Report - Euroclydon / Hawthorns Tunnel - Forest Of Dean - May 21

[Bikin Glynn]

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Last month my boss said "can you pop to Cardiff to do a quick job" sure Ill go early & spend the rest of the day mooching & this was on the way back!

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Hawthorns Tunnel, also known as Euroclydon Tunnel after the large house built on the grounds above it, is a 638-yard long tunnel built for the Mitcheldean Road & Forest of Dean Junction Railway which was completed but never fully opened.

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The tunnel was used by the admiralty in the 1940s to store munitions. Now in private ownership, the tunnel may one day be used by the narrow gauge Lea Bailey Light Railway.
I have to say Iv done a few tunnels & this is by far the best tunnel Iv done, I wouldnt encourage people to go though as there was bats flying round me in there

Thats another one done ;-)​

 

[Down and beyond]

I am most impressed by the lighting in their it almost looks like you no what you are doing underground

 

[Lenston]

Nice to see its still open, not changed much since our visit by the looks of it.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

I am most impressed by the lighting in their it almost looks like you no what you are doing underground

Was a bit rushed tbh, I may pop back with my lad in a few weeks

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Nice to see its still open, not changed much since our visit by the looks of it.

I should imagine not its pretty well off the beaten track.
Lovely place though, I didnt go right to the end cos I only had trainers but may pop back.

 

[Lenston]

I should imagine not its pretty well off the beaten track.
Lovely place though, I didnt go right to the end cos I only had trainers but may pop back.

I know the Lea Bailey Light Railway use it to store various bits, its a unique tunnel for sure.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

I know the Lea Bailey Light Railway use it to store various bits, its a unique tunnel for sure.

Obviously have done though I dont think anyone has been in there for some time.
Not sure if it always had a narrow gauge track in it or if it was ever intended to be full size? @westernsultan may have the answer

 

[westernsultan]

Seems to have always been narrow gauge and best historical article I can offer is http://www.lblr.fod.uk/from-the-archives/euroclydon-tunnel/

 

[cunningcorgi]

Nicely done.

Not sure they will be too happy in the Forest to find that a part of it has been annexed by South Walians though !

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Nicely done.

Not sure they will be too happy in the Forest to find that a part of it has been annexed by South Walians though !

well spotted Iv amended title ;-)

 

[Lord Oort]

Obviously have done though I dont think anyone has been in there for some time.
Not sure if it always had a narrow gauge track in it or if it was ever intended to be full size? @westernsultan may have the answer

Yes it is still used by LBLR. Covid explains why its not been used much lately.

Yeah full size track but the narrow gauge was put in when they were using for storage in WW2.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Yes it is still used by LBLR. Covid explains why its not been used much lately.

Yeah full size track but the narrow gauge was put in when they were using for storage in WW2.

Saw you did a visit many years back, dosent seem to of changed much which is nice

 

[BenCoulson]

Not sure if it always had a narrow gauge track in it or if it was ever intended to be full size? @westernsultan may have the answer

It was designed for standard gauge track as part of the Mitcheldean Road & Forest of Dean Junction Railway which was taken over by the Great Western Railway ,completing construction of the line but never opening it.

During wartime it was used to store explosives which were transported to a transfer shed outside the South portal (near Drybrook Quarry) on standard gauge wagons and then moved inside the tunnel on a narrow gauge track (believed to be around 18 inch gauge) set alongside the Eastern wall.

The current track (2 foot gauge) was laid circa 1995 with a short extension being laid in 2016 before some issues with access halted the work.

Works train in 2016 consisting of a single wagon propelled by hand down the 1-in-40 gradient looking towards the North portal. The track runs for about half of the length of the tunnel which is 638 yards.