# Moseley Green Tunnel and Associated Workings



## godzilla73 (Aug 19, 2012)

And lo we waited for the mighty Fluffy one to decree where we should go for our summer jaunt this year...and thus spake the Fluffster; "Thou shalt go to the Forest of Dean, and there thou shalt find much underground and mining related goodliness, and quite possibly a few pints of ale too....."

And so I found myself on driving duty (as Newage is taking a sabbatical currently) racing across the Severn Bridge with the Fluffy one and junior Fluff in the back of the car, heading for the borders to look at at a selection of abandoned railway tunnels and other stuff. There are numerous photos to post, but I'll start with Moseley Green as it was probably the most interesting site we visited (they actually all were - but this is a real belter, if you're into this sort of stuff, anyway)

Moseley Green Tunnel was part of the Forest of Dean mineral loop, a railway built to service the many small mines and shafts that were dotted across this part of Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire from the end of the 18th century onwards. There were actually multiple tramways as well as railways that were used to carry coal and other minerals around, and what you get as you walk around in this bit of the forest is the sense of permanent way over permanent way, with lots of different cuttings and levels that all cross over each other at various points.

Its a bit of a bugger to get to, but once in, the site has many interesting features. At this point the line was a single track, used to service two collieries (New Engine and Brick Pit), and there are many things that give away the areas past;

Outside the tunnel are the remains of what was a track controllers hut , with J-Hangers that show it was connected to a telegraph system
















We speculated that the building might have been a signal box, but apparently it was just used to count what was going up and down the line. There were a lot of signs of human activity around the tunnel, including the steps up and down, and lots of brick work with the initials PRC on them (more of which later)












The tunnel itself is a beaut. including a keystone bearing the date 1871.










Inside, a mixture of brick and stone has been used to line the tunnel, but unlike a lot of the other tunnels we saw on our travels, there was not a single refuge inside, I suspect because the line was only ever used for freight.










Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the tunnel is the large wood and metal beam brace that has been inserted in the middle of the tunnel. This was built in the 1970's when engineers were worried that the tunnel would collapse under the weight of lorries using the road above. Bits of it are burnt out, but it makes for a spookily impressive feature when your in the tunnel and you can see the dim light of the other end filtered through it.






There's also an airshaft here, the top of which you can see from the road above. Its been capped. There's also all sorts of other stuff down there, such as railway sleepers and the like. We even found a plant growing in there - all yellow through lack of photosynthesis of course! 
















When you come out of the tunnel, if you walk away from the controllers hut a bit, there are some other interesting features, including a bricked course loading platform which runs for about a hundred meters, and at the end of the platform, what looks like the remains of a conveyor belt, running down from the top of the cutting above towards the line. The GWR map of 1947 suggests that this was the location of the Brick Pit colliery, so maybe the remains are to do with this.




















Anyway, I really enjoyed this explore. A good bit of history, a good yomp, a good bit of underground stuff and a bit of a mystery as to what really went on here. More Forest of Dean stuff to follow!

Thanks for looking
Godzy


----------



## freespirits (Aug 19, 2012)

great find and wicked history ,,,perfect pics ,,,lovely report


----------



## tank2020 (Aug 19, 2012)

You can't beat a good tunnel. That poor little sprout searching for the light.


----------



## explorer101 (Aug 19, 2012)

The ones you have to search for are normally the best! pretty pictures

L x


----------



## crickleymal (Aug 20, 2012)

I think the conveyor was from a free mine rather than Brick Pit. I assume they used to drive a lorry up the old line and load it from the conveyor.


----------



## godzilla73 (Aug 20, 2012)

crickleymal said:


> I think the conveyor was from a free mine rather than Brick Pit. I assume they used to drive a lorry up the old line and load it from the conveyor.



Thanks for that Mal. The scale of the GWR map is a bit vague, so I did wonder. There was quite a bit of debate about whether or not it was even a conveyor, but I was convinced! Free mines were the ones with just two or three guys digging the coal out by hand right?

GDZ


----------



## fluffy5518 (Aug 20, 2012)

Crackin' report Godzy !! I do love a good mystery and, as you quite rightly say, there are so many remains of human activity around here that mystery is never far away !! I did find a paragraph on the web that the structure built inside the tunnel was to relieve the stress of one particular load that was to use the road in the 1970s. The same paragraph states that it was set fire to by the local yooof sometime in the 80s. !! I never noticed the absence of refuges in the tunnel but i would imagine that this was probably down to the fact that was sufficient clearence between the single track and the tunnel walls and also that the linespeed (or as you say, the type of train passing thru) was very slow !!
PS Thanx for a crackin' couple o' days even if mini fluff did get a bit on the nervous side incase you decided to make him sit a couple of english or maths tests !!


----------



## flyboys90 (Aug 20, 2012)

Enjoyed that nice,great pics.


----------



## PaulPowers (Aug 20, 2012)

Nice, I like the re-enforcements


----------



## holymole (Aug 21, 2012)

very atmospheric report Godzy - nice one


----------



## kevsy21 (Aug 21, 2012)

Like it,good work.


----------



## crickleymal (Aug 21, 2012)

godzilla73 said:


> Thanks for that Mal. The scale of the GWR map is a bit vague, so I did wonder. There was quite a bit of debate about whether or not it was even a conveyor, but I was convinced! Free mines were the ones with just two or three guys digging the coal out by hand right?
> 
> GDZ



Yes those are the ones.There are a couple left in the Forest but sadly it's dying out especially now they closed the maternity unit in the Dilke Hospital (You've got to be born in the Hundred of St. Briavels to be a freeminer). Smiffy is your man for the history of Forest Mining.


----------



## TeeJF (Aug 21, 2012)

Nice one, how unusual that beam brace is!


----------



## godzilla73 (Aug 21, 2012)

Thanks for all your comments guys. I don't think I've been to anywhere (with the possible exception of my old homestead, the port of Dover) where I had such a sense of being surrounded by history. We will definitely be returning!

Godzy


----------



## Ace247 (Aug 22, 2012)

Interesting stuff, nicely done...


----------



## darkside (Aug 22, 2012)

graet stuff many thanks


----------

