# Criggleston tunnel near Wakefield



## phill.d (Dec 1, 2008)

I'll put this report up of Criggleston tunnel near Wakefield, as I've never seen a report of it on an Urbex forum before.
Criggleston has a mega massive portal and today it is the only portal to survive. The East portal been blocked off and buried under landfill several years ago. I visited with Box frenzy Rich and 'all respect' awwrisp 
This was our 3rd explore of the day and we were losing the light fast.





We made a bit of a meal locating the portal, Firstly we were looking on the wrong side of the M1 motorway, that now runs only 100 yds away. Sucesfully locating the portal our trip down to it was fun.
Boxfrenzy having the ride of his life navigating the steep muddy cutting en route.
You pay £8.50 for a ride like that in Blackpool lol 




This was a light painted shot on the way back out.




Crigglestone is without a doubt the largest bore of any tunnel I've been in.




Criggleston is a relatively short tunnel at only 250 yds long.
These days it sits in a hard to reach, secluded cutting with cars passing by on the M1 only a 100 yards away.




Crigglestone tunnel was built by the Midland railway company in 1906, and closed to traffic in 1950.
The line ran from Hunslet Lane, Leeds to Dewsbury Savile Town goods via Crigglestone (goods) and Middletown (goods)
It had a connection with the Calder Valley line at Thornhill.









In stark contrast to the very dry Miley tunnel I did in Preston the day before.
Criggleston tunnel has lots of water ingress running down the walls, coating them with rich Iron and Calcite deposits.









Men added for scale.




It's seems a little strange stood on this side of the tunnel, knowing there is thousands of tonnes of landfill behind the concrete wall.


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## RichardB (Dec 1, 2008)

There are thousands of tonnes of earth on top of the tunnel too!

I wonder why they only bricked up one end.


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## BigLoada (Dec 1, 2008)

Thats one mega-mutha of a tunnel Phill. Bigger than any other Ive seen I think. Top notch stuff matey!


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## cactusmelba (Dec 1, 2008)

that light painting is AWESOME matey, photo no.2 is BRILLIANT! 

I hope i'll get the hang of it eventually, you've created some great effects here...


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## phill.d (Dec 1, 2008)

cactusmelba said:


> that light painting is AWESOME matey, photo no.2 is BRILLIANT!
> 
> I hope i'll get the hang of it eventually, you've created some great effects here...


Thanks guys!

Yes It's certainly worth while getting to grips with the light painting Cactusmelba.
I'll post my camera test shot, and the same light painted shot for comparison. The difference is amazing.




Camera flash 'test shot'




Light painted version.


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## smiffy (Dec 2, 2008)

Thats great stuff Phill....You sure got a knack for hunting them ol tunnels out.......


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## Lightbuoy (Dec 2, 2008)

Another great report matey.
Cheers for sharing 

Lb:jimlad:


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## Canonite (Dec 4, 2008)

Gonna head up here i reckon, it's literally half a mile from my house. Though i'm not exactly sure of its location i know the old railway lines route so it shouldn't be hard to find.


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## phill.d (Dec 5, 2008)

Canonite said:


> Gonna head up here i reckon, it's literally half a mile from my house. Though i'm not exactly sure of its location i know the old railway lines route so it shouldn't be hard to find.


It's not that easy to find to be honest.
I pin pointed what I thought was the West portal on Google earth. It was actaually the infilled deep cutting leading up to the tunnel that's now had the M1 built over it. We then knew we were within 300 yds of it and needed to be on the other side of the motorway. 
We knew were we wanted to be, It was just getting there.
This may help you a bit lol.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1066529


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## dave (Dec 5, 2008)

What superb pics the colours are awesome well done.


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## cactusmelba (Dec 5, 2008)

great comparison with the camera flash shot and the light painted version mate, could you tell me what the settings were please, aperture, shutter speed, and iso, for both shots? 

sorry to hassle you, but that's an ACE object lesson in the value of light painting... i really wanna get good at this..


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## phill.d (Dec 5, 2008)

cactusmelba said:


> great comparison with the camera flash shot and the light painted version mate, could you tell me what the settings were please, aperture, shutter speed, and iso, for both shots?
> 
> sorry to hassle you, but that's an ACE object lesson in the value of light painting... i really wanna get good at this..


Hi mate.
I'm an 'all or nothing' kinda guy lol. It was max everything camera settings.
More vivid+ setting.
1600 ISO. Never any bother with noise on the D40
30 second exposure-I choose that exposure as it gives you plenty of time turning torches on and off e.t.c.

I think you can view all the EXIF data on flickr under the 'more property's' tag at the side here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/3071601525/meta/


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## cactusmelba (Dec 11, 2008)

ace, cheers matey, all duly noted and learned from!


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## Canonite (Dec 11, 2008)

I've been doing some research on this since i saw this thread. Reason is that i live very near to J39 and for years i've cycled along the many miles of old disused railway lines. I started to get curious about the actual path of the old tunnel beyond the breeze block wall. I know the only line in that immediate vicinity was from the Barnsley way which ran at the top side of the nature reserve now known as Newmillerdam pretty much in a straight line to where this tunnel portal is, then under the motorway and over the 21 arch disused viaduct a few hundred yards east. 
Looking at some archive information and looking on google earth and maps it appears that the line ran pretty much straight through Chapelthorpe. I used toi have a cottage there but that was built in 1754 and i cant see a tunnel being bored out and running beneath it.
I've been on a right history hunt with this and it's ace  

Cheers


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## phill.d (Dec 11, 2008)

Have you checked out this web page Canonite?
There's loads of info on the line 
http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Royston Savile town.htm


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## Canonite (Dec 11, 2008)

phill.d said:


> Have you checked out this web page Canonite?
> There's loads of info on the line
> http://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Royston Savile town.htm



Ah thats it. Cheers Phil. I've read that one before but couldn't remember the site. Ive been on forgotten relics trying to find it. I know that Bickerdike name, John though, a really really good ARPS photographer.


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