My best friend told me about these, her dad has lived only a couple of miles away since he was 15 and they had never found them before. Her dad must have moved to the area just as the line was closing. On our return, we discovered my mum had known about them for years, she had gone with my dad and sister over 20 years before. When they went, both tunnels were blocked off with big metal doors and there was no way in.
The Windsor Hills tunnels were on the Somerset and Dorset line, or the "Slow and Dirty" as it was more affectionately known! It ran down to Burnham-on-Sea and is a journey well remembered by locals as it took them right down to the seaside, where many had never been before. The nearest station was Maesbury, which opened in July 1874. The station house is still there but is a private home now and the owners get p*ssed off with people poking around.
The down tunnel dates from the time when the line was built but the up tunnel was added later on, in 1892 when the line was doubled.
They were closed to all traffic on the 7th March 1966. The line was ripped up pretty much overnight as it had huge sentimental value and British Rail feared an attempt to keep the line running. There is a particularly moving video about the S&D, "All Change at Evercreech Junction". It really was a beloved line and the train drivers and workers all thought they had jobs for life and they really loved their work. Even just before the line closed, some houses along the way still didn't have running water and the only water they got was weekly and delivered by the train.
Soon after it was closed, the down tunnel was used by Rolls Royce to test the engines for the Concorde. No evidence of this remains now.
The Windsor Hill tunnels consist of two tunnels, an up and down. The down tunnel is a mixture of bricks and natural rock whilst the newer up tunnel is entirely brick-lined.
The up tunnel is 126 yards long, the down is 239 yards. The up has a bend in it so unless you stand right at the side you can't see straight through.
Ok, I am no master photographer, nor do I have an amazing camera so please don't expect the pics to be great, I also only took them for myself as I had no idea this place existed, if anyone is interested next time I go back I will try to get better ones!
The up tunnel
Entrance to the up tunnel
Looking down the up tunnel
From the side of the up tunnel, only from here can you see straight through
There are bats living in the end of this tunnel. We didn't see any, which is probably a good thing as I have an overactive imagination and was already expecting monsters in each of the workers' cut outs!
The down tunnel
This one is very odd, my friend calls it the "slinky" tunnel and I could see why. It doesn't look that long from the end, then you start walking and the end seems to move further and further away. It really messed with my head and made me really dizzy so on went the torches!
The signal box
There was a 16-lever signal box, all that is left is the concrete base. It was closed in August 1948, having been built when the line was doubled up.
Here is my mum changing the signal...(you may just be able to see some concrete edges)
The viaduct
This was a complete surprise, when you're walking along you really have no idea its there. This is the view you have on the approach
Scramble down the side and you have this
It was pretty hard to get decent pics of as it was summer and a lot of trees have grown up, I'll probably drag my mum back (drag, ha! She's a railway nut!) when I go home for Easter and try to get some better ones, and ones inside the tunnels.
And on the way my friend an I detoured via a rather sad-looking pill box, I hope someone gives it some TLC.
Its across several privately owned fields and tucked away from anywhere but I'm guessing it was built to defend the line only the trees that have grown up over the years stop you from seeing that.
Hope that's all ok, again appologies for the poor photos but I thought it might be of interest anyway.
The Windsor Hills tunnels were on the Somerset and Dorset line, or the "Slow and Dirty" as it was more affectionately known! It ran down to Burnham-on-Sea and is a journey well remembered by locals as it took them right down to the seaside, where many had never been before. The nearest station was Maesbury, which opened in July 1874. The station house is still there but is a private home now and the owners get p*ssed off with people poking around.
The down tunnel dates from the time when the line was built but the up tunnel was added later on, in 1892 when the line was doubled.
They were closed to all traffic on the 7th March 1966. The line was ripped up pretty much overnight as it had huge sentimental value and British Rail feared an attempt to keep the line running. There is a particularly moving video about the S&D, "All Change at Evercreech Junction". It really was a beloved line and the train drivers and workers all thought they had jobs for life and they really loved their work. Even just before the line closed, some houses along the way still didn't have running water and the only water they got was weekly and delivered by the train.
Soon after it was closed, the down tunnel was used by Rolls Royce to test the engines for the Concorde. No evidence of this remains now.
The Windsor Hill tunnels consist of two tunnels, an up and down. The down tunnel is a mixture of bricks and natural rock whilst the newer up tunnel is entirely brick-lined.
The up tunnel is 126 yards long, the down is 239 yards. The up has a bend in it so unless you stand right at the side you can't see straight through.
Ok, I am no master photographer, nor do I have an amazing camera so please don't expect the pics to be great, I also only took them for myself as I had no idea this place existed, if anyone is interested next time I go back I will try to get better ones!
The up tunnel
Entrance to the up tunnel
Looking down the up tunnel
From the side of the up tunnel, only from here can you see straight through
There are bats living in the end of this tunnel. We didn't see any, which is probably a good thing as I have an overactive imagination and was already expecting monsters in each of the workers' cut outs!
The down tunnel
This one is very odd, my friend calls it the "slinky" tunnel and I could see why. It doesn't look that long from the end, then you start walking and the end seems to move further and further away. It really messed with my head and made me really dizzy so on went the torches!
The signal box
There was a 16-lever signal box, all that is left is the concrete base. It was closed in August 1948, having been built when the line was doubled up.
Here is my mum changing the signal...(you may just be able to see some concrete edges)
The viaduct
This was a complete surprise, when you're walking along you really have no idea its there. This is the view you have on the approach
Scramble down the side and you have this
It was pretty hard to get decent pics of as it was summer and a lot of trees have grown up, I'll probably drag my mum back (drag, ha! She's a railway nut!) when I go home for Easter and try to get some better ones, and ones inside the tunnels.
And on the way my friend an I detoured via a rather sad-looking pill box, I hope someone gives it some TLC.
Its across several privately owned fields and tucked away from anywhere but I'm guessing it was built to defend the line only the trees that have grown up over the years stop you from seeing that.
Hope that's all ok, again appologies for the poor photos but I thought it might be of interest anyway.
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