Report - Port Mulgrave Ironstone Mine & Tunnel. MAY 2015

[ACID- REFLUX]

A cracking idea - pretty much on my doorstep. It could be the North Yorkshire version of the Davidian cult in Waco.
:

All we need to do is to find people.stupid enough sorry crazy enough to go inside lol

There's only certain things ill do just the once ......unless I'm wearing protection of course

Luckily nobody's much bothered by it, good job a tourist hit it instead of an Urbex God or they'd all be queuing up for a death defying experience. ....or not

 

[The_Raw]

Well can we at least send that posh prick plebby down there drunk and see what happens?

 

[Gord]

Brilliant report Thanks for sharing.
I visited the western portal today which is bricked up with a sturdy stainless steel 3'x2' doorway with padlock, It's directly behind the end caravan so you couldn't break in without being heard. I spoke to a bloke in the adjacent caravan who says inspectors come yearly to check it out. I must get a picture of that end as there doesn't seem to be one available.

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Brilliant report Thanks for sharing.
I visited the western portal today which is bricked up with a sturdy stainless steel 3'x2' doorway with padlock, It's directly behind the end caravan so you couldn't break in without being heard. I spoke to a bloke in the adjacent caravan who says inspectors come yearly to check it out. I must get a picture of that end as there doesn't seem to be one available.

Cheers mate.

Yeah i meant to contact them at Dalehouse about possible entry from that end but didn"t. As it"s about a mile long into length and as you know there"s SFA info wise on the Tunnel it makes you wonder what"s going on in there? I would presume there"s more cave ins in the Ironstone section going off the above report but i"m not sure if the geology changes along the tunnel length which may make it more stable towards Dalehouse.

If fact there could be 3/4 mile of open tunnel behind the blockage i mentioned above? but as there are no air shafts in the tunnel i"d suggest it"s gonna be a BA gear visit whoever goes in ......as i keep telling people who want to visit the Eastern part

Ironically i was talking to a National trust lady, who was recently in charge of that area for 5 years (regarding getting it re-sealed) and she had never even heard of the tunnel, nor had she even visited the old Port Mulgrave Harbour WTF?? Besides the fact there"s an information board at the top of the cliff showing both the old Harbour and indeed the tunnel...................... nice to know my membership pays her wages

I"m not sure who would inspect it either as it"s not in the Network Rail domain as far as i know? as they do yearly inspections of our tunnels in Yorkshire & i presume all over the country .....who knows maybe it"s the Council checking the main roads not going to suddenly disappear lol

 

[Gord]

Hi Thanks for quick reply.
Regarding the air quality, there is a plastic pipe - like a stench pipe leading into the western portal.
If they do reseal the eastern end I don't think it would last long having spoke to the blokes in the fishermen's huts!

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Yeah i know about the pipe but i"d suggest there"s still not enough exchange of gases to make it safe. If there"s no substantial flow of air through whatever"s going on inside especially with Ironstone reactions and any vegetation etc rotting away, algae etc there is going to be stagnant air and possible low O2. Much like the Eastern end!

If you read Muntagens report following my visit, he only gets halfway down the first section of the Tramway tunnel before reaching 15% O2

I"ve been in many tunnels with no air shafts and filled in ends that didn"t cause the issues above. Maybe due to the larger volume they contain than the Mulgrave tunnel in reflection? but Network Rail uses BA on these types.

Regarding the Eastern Portal if you think of the air turbulence around there and it"s openings, you"d think there would be decent enough air inside (i did) obviously not.

And yeah it"s a high traffic area, looking at the foliage, no doubt helped by the Information board i would imagine.
I"m surprised nobody has attempted to open the lower level Tunnel yet ? i know it"s blocked fully at the internal spur (as in my pics) and there"s a steady flow of water coming out but i wonder if the audits have drained into it or it"s a small amount of leakage or it"s full of water and the retaining wall is just holding it back

 

[Gord]

Yeah i know about the pipe but i"d suggest there"s still not enough exchange of gases to make it safe. If there"s no substantial flow of air through whatever"s going on inside especially with Ironstone reactions and any vegetation etc rotting away, algae etc there is going to be stagnant air and possible low O2. Much like the Eastern end!

If you read Muntagens report following my visit, he only gets halfway down the first section of the Tramway tunnel before reaching 15% O2

I"ve been in many tunnels with no air shafts and filled in ends that didn"t cause the issues above. Maybe due to the larger volume they contain than the Mulgrave tunnel in reflection? but Network Rail uses BA on these types.

Regarding the Eastern Portal if you think of the air turbulence around there and it"s openings, you"d think there would be decent enough air inside (i did) obviously not.

And yeah it"s a high traffic area, looking at the foliage, no doubt helped by the Information board i would imagine.
I"m surprised nobody has attempted to open the lower level Tunnel yet ? i know it"s blocked fully at the internal spur (as in my pics) and there"s a steady flow of water coming out but i wonder if the audits have drained into it or it"s a small amount of leakage or it"s full of water and the retaining wall is just holding it back

 

[Gord]

Err sorry about that.

Thanks for pointing out Muntagens report to me - i had not read it. BUT find it a bit concerning that there is no follow up - Is anybody in touch with him?

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Lol yeah he's alive and kicking mate , well I spoke to him yesterday and he was posting on here . And if he hadn't made it out there would have not been a report lol

 

[Mutagen]

Rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated.

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated.

Hopefully we"ll both be around for a while longer

 

[Lord Oort]

Bloody hell! not sure how I missed this but fucking fair play mate; well done!!

 

[dave]

Cheers mate.

Yeah i meant to contact them at Dalehouse about possible entry from that end but didn"t. As it"s about a mile long into length and as you know there"s SFA info wise on the Tunnel it makes you wonder what"s going on in there? I would presume there"s more cave ins in the Ironstone section going off the above report but i"m not sure if the geology changes along the tunnel length which may make it more stable towards Dalehouse.

If fact there could be 3/4 mile of open tunnel behind the blockage i mentioned above? but as there are no air shafts in the tunnel i"d suggest it"s gonna be a BA gear visit whoever goes in ......as i keep telling people who want to visit the Eastern part

Ironically i was talking to a National trust lady, who was recently in charge of that area for 5 years (regarding getting it re-sealed) and she had never even heard of the tunnel, nor had she even visited the old Port Mulgrave Harbour WTF?? Besides the fact there"s an information board at the top of the cliff showing both the old Harbour and indeed the tunnel...................... nice to know my membership pays her wages

I"m not sure who would inspect it either as it"s not in the Network Rail domain as far as i know? as they do yearly inspections of our tunnels in Yorkshire & i presume all over the country .....who knows maybe it"s the Council checking the main roads not going to suddenly disappear lol

Have you read the late John Owens report on this place a really in depth study on the tunnel and mines it was printed a while ago and maybe out of print now i have a copy but a must read in my opinion, I,m a member of the Cleveland Industrial Archeaology society its possible it might still be available i must check out their publication list could still be on it.

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Bloody hell! not sure how I missed this but fucking fair play mate; well done!!

No i"m not sure how you missed it either

Fair play on the pics not the near death bit

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Have you read the late John Owens report on this place a really in depth study on the tunnel and mines it was printed a while ago and maybe out of print now i have a copy but a must read in my opinion, I,m a member of the Cleveland Industrial Archeaology society its possible it might still be available i must check out their publication list could still be on it.

No mate, i"m new to the whole Ironstone Mining Industry, until i did some research after doing the tunnel i knew nothing about it.
Be an interesting read i imagine. As would a trip from Dalehouse

TBH i"m surprised it"s not had any interest from the local lads, both on the Industrial & Mining sites.