# Thackley old tunnel Bradford



## phill.d (Jun 22, 2009)

I've put off doing Thackley tunnel numerous times for some reason. I'm not really sure why i didn't fancy doing it. 
It's my last major 'do-able' disused railway tunnel in West Yorkshire.
I've never really seen any good stuff posted about the place. It never seemed to appeal to me!
I hadn't anything else to look at so i thought i'd cross it off my 'to do list' at last.
I'm glad i did, it was really quite a good tunnel to explore.






Thackley tunnel is split in two by a retaining wall constructed sometime in the 1970/80's.
The retaining wall is built roughly underneath Ainsbury Avenue. 
The tunnel has a good curve in the Shipley half. The Leeds half is dead straight..

The retaining wall is a real pain in terms of exploring. We visited over 2 days to explore the two halves.
You have to walk the tunnel twice in effect!




These are the West portals of the Thackley tunnels. The disused tunnel is on the right of the picture.
The train has just passed through the later 1900 addition. The area around the old tunnel is heavily overgrown, you'd not be able to see it from this vantage point today.




*HIDE AND SEEK!*
Our first glimpse of Thackley tunnel West portal on the Saturday visit.
The usual fun of tracking down the tunnel was had today. You can literally be on top of it and not know until you find the portal.
Thackley wasn't too bad to find really. 
There are two tunnels side by side, one is still used, the other abandoned in 1968.
We listened for a train and followed our noses 




I love these old railway tunnel portals when there overgrown with ferns and greenery.
Thackley West portal looked an impressive sight in the Summer sun.
The last train to run through here was 41 years ago.
The silence is shattered occasionally when a train emerges from the next door tunnel. 
The tunnel is out of sight but still only feet away.




*HEY! You coming in or what?*




Thackley old tunnel was built in 1848 on the Airedale line between Leeds, Bradford and Kieghley.
The tunnel was contracted by James Bray and is 1496 yds long.
Originally there was just one Tunnel cut, but in 1900 the line was increased to four tracks and a second tunnel bore was constructed.
The Southern tunnel was closed in 1968 co-inciding with the final closure of the G.N.R Line from Shipley to Laisterdyke via Idle and Thackley.




The tunnel next door is still live, you can hear the eerie rumble of trains as they pass by. The Airedale line is very busy with trains running through every 10 minutes.
Thackley is in a reasonably clean condition. There is very little debris, or vandalism throughout the tunnel.




The trouble with exploring tunnels is there basically just big black holes. They can start to look all the same.
I tried to use availably daylight and some features in the tunnel for a bit of variety.




A rare feature in a disused railway tunnel are open air shafts. 
Shafts of mystical light still descend into the depths of Thackley tunnel from the world above.
Thackley has four open shafts (Two in each half)
These ventilation shafts were constructed to allow the smoke to clear from passing steam trains.
Construction shafts were also built, these were later filled in when the tunnel was complete.
The shaft stacks are usually demolished and capped off when a tunnel is abandoned. 




I had heard there was one open shaft in Thackley. No one has ever reported there are four of them before.




This is the 'Berlin wall' that blocked our progress down to the Leeds end of the tunnel.
The retaining wall is roughly under Ainsbury Avenue. It was built by B.R in the 1970's/80's 
There are two large pipes through the blockwork to allow a good flow of air through the tunnel.
I guess Network rail have to keep this tunnel well maintained due to it's close proximity to the live one.




It was late and we would have to come back the next day to do the other half.
Obligatory McCdonalds Burgers were now called for on the way home 




Bright eyed and bushy tailed we were out early the next day on the hunt for the East portal of Thackley.
It was a much longer walk, it but we found it easier than the other end.




*A walk through Jurassic park.*
Tunnel exploration in the Summer months can be fun to say the least 














This is the view looking down the tunnel from the Leeds end.
A bright day outside let plenty of sunlight into the tunnel. Long shadows of two explorers stretch far into the tunnel.
The tunnel would soon plunge into darkness as we progressed.
The Leeds end of the tunnel is dead straight, the Shipley end has a good curve to it's construction.




A side refuge illuminated blue by the daylight filtering down the tunnel. 




This is taken near the first air shaft looking down to the East portal in the Leeds direction.




Water pours down the air shafts continually.
And then we hit the dreaded Berlin wall again.

*Game over!* 

Not far from Thackley is the village of Idle.
The place has been the butt of many jokes for years 









*Why do something today when you can put it off again tomorrow* 

The Idle working mens club in Bradford has a few notable honary life members.
Paul Gascoigne, Uri Geller, Michael Jackson, Roger Moore, Tom O'Connor and Lester Piggot are but a few!

It's true!


----------



## night crawler (Jun 22, 2009)

Another brilliant report Phill well up to your usual standard. I saw the Flickr set as well.


----------



## Bunk3r (Jun 22, 2009)

Nice one phill. lighting railway tunnels is an art you have mastered.


----------



## phill.d (Jun 22, 2009)

Thanks Nightcrawler 

Cheers Bunk3r. I get loads of people thinking you can just walk through these tunnels when there all lit up like that.




They don't see how it reallly is scrabbling about in the dark lol


----------



## Black Shuck (Jun 22, 2009)

phill.d said:


> Thanks Nightcrawler
> 
> Cheers Bunk3r. I get loads of people thinking you can just walk through these tunnels when there all lit up like that.
> 
> ...



It was good fun in Benniworth Tunnel Phil! Was there any Calcification in there?


----------



## Foxylady (Jun 23, 2009)

Really enjoyed the tour, Phill. Especially like the air shaft pics and the fern-decorated portals.


----------



## Lightbuoy (Jun 23, 2009)

Grooooovy! 

Thank you for sharing and another well done Report -your pics of those Ventilation Shafts are especially good!


----------



## ThenewMendoza (Jun 24, 2009)

phill.d said:


> They don't see how it reallly is scrabbling about in the dark lol



Quoted for truth. Really like the air shaft pictures, I always balk at pointing my camera at things that are so wet and drippy.

M


----------



## ImmortalShadow (Jun 24, 2009)

Great report, great photo's and great find! I love tunnels, their especially good for hiding in dark corners and jumping out and scaring people


----------

