We found a mystery tunnel on the banks of the river ?

On the banks of the River Irwell in Manchester Salford we found a mysterious tunnel. Cut into the sandstone it didnt show on any of the old maps. We suspected it had a connection to the industrial past. So we decided to investigate. We strongly suspect this mystery tunnel is an overflow tunnel for the Manchester Bolton and Bury canal that was higher up the bank above alongside the river Irwell. Indeed there was a rather busy canal lock directly above called Giants seat locks. When we got to the end of the tunnel there was a shaft and indeed we surmised it was infrastructure for the canal. The Manchester Bolton Bury canal was built around 1791 in the canal building years. A prominent investor was Matthew Fletcher who also owned and ran the Wet Earth colliery. This is a wonderful piece of Georgian canal architecture.
Music: Track Ascension by Jason Southern

[@jackpayne4658]

Many years ago, I worked as a 'flusher' - one of the guys who maintain the London sewers. Your tunnel experience brought back a lot of memories. The sewers were brick-lined, and dated from about a century after your tunnel. But the darkness, sound of flowing water, occasional touches of claustrophobia - it really takes me back (for better or worse).

[@boilerroombob]

Must have fascinating jack I love sewers

[@robertrosicki9290]

35 years ago when I started working as an employee for the town I live in up in northeastern Ontario Canada much of it for me then was work in the sewers and sewage pumping stations . Nothing really older than 1928 . We know what that environment is like Jack . It's not all glamour down in that hidden world .💩

[@MartinZero]

Cheers Jack

[@LiveLanes]

Hi Martin great video with the team, I have a picture of a map Witch shows the canal and some drawings leading to the river. Wondering how to send it over to you?

[@andymcclymont6626]

One knee pad was upside down 😂😂 i loved that bit

[@thesolidsnakealpha]

When ever I see a new Martin Zero video i click on it. Essential viewing. Great to see you lads, God bless 🙏

[@gordslater]

maybe the Giant's Seat was originally a huge crapper and you've just crawled up the soil pipe

[@The_Smith]

"If we don't know we don't say" . . . one of the reasons I enjoy your channel Martin.

[@brianartillery]

Could that inflow of water be seeping through a trapdoor in the canal bed, perhaps? Where the soil is still saturated.

[@oldmanhuppiedos]

The good old school VHS tapes. An interesting episode, history is everywhere.

[@RichardWatt]

We still have a VHS machine in our living room and a small TV/VHS combi portable in the back bedroom.

[@Maverick65062]

The Conversation amongst the Comments is exceptional, Fascinating. A Great People of a Great Nation. I tip my Hat to all. I also hit the thumb up, like, subscribe and shared with my friends.

[@familylife3624]

Nice little short one there boys , would be interesting to see what's going on up the potential side tunnel

[@retrorambles517]

Accrington bricks, or Nori, are a type of iron-hard engineering brick, produced in Altham near Accrington, Lancashire, England from 1887 to 2008 and again from 2015. They were famed for their strength, and were used for the foundations of the Blackpool Tower and the Empire State Building.

[@fatimaali8645]

That’s really cool 😎 ❤ are they called iron hard cause of the strength of the brick ? Are they made of a a clay / iron composite?

[@jacks3626]

​@Fatima Ali they are made from clay but the clay is made from ground up shale rock, shale is clay that has turned to stone over millions of years, in Accrington the shale is iron rich and has a red colour, whinny hill quarry was the main source of the shale

[@fatimaali8645]

@@jacks3626 that really interesting to learn thank u sir x

[@jacks3626]

@@fatimaali8645 👍your welcome,I love learning about industry and history so fascinating

[@fatimaali8645]

@@jacks3626 it is very fascinating 🧐 learning is so fun 🤩

[@ffrancrogowski2192]

Such a fantastic discovery is this drain tunnel from the old Bolton and Bury canal, Martin. Its stunning to think that the tunnel was hewed out of that sandstone over two hundred years ago, and now there's no evidence of the canal in that particular area. Brilliant indeed, and so many thanks to you and the team for your efforts. May you all be blessed with a good cup of tea!

[@shirleylynch7529]

Brilliant. Great fun. Loved the cup tea and no milk escapade. Superb filming and tunnel shots. Thank you 😊

[@markrobinson1458]

If you walk the path in front of the house, theres a gate to go through, you then walk the tow path(what remains of it) all the way to Prestolee locks, its called the kingfisher trail, don't have concerns for the garden, I've walked it many times without issues. 👍

[@nickcaunt750]

Martin: You should have walked about 30m further, up the small rise, to get beside the house. If you go there you can see the coping stones that outline the former lock. They are in good condition. This however is the upper lock, seemingly higher up than the area you explored under in the tunnel.

[@phenogen8125]

yes; he needs to revisit; properly armed with decent brewing gear. @@nickcaunt750

[@ActionAdventureTwins]

We found a mystery tunnel once. Had some help finding it. It led right into a cave

[@MartinZero]

Bless you

[@norsehall309]

G'day from Australia, Martin and the boys, great adventure once again, very interesting history in your area, thanks for sharing what you find with us, cheers mates, keep safe, Neil 🤠.

[@nmb46]

I mentioned on another video Martin that in the 70s my Father was the local vicar of this area so I had the pleasure of growing up in Ringley. As a child of about 9 or 10 I used to play in that tunnel with my mates from the village, we would take wood to the chamber at the end and light small fires so we could see everything. Happy days indeed.

[@robertjohnstone8845]

I also went into the cavern in the 1970s. I can't remember the shaft. On exiting, to the right there is another tunnel, it was brick I think, but it smelled of sewage so couldn't access. Incidentally, on the old map, to the right of the word 'Dock' at Giant's Seat there are letters 'Sl ', could this be short for Sluice, and drain into the cavern?

[@jetsons101]

Martin, had to work today...... Will watch when I get home.... Thanks ahead of time.

[@justusbar7597]

Perfect treat for a Sunday evening.

[@m.m.i.9586]

The mineral formations In the tunnel, and the candle marks, were so neat! Wishing y’all better luck next time with the brew! That wrestling oughta teach James not to forget the milk. 🤣 At least the little cakes looked really good!

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Great piece of tunnel exploration. Bad enough crawling along, but impossible to imagine hacking it out of the sandstone back in the day!

[@robertrosicki9290]

Some tough and determined men back in the day . Imagine trying to form a crew to do that work today ?

[@VanaPica]

Once more, excellent Sunday evening content

[@1849ad]

" Such a lovely day, just a shame that everything 's going wrong." Already my favorite quote.

[@hyperballadbradx6486]

Ugh, how tea troubles can colour an entire day! Haha Love a good mystery! Was great to be just a stones throw from the source of the Irwell the other day! Never knew it was so close to my home town!

[@MartinZero]

Bacup 👍

[@kaiwenwu1947]

The tunnel you found is NOT an overflow ". My grandfather had plans for hundreds of these. It is in fact a lock drain tunnel" LDTs were fitted to drain locs and upper canal sections for maintenance, above your head is an oak plug. Usually about two feet by one " and has a chain attachment above if it is still there , the water is collecting above filled in or not. Just as well as it would be a swamp if that plug was not leaking !! Should you be stood there when the lock was being drained. You would be fired out of there like a champagne cork. Lol , great video though "

[@MartinZero]

I think we just differ on our wording, same thing. It drained the locks above.

[@jeffjones6107]

Another great looking back in time video, Martin and the team. Keep up the great filming 👍

[@davestarkie9977]

Great to have you back on the irwell and north Manchester. Always my favorite content you do, so much industrial history in this area.

[@RichieWellock]

Great, fantastic to see Danny back again

[@jackbarnes8037]

I'm claustrophobic Martin, No f**kin way would I go in there!😳, Thanks for showing us mate. All the best to you and the lads👍I wrote my original comment before I saw those scorch marks, That's mind blowing when you think about it🤯

[@malcbury9739]

Great vid yet again! I don't know whether this is just one of those urban myths but I heard that when they were building the chimney at the brickworks at Accrington, the builders were told to incorporate the word IRON, vertically, in the chimney in different coloured bricks so it would stand out and be seen for miles. Apparently they spelt it as they progressed upwards starting with I, instead of spelling it backwards, hence once completed, the chimney proudly displayed the word NORI 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@craiglatham]

Accrington nori was the hardest bricks. Nori backwards iron.

[@seanbeveridge920]

It looked like a level in Tomb Raider. You push a block and the top opens up. Very interesting, but how do you find these things?

[@rossridings4282]

​@@seanbeveridge920 local knowledge and sometimes a bit of research. There's a good books about manchester oddities by keith warrender

[@thomasrice4078]

Another fine story, and good use of pictures and maps. I look forward to the next!

[@pbartmess]

Another fascinating adventure into the dark! I really appreciate the depth of your research and the logical & entertaining way you edit your stories. You trek into cramped places I would never be able to handle. Well done.

[@museonfilm8919]

Over the years your channel has developed, there's become a nice sense of camaraderie. James has really come out of his shell - he hardly used to utter a word back in the day!

[@boilerroombob]

Great video martin good to see you and the team back underground sir

[@David_Owsnett]

I love how you wax lyrical and feel the connection with the men who built it. Its amazing to think that we can walk where they walked, stand where they stood, drink tea where they drank tea.

[@UsualmikeTelevision]

Loved this tunnel of mystery. Great episode once again!

[@markwall6651]

Superb Martin, as always!!!

[@raybeaumont7670]

You lads must be complete time-served barmpots! But thanks for another armchair adventure. I wish I could do some of the stuff you all get up to. Take care lads, and thanks again.

[@BigJohn5662]

You need to measure the length of the tunnel, and then check it against up top. You could also try a smoke bomb, there still maybe a slim chance of a small surface opening.

[@vsvnrg3263]

and take a compass.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

Yup exactly what I was thinking

[@whiskeycook3323]

Thanks for sharing another smashing adventure young man!

[@ColinHarperSummerson]

Excellent video Martin , very interesting , thank you 👍🙏

[@StevesRepairs]

Thanks Martin and the team, yet again this was a brilliant adventure and investigation into places close to my heart. In the early to mid sixties I went camping with the cubs to Giant Seat Scout Camp and had some great times pretending to be hunters and explores then scaring each other at night in the camp sheds telling each other ghost stories. Take care and all the best. Stevie

[@nezbitt1469]

Brilliant video again Gang well done & thank you 👍🏻

[@elizabethannferrario7113]

Very interesting guys and it was a great find on your behalf , thank you for keep bringing these videos to us to share my regards liz xx

[@4X4-RADIO]

Lived in Pendlebury Used to play in those tunnels when I was about 10~12 years old 1968/70 Never went to far in because of the smell

[@andyroberts9562]

Thanks as always for the video Martin and Co lovely to learn about things that are a stones throw away from me take care

[@Marc_von_Hoffrichter]

Well done Martin and the gang! So interesting. Best content on KZbin.......still can't make a bloody brew!!! Cheers.

[@melthebell33]

That intro bit Martins carrying a shopping bag, thats full of all the things for the "brews"? tea, cups, spoons, sugar, biscuits, snacks? LOL

[@melthebell33]

SEE!!!!! 4 minutes later its brew time lol

[@rubbishsignup]

Another great upload. Thanks.

[@Hairnicks]

Superb to see how the tunnel was worked, and the candle smoke was fascinating. Thanks for a lovely bit of lost history.

[@dolly7043]

Hi Martin . Another great video thanks, in a few earlier videos there has been mention of Giant Seat House. Near the banks of the Irwell. A friend of mine parents used to own that house, and I was lucky enough to have been shown through it. The memory which stands out most was the pantry in the cellar where the game was hung to mature. I also remember two magnificent staircases. I was also privy too fish there pond where I caught many a tench. Footnote my friend recond the house was haunted.😮.

[@MartinZero]

Thanks Dolly

[@gazsands]

Excellent discretion of the Giants seat area, definitely answered a lot of questions. An area of the MBBC I could never really figure out. Definitely makes more sense now after watching your channel thanks I really enjoyed it.

[@MartinZero]

Cheers Gaz 👍

[@angelahughes9971]

Loving the Zante Misfits hoodie. Scared the crap out of me when I was younger...

[@MartinZero]

😉🕸

[@terryengland1880]

Great video, learn more about early industrial places. You bring history to life

[@TheMancDroneGuy]

Great video Martin!! Hope you're well 😊

[@MartinZero]

Ok mate cheers

[@Wedgedoow]

Thanks for another interesting video Martin. Looked a real treasure trove with the bottle and tin.

[@polarlicht4758]

23:42 Run, James, RUN!

[@barbaraprest783]

Thank you - amazing 👏

[@danieltoth-nagy5097]

I did not have time to watch this video yet and just saw the title, and interestingly I was out on an exploration of the Manchester Bury & Bolton canal today as well! But what I found of the upper end of the canal in Bolton is only complete obliteration. Placenames like aqueduct street are the only remains, absolutely nothing else. This video is stunning of course as all of yours!

[@MartinZero]

Yeah its now a dual carriagway isnt it Daniel ?

[@nickcaunt750]

@@MartinZero Yes. Nearly all of it.

[@davec3459]

Great video. My favourite stretch of the Irwell! I'm always mooching around there. I've walked most of the banks around there between Clifton and Pilkingtons. All sorts of interesting historical stuff to see.... canals, bridges, adits, shafts, overflows, building remains, turbines, miner/tunneller graffiti etc I do know where there is the top of an overflow you can still see on Fletchers Canal, that one is a round brick lined shaft that you can see into from the canal itself

[@philippabaker1078]

Excellent explore. I have been in there!

[@TheRopeAddict]

Another excellent video!

[@columbo7927]

Interesting folks Cheers Thank you very much

[@lindamccaughey6669]

What a fantastic tunnel. Wonderful find. Really enjoyed that thanks. Please Tate care

[@robertschmitz8036]

See James run! I had a blast being in Manchester last week, shall definitely be back ,and I hope we can all do an explore.Drew

[@MartinZero]

Give us a shout Robert

[@gerryegan4872]

Hi guys, great video as always.

[@MrSteffen2020]

Thanks you Martin for nice video see you next time

[@davidberlanny3308]

Great to see Danny out with you again and the video tape intro!! This tunnel reminded me of the one you found in the Industrial Tramways and Tunnels video. They are of a similar size and hewn directly out of the rock. Maybe the lockhouse on this section was where Margret Barlows Tea Rooms was, no sign of an egg tea here though. Great bit of engineering to align the tunnel and the shaft. Be interesting to see what the horizontal tunnel was half way up the shaft. Great video👌👌 ..... you need to get your act together with the brew mind😅😅😆😂. Good luck from Spain!!

[@samk4128]

Margaret Barlow's tea room was a little further down the canal, where the garden nursery is now.

[@01cthompson]

Very cool. Some simple radio equipment in that overhead pipe could help you locate it from above.

[@ianr]

Great video as always.👍🙂 That cavern looked very fragile.

[@Basaljet]

no it didn't it looked like something inside the pyramids!

[@MartinZero]

Yeah a few cracks in the rock in there Ian

[@mikerogers5043]

Love the tunnel, nice find. Deffo looks like a collapse at the back. As for the brew, I drink my tea black, so would have been ok for me. 😁

[@Aramis419]

I've been following your channel forever, and while I know what you mean when you say "Have a brew.", as a hillbilly Yank, all I think is, "Yeah, I could have a beer, too!"

[@MartinZero]

Aha, a brew is different here 😄👍

[@oldfart6318]

Interesting and exciting adventure.

[@dalepenkethman6683]

Nice to see Ojay!

[@martinmarsola6477]

Thanks for the tour today, Martin. A historic walk back in time. See you on the next. Cheers to all! ❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@alexcharlesworth7580]

I was interested by the black deposits coming out of the rock at the end. Wondered if they were natural tar deposits as it reminded me of the tar tunnel at Ironbridge 🤔.

[@petertrevena804]

Amazing🤗😊

[@mcmarky1985]

Really liked that one! Loved seeing the soot marks and candle shelves really ace finds. Hope you eventually enjoyed your brew at the Starbucks on way home 🤣

[@garethparr9482]

Really enjoyable little adventure guys. Always beggars belief what those navies achieved with basic tools gunpowder and candles!!

[@stevemc8742]

Hi Martin, just spent the last 8 hrs watching your amazing video's' Thanks.. I'm an Ardwick lad and a lot of what you show is very familiar too me. I now live in Germany, and have done for the last 33 years, so its great to catch up. Keep up the good work and have you anything about Bank Meadow School ? It was at the top of PIn mill brow in Ardwick. Cheers Steve.

[@MartinZero]

Thanks Steve 👍

[@suchcone]

Good to see you and Danny out again, looked like you needed COC-ROVER at one point haha

[@mansdaz]

Get a jetboil for the Brews! Martin makes a great cup ot tea. Cheers for the upload Daz.

[@MartinZero]

Cheers Daz, i'll look that up

[@paulhindle3729]

One of the canal company maps of 1881 shows the tunnel clearly, leading to the chamber you reached, which had a clow (control valve). Tunnels continued which allowed the water above or below the top lock to be drained.

[@MartinZero]

Great, where was the map from Paul

[@charleydavidson69]

Great video. You would not get me down there. Bad knees and claustrophobic!!

[@williamrobinson7435]

Really interesting! Not having much luck with the brews though lads.. I recommend that you appoint a 'Minister With Chief Responsibility for Brews' for each trip. Then at least you'll know who to blame when there's no water/milk etc.. Nice one Martin and team! 🌟👍

[@sputumtube]

Another excellent video (which I still say should be part of history lessons in local schools). The question I'm also keen to ask is, how did you get in in the Manchester Charity Run today? I tried to spot you on the telly...

[@MartinZero]

Yeah we did ok, got round thanks Paul

[@sputumtube]

@@MartinZero Well done - proud of you guys. :)

[@bobjackson6524]

Brill that. I was chuckling at the end 😂

[@Haerleif]

very cool find

[@jules9303]

Top video thank you 😊

[@paulanderss8898]

I went in those tunnels back in the 80s and 90s

[@Jimyjames73]

Very Lovely colours inside the chamber - shame about the fate of the Canel 😐🚂🚂🚂

[@Lego6980]

That was so interesting. Seeing those candle burn marks was great. Also, really interesting to me that there’s no man-made structural support; I always thought of sandstone as being weak. Thanks so much for these videos. They help me de-stress.

[@MartinZero]

Thanks, yes its an untouched gem that

[@TI4438]

Have you checked satellite imagery of the area? Might find something.of interest.

[@SeanTither]

Went in there as an 11 year old...lived in Ringley.. ❤

[@greg6172]

Next time James can have the milk run, Another excellent video and thoughtful analysis of history. Keep it up guys from Ozzie Mate.

[@jonathanchalk2507]

Thanks, guys.

[@peter15871]

Great little explore ,worth checking out though, like your zanti misfits shirt cool..

[@MartinZero]

😃👍

[@missmerrily4830]

Lol these fiasco brew ups have got to stop! What are you all like! Yes, I think in your case, a flask's a more reliable source of a cuppa! At least the cakes were good! 😄 That tunnel looked exhausting to traverse, so thanks so much for doing it, to show us what it was all about! I so loved that picture of the labourers. I like it when you wax 'poetic' Martin and you shouldn't avoid that. It is so emotional to reach out and actually be able to touch the history of ordinary working people, who helped built the fortunes of other individuals, but which also brought overall wealth to the UK. A great video. Well done all of you!

[@MartinZero]

Thank you

[@MM0IMC]

The soot marks from those ancient candles looks pristine!😲

[@markavis7232]

You mentioned looking for remains of the towpath etc in those folks gardens. You reminded me - I work at Salford University, and a while back they took the topsoil off a grass bank just behind Salford Crescent railway station. The curb stones of the canal were all still there. Then they covered it back up! The canal path route gets well messed up there - it goes through the middle of the mini roundabout and then gets lost under the new (ish) Windsor Bridge. It would be a big mess to try to join it back up with the new bit down at 'Middlewood Locks' where Lloyds metal processors used to be.

[@MartinZero]

Yeah I get you. Some parts of that original route have been lost now. If it ever did re open I think parts would need re navigating

[@samk4128]

But it is possible to find a way through. Indeed, the new Salford Crescent station building was designed to allow the canal to pass underneath. 😎

[@markavis7232]

@@samk4128 There's not much room - there's the track, then the supports for Windsor bridge, then the slip road which gets you to the far side of the Crescent, then a steep bank, and then (under which, from messing with maps, I think the canal was originally) the slip road to the near side of the crescent. Then there's another steep bank, then a university service road, and then a university building which is nearing being pulled down - but which is in the wrong place to get under the Crescent! I think the most likely place to re-build it would be the first slip road - perhaps it could give up one lane and become a single lane with traffic lights to alternate traffic direction, as it is not heavily used. Who knows if I will ever see it - I've only been around that campus for 34 years so far!

[@samk4128]

​​@@markavis7232Yes, it's tricky but I think it is possible. Unless a big pot of money is found then canal restoration usually takes quite a long time. But it is moving forwards. However, have you seen the latest about a proposed development at Upper Wharf Street?

[@markavis7232]

@@samk4128 I haven't. I guess that's behind where the late lamented Crescent pub used to be? Or in the yard where Manchester Tippers (if I remember rightly) were? At least that would get it under the railway and Oldfield Rd, though I think the end of that parade of (empty?) industrial units just after it comes under the railway, would have to go to allow space to turn the corner and come under Oldfield Rd. (As you can perhaps tell, I come along there most days on my way to work!).

[@mrbillmacneill]

do you suppose the source of the tunnels ground water is that pond just NE of the lock house? Really impressed by the meticulous planning for the brew up. .. obviously you guys could do that in your sleep eh?... going to review the 'wet earth colliery' vids...