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Report - - Kingsmoor / Hill Tunnel, Saundersfoot, West Wales - September 2021 | Underground Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Kingsmoor / Hill Tunnel, Saundersfoot, West Wales - September 2021

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cunningcorgi

28DL Regular User
Regular User
HISTORY
Although not usually associated with the colliery area of Wales, Pembrokeshire can lay claim to one of the early railways constructed specially to serve the coalmining industry. On June 1st 1829, the Saundersfoot Railway was authorised from the anthracite collieries at Thomas Chapel to the harbour at Saundersfoot, a distance of 4 and three quarter miles. In addition to the main line there was to be a branch one mile in length along the coast from the harbour to Wisemans Bridge, and a somewhat shorter branch to a point near Saundersfoot known as the Ridgeway. The estimated cost of the works, including the purchase of the land and considerable improvements at the harbour was £17,214.00.

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The main reason behind the tramway were the deposits of high quality anthracite in the Saundersfoot area which was part of the Pembrokeshire coalfield that needed to be moved to the coast for onward shipping transport. Once Parliamentary authorisation was given for the Saundersfoot Railway, work commenced on the four-feet gauge horse operated tramroad. When opened in 1834, coal owners ran their own trams along the line, pulled by their own horses, and paid a toll or fee for its use.

In 1873, C.R. Vickerman founded the Bonvilles Court Coal & Iron Co. and the Saundersfoot Railway & Harbour Co. became a subsidiary of the new company. During 1874, the eastern branch of the line to Wiseman’s Bridge and Stepaside was converted to a standard gauge line for steam locomotives. The 1880's was a lean time for the railway with the closure of Kilgetty Ironworks around this time and the closure of many coal pits in the district. Sections of the track were taken up above Saundersfoot station and around the Kilgetty ironworks site (the track from the Kingsmoor tunnel to Thomas Chapel was lifted in 1887).

In around 1914, it was re-laid and a new 1.5 mile branch line built to support the opening of a short-lived colliery at Reynalton. This was finished by the end of 1915 and a new engine, the Bulldog, pulled trucks from Reynalton Colliery. In order to clear the Kingsmoor tunnel the cab roof had to be removed. The “Bulldog” was bought by the Reynalton Anthracite Colliery Co. to take the coal to Saundersfoot Harbour. This colliery worked from 1914-1917 and 1919-1921, but was not successful. When the pit closed in 1921, the western end of the line fell out of use.

The main line continued in use as far as Broom, Begelly until 1936, but by the late 1930s it was only brief revival of mining at Bonvilles Court and Kilgetty collieries which kept the main line and its eastern branch operating, with coal traffic being moved by the “Bulldog” above the Incline and the “Rosalind” from the bottom of the Incline to the harbour and Kilgetty colliery. The closure of both collieries in 1939 brought the history of the Saundersfoot Railway as a working line to a close. Subsequently, the rolling stock along with the tracks were scrapped for use in the war effort.

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The Bulldog

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'Miners Express' being hauled by Rosalind

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The Incline

Today, the section of line from Saundersfoot to Wisemans Bridge including the tunnels, embankment and sea wall is a 4 mile part of the Pembrokeshire coastal path.

Kingsmoor Tunnel (also known as Hill Tunnel and operational from 1834 to 1939) has not been so lucky probably due to its location away from the coast. It is located to the east of Saundersfoot station, runs under the station and emerges below the townland of Hill. It is nearly 500 yards long, 2.44m wide, approximately 2.6m high and is sadly neglected and forgotten about nearly 75 years after the last train rumbled through. It is very wet and very muddy in places due to the years of neglect and non-use but is a very important part of Welsh industrial history.

THE VISIT
Visited with a non member. Despite an early morning visit on a cool day, there was still quite a bit of mist in the tunnel which could only be moved on by walking the tunnel in sections to try and draw it out so apologies for some of the 'smoky' photos.

PHOTOS
1. Hill end portal
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2. Road ahead
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3. Drainage
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4. Road to nowhere
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5. Brick
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6. Orange
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7. Sleeper
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8. Shape
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9. Collar
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10. Unlined
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11. Light
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Thanks for looking !​
 
Last edited:

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Great report. Really comprehensive. Photos are fab, you did well re the mist. You wouldn't know it was there.
 
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