# UE Stalybridge-The goods yard/Scout tunnel



## phill.d (Aug 10, 2009)

Erm.... What can i go photograph this weekend then 

The urge to get out there exploring something great is always with us, the trouble is we can't always think of something that takes our fancy.
It had to be somewhere local due to limited time, I know lets have a look at Stalybridge, i've seen some derelict railway stuff from there before, that's gotta be a good thing 
So we headed off early to take a look at the derelict Millbrook railway sidings, we then had a short stroll along the nearby Huddersfield narrow canal to look at Scout tunnel.

Stalybridge is a pretty good UE location, sadly i didn't have the time to look at everything that's available there.
Trip number 2 is planned 
There is the derelict Oak Mill very near to Millbrook goods yard, there are also two abandoned rail tunnels on the Micklehurst loop line.
Cocker Hill tunnel in Stalybridge at 510 yards, Butterhouse tunnel past Mossley at 302 yards.
There is also some underground stuff to poke about at in the woods around the Millbrook rail yard.

Many thanks to the New Mendoza for the extra bits of info, Cheers! 






You can see how overgrown Millbrook goods yard and sidings are on this Google aerial image. Scars from the demolished Hartshead power station can clearly be seen.
For some reason the conveyor built was only demolished on the power station side of the canal.

The red line marked is the old Mickleurst loop line, The line was was closed to traffic on the 3rd October 1966.
The short section of line between Millbrook sidings and Stalybridge remained in use until the power station closed in 1975.




This has to be the best camouflaged and hidden building i've come across yet.
We were virtually on top of the place before we spotted it, the surrounding woodland is also a nightmare. It would put the Bermuda triangle to shame, we walked round and round and... before we eventually got out again 

This (blown out, into the sun) shot is the only one i could manage to fit the whole building in from any side.




There is very little documented about this place on the net at all.

This was as far back as i could get to get a shot of the building due to the thick undergrowth!
Today Millbrook railway goods yard stands silent in thick woodland.
Millbrook dates from the LNWR Victorian era, the sturdy brick, two-storey building had attached mess rooms.
The walls are red brick with blue brick heads & sandstone Springer's.
The coal sidings and conveyor system was built to serve the nearby Hartshead power station in 1932.




This area is where coal was dropped from the rail waggons into the conveyor belt.
Today this service entrance has been filled in with mud, the machinery pit below is under three feet of water.

It's worth taking a closer look under here at a later day, there's old machinery, conveyor parts and old lockers. You need to be better equiped wellie/wader wise though!




I'm not quite sure what the top word reads, any ideas?
These rail sidings were built in 1932, I guess that explains the carved 32 nicely 
It's amazing to think that railway sidings capable of holding 130 coal waggons once stood here.




We've had a pretty crappy Summer so far, It was almost Autumnal a few weeks ago.
It was great to see the sun was out in all it's glory today! 




This substantial conveyor belt used to connect the railway sidings and the power station across the canal.
The conveyor belt is almost hid from view by the amount of trees around it.
We certainly didn't see it until the last moment.




The place has now stood silent for over 30 years.
I love any abandoned railway stuff, there always atmospheric.

The sidings ouside could hold up to 130 coal waggons, the coal was then dropped into a hopper underneath the sidings.
The coal was then transported to the power station on an enclosed conveyer belt.
The conveyor belt connected the two sites across the Huddersfield narrow canal.
Six coal shoots also served a small yard nearby.




Those Victorian's sure built substantial, these massive stauncheons sit on huge sandstone bases.
These remind me of the Star wars (AT-AT) walkers.

The Micklehurst loop line that ran past here was closed to traffic on the 3rd October 1966.
The short section of line between Millbrook sidings and Stalybridge remained in use until the power station closed in 1975.














*Train quility*




I've become more interested in the canals over the recent weeks since i did the Standedge tunnel(s) explore. The Huddersfield narrow canal that runs through those tunnels is literally two minutes away from Millsbrook goods yard.

This is one of the 74 locks along the 20 mile long canal between Huddersfield in West Yorkshire and Ashton under Lyne in Greater Manchester. 




The impending gloom of Scout tunnel awaits your pleasure!

This isn't really an urbex location as there is a towpath you can navigate through the tunnel, i guess it's no different to photographing a railway tunnel with no barricades though! Whatever-there's still some nice light painted shots to be had inside!

This is Scout tunnel South/West portal, Scout tunnel is 616 ft (205 yds) long and is carved out of solid rock.




*Carpe diem*
There were some ace colours inside the tunnel, the tunnel sections at either end were stone lined, the middle section is jagged bare rock excavation.
I cranked the camera settings up to the max, 30 second long exposures and 1600 ISO's.
Settings to make your average photographer cringe big time  but i love the wicked colours and effects you can get with this set up!
Wet walls glisten, the overexposed light from the tunnel entrance burns blue on these slow shutter settings.




*Serendipity*
I love how the Victorian engineers dated everything!















All in all Stalybridge is quite a good place to visit, you can get a whole days exploring in, and be pushed for time if you check everything out.
I need a second visit anyway! 

**********************************
If anyone likes the canals and Standedge tunnels, then i've just updated my Standedge canal/railway tunnel explore as well.
You can check it out here
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=265602590&blogId=499903956











I hope you enjoyed!


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## prendy79 (Aug 10, 2009)

i used to go out with a girl from Stalybridge. She looked quite like that kerry katona bird (post cocaine habit) ha ha.

Anyway, another uber-cool report and explore from you Phil, well done mate, keep them coming!


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## phill.d (Aug 10, 2009)

prendy79 said:


> i used to go out with a girl from Stalybridge. She looked quite like that kerry katona bird (post cocaine habit) ha ha.
> 
> Anyway, another uber-cool report and explore from you Phil, well done mate, keep them coming!


LOl sounds a fun girl anyhoo 

Cheers!


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## night crawler (Aug 10, 2009)

Saw the first lot on Flicr this morning but the tunnle ones are superb, I'm jelous


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## infromthestorm (Aug 10, 2009)

Great report & pics phill.d, The mind boggles when you look at the stone inside Scout tunnel,amazing


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## Trinpaul (Aug 10, 2009)

Great pics, I love the 2nd and 3rd ones  any chance you took some more pics of the lock and gates


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## phill.d (Aug 10, 2009)

Trinpaul said:


> Great pics, I love the 2nd and 3rd ones  any chance you took some more pics of the lock and gates


Thanks guys!

No i didn't take many pics of the lock, i don't really get tempted to take nice/landscape shots lol 
I've taken them before, i've quite liked them and they look good, which is a shame as i never use them ha ha.
I like to keep my flickr collection all UE/related e.t.c.

There is quite a lot of canal shots around Standedge, in and around the tunnels i took a few weeks earlier on my blog here though!
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=265602590&blogId=499903956


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## boxfrenzy (Aug 10, 2009)

Looks good. I like the lock gates a lot.


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## ThenewMendoza (Aug 10, 2009)

It's easy to forget how much stuff there is to do in a fairly small area. Within a few miles of here you have Stalybridge Police Station, a disused train tunnel (Stalybridge no2), Oak Mill, Fletcher's, Knoll Spinning, Standedge Tunnel, a short stoopy culvert, various underground bits and bobs, Hartshead Power Station (remains of), various mills in Oldham and a couple of bits in Glossop. Plus other as you get a bit closer to Manchester.

I'd recommend a day out here to anyone, all of the above are nice and easy explores.

Phill, the pic of Scout Tunnel hewn from the rock is ace, I was well impressed the first time I wandered through a few years back. Glad you had a productive day.

M


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## ojay (Feb 14, 2010)

Excellent stuff, is it still there?


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