Forgotton Culvert Co Durham - 26/4/09

[xm657]

Its been ages since I've done any draining, so imagine my delight at discovering this lovely little culvert is an over grown valley.

I'm pretty sure its in a valley back filled to save the cost of building a bridge for the mineral railway lines that used to criss cross this part of the Durham coalfield. Three collieries used to be nearby and a harbour for exporting coal. The abundance of spoil from the collierys was no doubt used to backfill the valley and this tunnel allows the beck to flow through. The main railway line from Middlesborough to Sunderland still passes over the culvert maybe 100 feet above.

It hadn't rained for weeks allowing me to walk through in wellies, its probably half a mile in length.

The portal entrance
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x141/xm657/2009/Culvert%20Co%20Durham/IMG_3936.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x141/xm657/2009/Culvert%20Co%20Durham/IMG_3939.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x141/xm657/2009/Culvert%20Co%20Durham/IMG_3941.jpg

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x141/xm657/2009/Culvert%20Co%20Durham/IMG_3942.jpg

At about the 2 thirds point the culvert appears to have been repaired or extended at a much later time. The victorian stonework is replaced with rather boring concrete.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x141/xm657/2009/Culvert%20Co%20Durham/IMG_3944.jpg

Heading back
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x141/xm657/2009/Culvert%20Co%20Durham/IMG_3946.jpg

Another nice find were two or three coal truck wheels and axels lieing about near the entrance. Judging by how far one of them had sunk into the ground I presume they have been there a very long time.
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x141/xm657/2009/Culvert%20Co%20Durham/IMG_3934.jpg

[LittleMike]

Well waddaya know! A nice culvert oop proper north! Interesting shape that too :)

[BOW]

The extension was added when they built New Strangford Rd, which in turn, closed the level crossing at the end of Princess Rd. The beck used to smell of soap and piss as some of the overflow from the baths at Murton colliery used to run into it. The water used to be grey. Well photographed xm.

[xm657]

The extension was added when they built New Strangford Rd, which in turn, closed the level crossing at the end of Princess Rd. The beck used to smell of soap and piss as some of the overflow from the baths at Murton colliery used to run into it. The water used to be grey. Well photographed xm.

Thanks for the info, I found it totally by accident as its so well hidden. Any idea when it was built?

[parkus.]

Where is this? I assume Hetton / Seaham / Murton kind of area...

[siologen]

Wow, its a 'Mummy' shaped tunnel! I thought they only built them in Melbourne. Nice looker too. How tall was it?

[xm657]

Wow, its a 'Mummy' shaped tunnel! I thought they only built them in Melbourne. Nice looker too. How tall was it?

Its weird how it twists about yes!

I'd say about 7-8 feet tall standing in the water.

Thanks for the comments all, amazing what can be achieved with a long exposure and Q5 LED Torch!

[BOW]

Here we go XM.
The Marquess of Londonderry cut the first sods for the Seaham to Sunderland railway on 8/2/1853. The engine works, South of the culvert, which is still there and still in use as part of an engineering company, was completed by 1855. The path you must have walked to get to the culvert, was, the last leg of Londonderrys' Rainton to Seaham docks railway, which saw the first coals from Rainton Meadows colliery transported in 1831. The level crossings North and South of the culvert were not closed to vehicles until 1963, when new strangford road was opened, however, the new extension to the culvert is nearly directly below the middle of the three roundabouts which, in the late 40s was the town dump. So, we can hazzard a guess at the original culvert being built beetween 1853/55, and the new bit early 40s.
This was my home town till 2K

[**Mudlark**]

long exposure makes the water look lovely.. bet your feet got cold though......
:D

[xm657]

Here we go XM.
The Marquess of Londonderry cut the first sods for the Seaham to Sunderland railway on 8/2/1853. The engine works, South of the culvert, which is still there and still in use as part of an engineering company, was completed by 1855. The path you must have walked to get to the culvert, was, the last leg of Londonderrys' Rainton to Seaham docks railway, which saw the first coals from Rainton Meadows colliery transported in 1831. The level crossings North and South of the culvert were not closed to vehicles until 1963, when new strangford road was opened, however, the new extension to the culvert is nearly directly below the middle of the three roundabouts which, in the late 40s was the town dump. So, we can hazzard a guess at the original culvert being built beetween 1853/55, and the new bit early 40s.
This was my home town till 2K

Wow thats fascinating, thanks for the info. Didn't realise the level crossings had been closed since 1963! They built these things well, its in perfect condition for 157 years old!

[dumptyboy]

Top job mate.Those have got to be the best pics i have seen for a good while, honestly. First class explore and a good effort too.:thumb

[Brick_Man]

Very nice little find there! As above really, interesting shape, and fairly clean looking, no drain pressies down there :p

[C.H.U.D]

Nice pics used to do this one a lot as a kid as well as the others in Seaham, Those wagon wheels used to be quite nice benches till the local heroin bandits set them on fire. Quick word of warning for anyone going down into this valley there are hypodermics scattered all over the place so please watch your footing.

[Slybr1]

Thanks for the info, me and my mate decided to give it a visit, unfortunatley the water was quite deep and running very fast, we managed to get so foar before the ledge ran out. Still we managed to fire off a few shots. Big thanks to the members on this site for opening my eyes to the world of Urbex, some of the picture taken on here have really inspired me.


http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k620/Bri_Morris/DSC_0522.jpg

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k620/Bri_Morris/DSC_0498.jpg

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k620/Bri_Morris/DSC_052222227.jpg

[Fellwalker]

Excellent pics from here mate, excellent work.
We had a look down this culvert last week starting from the westerly end where the concrete part is. Only got as far as the crossover to the victorian part as the water was running like a log flume!!LOL & we didn't fancy getting wet.
Definately worth another look when the water level drops a bit :)