# Long Clawson Railway Tunnel, Leicestershire, February 2017



## HughieD

*1. The History*
Great Northern and Midland railways securing Parliamentary approval for a new railway line from Newark to Melton Mowbray in 1872. The following year, a further section was authorised, extending the route south-wards to meet the Rugby-Luffenham line. The result was GN and L&NW came together to construct a 34-mile north-south Joint Line between Welham and Bottesford. The line finally became operational on 15th December 1879.

Two tunnels had to be completed to make the new link. At 834 yards in length, the longer of the two tunnels was the one located just south of Long Clawson Station, officially named Hose tunnel. Benton & Woodiwiss were contracted to build the tunnel. Tragically on the evening of Saturday 14th October 1876 three men lost their lives while working on the tunnel’s construction. They were at one of the construction shafts at the northern end of the tunnel. The eight-man gang were working at the Bottesford face of the heading blasting through the hard clay at a rate of approximately one yard per day. Blasting operations usually took place twice during each of the two daily shifts. At 9.30, by the light of three candles, Samuel Longman attempted to charge a hole with gunpowder. He managed to strike his container against some projecting earth, scattered the gunpowder on the floor. It was ignited by one of the candles causing the 8lbs of gunpowder to explode. He and his two co-workers died. Tragedy struck again on 26th June 1878 when a young brakes-man was killed when he was run over by a wagon, 200 yards into the tunnel. 

Once regular passenger services were introduced along the route, they were never well patronized. They ceased in December 1953 but goods traffic continued until the section was closed in September 1964. 

*2. The Explore*
Relaxed mooch this one. Just up the road from Lion Brick Works in Scalford, really should have taken this place in when I explored the works last time I was over this way. Parking up on Landyke Road, I approached the tunnel from the south. Access was easy but the turf was a bit on the sodden side! Again pushed for time, I didn’t walk the full length of the tunnel and hence missed out on seeing the impressive north entrance of the tunnel. The tunnel itself is in good nick and very clean and dry on the inside. Definitely work and hour of my time on a relatively mild February afternoon.

*3. The Pictures*
My quarry comes into sight:


img8909 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Nature’s Heras Fence!


img8910 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8911 by HughieDW, on Flickr

In we go:


img8915 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8953 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Light at the end of the proverbial…


img8925 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Refuge hole;


img8917 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8921 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8924 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Leaching through the tunnel wall…


img8928 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Those infamous stored chicken shacks:


img8929 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8930 by HughieDW, on Flickr

An exposed underground spring;


img8937 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The 650-yard mark:


img8939 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Another refuge:


img8947 by HughieDW, on Flickr

No sun in the tunnel but The Sun:


img8948 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img8950 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## mockingbird

The oddities of finding things in these places, chicken shacks indeed  
Nicely done and good use of light


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## fluffy5518

Wonder why the patch of yellow paint on the wall in pic 8 ?
Definitely worth a mooch - Nice pics H !!


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## oldscrote

I like that.....Gives a new meaning to the phrase logging in


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## smiler

Shame you didn't have the time to finish it,gives you the excuse to go back though, you got great pics, the chicken cages were a surprise, could be poultry rustlers hiding the evidence, I enjoyed it, Thanks


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## jsp77

I enjoyed that Hughie, I do like a good old tunnel


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## Black Shuck

Great tunnel this, walked it myself Hughie back in 2010. Good to see it hasn't suffered from portal gates like so many of the others have. How the hell did you light it up so well?


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## HughieD

Black Shuck said:


> Great tunnel this, walked it myself Hughie back in 2010. Good to see it hasn't suffered from portal gates like so many of the others have. How the hell did you light it up so well?



Two really powerful torches mate. Before I had just the one and it took twice as long!


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## fluffy5518

HughieD said:


> Two really powerful torches mate. Before I had just the one and it took twice as long!



An interest in dereliction, able to do some mean light painting AND an"O" level in maths !! What a guy !!


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## prettyvacant71

Great little bit of history there thanks! Just love big brick structures

An interest in dereliction, no batteries in me torch AND a GCSE in maths!! Im fooked!!


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## Black Shuck

Tunnels have a certain fascination I think. Must be the dark!


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## The Wombat

This is an old favourite of mine.
When you return, make sure you visit the north portal, it is impressive

Excellent photos mate - you are certainly getting good at the underground long exposure thing!


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## HughieD

The Wombat said:


> This is an old favourite of mine.
> When you return, make sure you visit the north portal, it is impressive
> 
> Excellent photos mate - you are certainly getting good at the underground long exposure thing!



Cheers mate. It's the wide angle lense I think. It's a really long tunnel and just ran out of time so didn't get to the other end!


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## RedOctober

Black Shuck said:


> Great tunnel this, walked it myself Hughie back in 2010. Good to see it hasn't suffered from portal gates like so many of the others have. How the hell did you light it up so well?


Sadly both the north & south entrance are now adorned with gates


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## HughieD

RedOctober said:


> Sadly both the north & south entrance are now adorned with gates


Passable gates or non-passable gates


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## Hayman

HughieD said:


> Passable gates or non-passable gates


Climbable or not, with suitable step ladders? The refuges remind me of those in Box Tunnel.


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## RedOctober

RedOctober said:


> Sadly both the north & south entrance are now adorned with gates


Non- passable


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## RedOctober

Hayman said:


> Climbable or not, with suitable step ladders? The refuges remind me of those in Box Tunnel.


Not climbable. There is a narrow grill above the gates to allow bats to leave and enter. You’d have to be better than Houdini to get through them!


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## flesheater

id love to use that tunnel as a rifle range.


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## Hayman

RedOctober said:


> Not climbable. There is a narrow grill above the gates to allow bats to leave and enter. You’d have to be better than Houdini to get through them!


I presume there is a padlock on the gates. Knowing the ingenuity of most urban explorers, making a key to open the padlock should not be difficult. As a schoolboy I made a key to open the locked doors between the coaches of our two-coach branch line train, so the boys could get into the girls' coach!


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## RedOctober

Hayman said:


> I presume there is a padlock on the gates. Knowing the ingenuity of most urban explorers, making a key to open the padlock should not be difficult. As a schoolboy I made a key to open the locked doors between the coaches of our two-coach branch line train, so the boys could get into the girls' coach!


No gates at southern entrance, just a ‘false’ door (locked) with no exterior handle or conventional keyhole. Northern entrance has traditional gated doors (steel) that were padlocked.


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## Hayman

RedOctober said:


> No gates at southern entrance, just a ‘false’ door (locked) with no exterior handle or conventional keyhole. Northern entrance has traditional gated doors (steel) that were padlocked.


So the northern end may be the way in. When I worked on council estates for a central heating company, I carried an array of FB (Fire Brigade) keys to unlock barriers blocking vehicle access. I still have them, but they appear to have been superseded.


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