Colwall Railway Tunnel

[Urban Ghost]

£5k PER BAT?! :shocked:

 

[onthebusescrazy]

Another Great Find thank you you are the best photographer ever x

 

[krela]

Bumping so someone can add some info.

 

[Dani1978]

Wow really fantastic shots. Love the close up looks like ectoplasm! "Who ya gonna call!" Nice post ;-)

 

[LittleOz]

That's certainly something different from you. Great shots as always. According to wiki there's a colony of about 120 horseshoe bats in there.

 

[Mikeymutt]

Great tunnel.i know someone who went down a mine and spent several hours in a cell because it was a bat colony

 

[shatners]

By Eck that goes on a fair old distance, what's with the half brick wall?

 

[Catmandoo]

That's certainly something different from you. Great shots as always. According to wiki there's a colony of about 120 horseshoe bats in there.

Wiki needs an update.......
There are certainly more than that, and growing, this was taken a couple of years ago, and that's just one passing arch. These beauties are everywhere! In excess of 300+ easily.


Bats by DanCatt, on Flickr

I'm very familiar with the regs with bats.... We didn't disturb these little wonders as we were silent, but made a joint decision between me and a fellow explorer to turn around and exit before the corrugated pipe that supports the passage through the collapse. Too much noise would of been generated and would of caused distress to them..... The last thing I was wishing for was to have all of those flying through the pipe whilst being in there. Total respect for these creatures.

I love tunnels, but this bring it on a whole new level with the presence of the dark ones. The hairs on the back of your neck a constantly at a stand whilst a few stray from hibernation are flapping above your head and passing your ears.

Not much to see in the tunnel, but the experience is up there at the top of my favs.

 

[Adrian the Rock]

Thanks - fascinating, great photos

Belated thanks from me too for a great set of shots. I'm currenly researching this tunnel and its ventilation shafts as a personal curiosity thing, as my grandad was stationmaster at Malvern Wells GWR during WW2 and I've recently moved back to Malvern myself after three decades living elsewhere. When I discovered this thread I was captivated!

Here are some links to other useful articles about the tunnel:

http://www.guarlford.org.uk/remember_tunnel.htm - overview story of the two tunnels.
http://www.guarlford.org.uk/remember_tunnel_GWR_transcript.htm - transcript from GWR magazine 1926.
http://www.malvernwaters.co.uk/nationalparks.asp?search=yes&p=7&id=283 - about how/where the tunnel spring water was used

I've also uploaded a scan of an interesting article from the July 1972 issue of Warwicshire & Worcestershire Life to my own website: http://www.roscalen.com/malvern/Malvern%20Tunnel%20-%20Warks+Worcs%20Life%207207.pdf

One thing I'd certainly be interested to know is how far through the tunnel the various photos were taken. I am guessing the one showing the shaft above the tunnel is of the base of the Upper Colwall shaft. I'm particularly intrigued by the 6th, and 11th-15th photos. The number "131.0" on the 14th photo is almost certainly the distance (from Paddington) in miles and chains, which suggests it is just over halfway through from the Colwall end (the Malvern end is at 130m 48ch and the Colwall end at 131m 40.25ch, as shown on the sign in the first two photos).

 

[Adrian the Rock]

I've now drawn this schematic to summarise the key information I have:

 

[Lightstories]

Fascinating!

I'm in Malvern too and often wondered if you can get down to see the old tunnel?

I guess that's why we have 'lady foley's tea rooms' in the great malvern station. They must have been some tough navvies in those days to get through that rock.