, that was really interesting and enjoyable.

[@owendavies7429]

Many thanks for the video. I am from Abergavenny and my ancestors were minors and publicans who lived in Garnddyrys. From the census records it clear there were a lot of people living on the side of the Blorenge and now you would never know the village had been there. I live in Australia now but am looking forward to coming home and having a look. I assume this tunnel was part of Baileys tramroad? Members of the Abergavenny steam society may be able to give you some local knowledge.

[@Sarge084]

The tunnel lining is so close to the surface in most parts that it seems to have been a cut and cover build. Perhaps this was to protect the track from falling rock, just like the rock that appears to have filled the gap between the two tunnel portals.

[@pwhitewick]

Almost certainly right Sarge

[@paulwilliams8725]

Great stuff 👍

[@WaylandersWandering]

That was fascinating. It really does make you wonder why the split into two tunnels, especially when it's such a short open section. Air flow maybe, who knows.

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

I wondered if there was a ventilation shaft/building and the rubble was from that collapsing rather than the roof collapsing.

[@annarboriter]

Indeed, this tunnel was built when miasmic theory was the predominant explanation for infectious disease

[@briantheminer]

Great exploration but yes, you need another visit 👌

[@jwillisbarrie]

Thanks for taking time to add actual captions for the Deaf

[@pwhitewick]

Cheers Jim. 9 times out of 10 we get it done in time! Can't vouch for my spellings though!!

[@mkendallpk4321]

The workmanship is fantastic and the tunnel is in great shape for its age. Too bad that no group has decided to stabilize what is left. Hopefully that will happen.

[@bosseyedbeardedbloke]

Fantastic vid as usual, and yes I do know how much editing goes into them and the work involved. Now this one has peaked my interest enough that I may pay it a visit. Now you guys were on the ground (and below it lol) but in the video it really looks to me like the tunnel continued on behind you when you were stood in front of the western portal. (11 mins) also if you look at the facing it really doesnt look as clean as the other edges as you commented on yourself in fact the more I compare them it really does look more like a collapse. However I do know things tend to look different on camera than they do in real life.

[@pwhitewick]

Definitely go have a look Nigel, we would love to get someone else's opinion.

[@DONK8118]

Hi both there are 2 other tunnels on the other side of the Abergavenny to Blaenavon rd towards the front of the Blorenge

[@Kaimera23]

Great content as always guys. Would the collapse between the two parts of the tunnel been a ventilation chimney to extract smoke?

[@thesteelrodent1796]

those tramways were horse drawn - thus no smoke. And they generally didn't care about ventilating the tunnels in the mid-1800s

[@christopherbraiden6713]

Thanks for the video Paul and Rebecca this is definitely a place we're I would love to go so much going on in this area in the past is this the other side of the big pit?😎🐓🐓🐓🐓🇬🇧

[@stevelong6358]

Great video....

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Steve

[@eastwoodsadventures]

Love the extra detail. Thanks for all the effort. Maybe something to do more of. We are all here because we are interested in the same things as you, so maybe don't over edit the the "slower" parts out. Savour more 😁

[@pwhitewick]

Noted!

[@tardismole]

Wales keeps drawing you back, eh? We have that effect on a lot of people. Good to have you visit again. Just had a thoguht. Could the loose rubble be from a wall that extended between the two tunnels, on both sides, to keep out sheep or to hold back the dirt from either side? I hope Cadw will step up to the plate and at least pass Garnddyrys onto an organisation that can protect it, if not do so themselves.

[@HemmingEducation]

The book 'The rape of the fair country' by Alexander Cordell features this area in some detail as it was during the industrial revolution. I used to live a few miles away and it's a fascinating area.

[@grahamlane1313]

Hi paul and rebecca the rubble in between the two tunnels may have being put in by farmer to stop. his animals getting into. Them thats my guess

[@pwhitewick]

Not a bad shout Graham

[@grahamlane1313]

Thanks paul and rebecca

[@whereinsussex]

Yeah I think that seems a good call too

[@chrisandteresabartley438]

Good point, as when I first found it, there was a dead sheep inside

[@grahampartridge9335]

Nice video. That tunnel must have been cut and cover at that depth , it really makes me wonder why they bothered unless there was a issue using it in the winter

[@pwhitewick]

Cut and cover yes, protection from the Forge we assume.

[@saltleywsc]

Great video both ! might be a bit safer to sort out some sort of remote controlled vehicle for you to use in future tunnel explorations !

[@trainsinkansas576]

Great video. Meriden, Kansas

[@bobsrailrelics]

Really interesting as usual, and my neck of the woods as well. Could the gap have been some sort of gap for ventilation? It certainly looks like two parts of a tunnel rather than a collapse.

[@pwhitewick]

Not sure about ventilation, but certainly a gap. Loading?

[@bobsrailrelics]

@@pwhitewick that's a distinct possibility.

[@Satters]

given that there are two inlets from ponds, could it be the water outlet?

[@ChelseaSierraK.]

Interesting ✨ Were trains alot smaller back then, the tunnel is barely tall enough for you to walk in.

[@janinapalmer8368]

Omg !! What courage you have !! I wouldn't go in that rickety old tunnel for $100,000,000 !! What used to go through it ?

[@andyhill242]

Fascinating, and in pretty good condition too. I think that break in the tunnel was originally designed or built that way, or if there was a collapse there, they decided the best way to fix it was to dig a hole and clean up the 2 ends and leave the gap between them open. Also, that "collapse" near the portal looks like the remains of an infill. I think you should pass on your research to various agencies who may take on the care of the place.

[@pwhitewick]

Cheers Andy, we might do "one more trip"

[@TheEulerID]

That is such a shallow tunnel, it's bizarre. It would surely have been easier just to have dug it out flat in the first place. In fact, I would say that it was cut flat, and then the arched tunnel masonry was put in and then covered over, so a type of cut-and-cover. The question has to be why? There are places on the canal system in England where this was done to disguise it for the local land owner. On the northern side of the M25, there are a couple such low cut-and-cover tunnels one, I believe, has a cricket pitch on top. However, this is in the middle of nowhere, so why is it like that?

[@dilwyn1]

As always a great and informative vid. Can't help wondering why they made such a shallow tunnel, or was it an early "Cut and cover"experiment??

[@lonewolf4215]

there was an archaeological television program that searched for another tunnel (and bridge) on the same hill and the reason that tunnel was built was because of various spoils that built up and threatened to engulf the tramway, so maybe this tunnel was built for the same reason

[@a11csc]

nice vid gone but not forgotten

[@marilynbalderstone696]

Hi Both. Loved your latest tunnel vlog. I was lucky enough to spot what I think must be the north Portal of the earlier Harecastle railway tunnel while on the train to Stoke on Trent as they have cleared a lot of undergrowth this year. Only one thing, do you think you ought to wear a hard hat or perhaps you do when you are in the tunnels? Best regards. And thank you both. 🌻

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Marilyn.

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

"Turning left, right?" "Turning left, right?" Hee hee! :-) Cheers!

[@chriswall4795]

1 I think a “new viewers start here intro” is a great idea : like a Portillo “in this series, I’ll be ...” ... you have a standard title sequence... 2. Please invest in a hard hat or a caving helmet! BTW Have you seen Geoff’s Lost railway of Alderney? A very special place for our family...

[@davedave6404]

Yet another masterpiece R @ P. Thank you for sharing. P.S. Where are the kids? Would they not like to do this as a school project? I guess they have so much material to choose from though.

[@urbangeeze1348]

I seem to remember last time you were there it was @ minus 5 degrees. Defo well worth a 2nd visit with more detail. Nice one guys. Tell Rebecca to check her PayPal acc. Regards Urban Geeze. x.

[@pwhitewick]

Yep.... two years in a row now I think in January... much warmer this time!!... Received with thanks good Sir. Very kind.

[@lonewolf4215]

to the people in comments asking why they would build a tunnel for something like this, there was an archaeological television program that searched for another tunnel (and bridge) on the same hill and the reason that tunnel was built was because of various spoils that built up and threatened to engulf the tramway, so maybe this tunnel was built for the same reason

[@vsvnrg3263]

lone wolf, i just posted about the timeteam episode where this was the case.

[@MrLargePig]

Very good! You need a transit.