Did Seend Railway Ironworks have a Tunnel?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 มิ.ย. 2020
- We went for a walk in Wiltshire recently in search of an Abandoned Ironworks and potentially an old Tunnel. This is the short Vlog we made whilst trying to find any old railway and canal architecture.
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Couple of requests for the link to Rebecca's Quirky History channel so here it is. Weekly videos on a Sunday. th-cam.com/channels/EJYFfiVvnOcTUwoJaoLQZw.html
The Whitewicks love the channel
Thanks for getting the cogs turning again, Paul & Rebecca. More to find on this story methinks. Look forward to next trek.
Much more we think!
Excellent, I've got this week off, sat in my garden, Stella in hand (my birthday)
Planted a new rose off mrs 237
Now to enjoy this........
I was privileged to be involved with the “repairs” to Ouse Valley Viaduct in the 90’s and send my call to maintain our railway heritage for the enjoyment of future generations!
3:58 - those are calcining kilns. Nothing to do with smelting, which is the process of turning ore into metal. Calcining uses heat to drive off water, carbon dioxide and/or sulphur from the ore, reducing its weight for easier transport and making it into a more or less pure iron oxide suitable for smelting
Fascinating and interesting. Beautifully filmed. Great light. Love the way you research and explain everything. Well done👏👏👏👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏
Nothing nicer lovely summer day great scenery and a super post, cheers me up and it’s a rainy November today
Another great video! That section of track in the foreground of the picture is interesting as its not on Railmap. I found an old narrow gauge industrial branch with some track still intact recently which isn't on Railmap.
Great video. I've just subscribed after months of watching on and off. A couple of points:
I'm led to believe than any structure in a quarry (and most of them are pits or mines, not quarries, but don't get me started on that) that goes under a road, river, canal or railway would be termed a 'tunnel' as they go under things as opposed to being excavated and having a bridge built on top. As such if the line went under Pelch Lane as opposed to crossing it on the level that would have been a tunnel. Not necessarily the one you were looking for, but a tunnel all the same; and
On 7 minutes when you state you are heading further west, you were actually going east!
Some great tunnels in the chalk pits I used to play in when I was a kid. Pretty sure it was before I was 10! The longest is around 440 metres or .27 miles long. Torches being what they were in the 70s we never got very far in before getting scared and running back out!
Superb as ever... not easy aligning old maps with the present world...
Love your tours of the UK countryside.
Thanks Gato
Never mind ..you did show us some wonderful countryside..
Thanks Terry
Whilst walking in this area in the summer with my family, we came across what looked like from a distance a large rock in the middle of a field. On closer inspection it was definitely man made and constructed of brick and stone. There was evidence of iron smelting all around, so it must have been a furnace. The what 3 words location is reflected.excavate.press. It's in a private field, but the gate was open, with a sign saying "Please come in and enjoy the wild flowers". This was the other side of the bridge to where you were looking at the old photo.
Invites are nice, much more friendlier than Keep The F Out.
May be worth returning in winter (trust me, take welleis!) when the vegetation has died back, you may get a much better perspective on the land forms and residual structures currently hidden by plantt growth. Lovely part of the world.
Everywhere we go at the moment we are saying that!
Somebody once told me there was on old chap who lived in Seend who used to collect pianos. Towards the end of his life he went a bit batty and buried them all in his garden. I kept hoping you'd find the tunnel and it would be full of the remains of old pianos. Odd place Seend.
Odd indeed Anthony.
Seend used to be on my earlie morning delivery route and your right its a odd place indeed
I've been to the Barge Inn a few times & never realised the iron works used to be there. Quality video as always 😀
Likewise on all counts Gareth.
Every time I watch this channel you increase my knowledge of the West Country. 'Balancey' is a great new word as well, which perfectly sums up the awkward type of stile which needs a careful balancing act to get over without stumbling and falling. There you go, about 20 words where you have used one new one. I will be back soon!
Anytime Tony!
Excellent stuff.I love Wiltshire 😁
Me too!
interesting and variety is the spice of life well done you two
Another smashing day out with the Whitewicks. Entertaining, even in the face of failure.
Thanks.
Mrs. W must have been roasting in that coat.
Bob
Thanks Bob, sadly wasn't as warm as it looked!
I love watching you two walk and poke around in the undergrowth looking for clues. Thanks!
We certainly did both those things.
My family owned a shop and post office at the corner of Perry Lane and Pelch Lane. I was about 5 in 1948 when I walked up Pelch Lane with my mother and saw the tramway disappear under the road in a bridge or tunnel. The old workings were clearly visible
Thanks Anthony, so we were right the first time with our searching.
Think I saw Post Office briefly shown - marked upon the OS Old Map, close to the cottage Row ! 😉
A very enjoyable vlog, thanks for posting!
Thanks for watching Robin
As usual thoroughly enjoyed that. Love the history you tell. Thanks for taking me along. Please stay safe
Thank you Linda, glad you enjoyed it
I liked the fact that it wasn't an overwhelming success, keeps the videos real and more interesting.
Cheers Chris. Yup, we had hoped it would still make for an ok view.
Very informative vid as always both of you, and most interesting. Love the attempt at "Brownie points" @9:38 LOL!!
hey paul and rebecca , yet another great video , love these types of investigations , i could do this all day everyday , :)
Fascinating and loved the use of maps. Never thought of doing that. 🎥❤️🌈👍
A very useful feature indeed.
Seems a pity that such a large industry as an iron works would be completely wiped away. But, as usual a nice walk and video on a nice day. Be safe guys and have fun!
I think there was a lot of mis-management reading between the lines. In its short history it had countless owners and countless administrations!
Another great video as always guys :)
Glad you enjoyed it
What a mystery. At least you found the curve if little else. Maybe what you thought might be the tunnel portal, really is just that A very interesting film. Great history. Thanks for taking me along.
As usual very interesting video thank you
Very welcome
We should be leaving home in Edinburgh tomorrow to spend 2 weeks on holiday based about a mile from here, like everything else that’s off for year. Thank you for the little look into the area we should have been coming to!
Like music and the detective work.
Thanks Matthew
You get frustrating trips like that occasionally, sometimes going back a different day, approaching from a different direction or with a fresh pair of eyes in a different season with different light etc helps, I have had similar frustrations tracing the Leominster and Stourport canal.
Just a quick thought: according to the Wiltshire Council site history.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getimage.php?id=2156 the photo " was taken in the early stages of the dismantling of the works". Perhaps the line in the foreground was temporarily installed to allow demolition spoil to be moved down to the canal to be carried away by narrow-boat. Who knows?
Thanks Anthony, yes that makes perfect sense to me!
5 decades ago I explored the site using the old ironmaster's house (called "Ferrum Towers") as a marker.
I found a section of the old furnace and round it were nuggets of part reduced limestone, coking coal and iron ore, a couple of lumps of which I have made into a paperweight.
Excellent, thanks for sharing James.
Great video Paul and Rebecca,I thought that curve looked like a tunnel entrance 👌👍😀
I am pretty sure you are right.
Interesting well photographed video it's not always the findings of these tunnels what's exciting but it's in the hunt for them which is sometime the best part unless your stuck in brambles of course. Going over styles without touching them i can relate to that getting used to that myself stay safe and see you in the next video.
Thanks David. Yup the adventure is at least half the fun
Lovely stuff! On old maps/aerial views look for the route where the tramway turned south, went under a small bridge and under(?) Pelch Lane...
I so love watching your videos, always wonder what each week will being
Always a pleasure.
Lovely short vlog, did like the recreation of the bridge, I know it wasn't dead on but it was still good. I honestly do like 'past and present' shots
Thanks Simon, I always intend on doing them but always forget to take a print a picture before we go.
The iron ore (ironstone) would be converted into pig iron in the blast furnaces. This would be sold on for use in furnaces or cupolas for use in the casting process. My Grandad was a Master Engineer and ironfounder
Thanks Simon. This comes up a lot so we really must gen up!
Nice shades Bec. 😁
Never associate Wilts with iron smelting, you learn something everyday!!! That's me updated thank you very much👍❤
Me too, was quite a surprise to find out this area has been utilising it since 1666.
Nice sound link between the stick switch and the backing track
No clue what any of that means but I'll take it as a win.
I wonder if that rail line in the lower left corner of the Ironworks picture is perhaps a temporary siding for delivering ore or building materials to the site. As a temporary thing it might not have made into the rail map (either being before or after the map was made).
I am pretty sure you are right, the only thing that threw us was that fact it looked neat!
@@pwhitewick Quite true!
You should have asked the local children . If there is a tunnel they would know!!
Regards
Arnold
Now that is a very good point
Look like you found that tunnel by the brickwork you found. You just needed an JVC (other diggers are available) to dig around it!!! Anyway whether it was there or not 10 out of 10 for trying to find it. Also I do enjoy it when you try and match up an old photo with what's there now which you did with the view of the bridge and the iron works. Brilliant! Thanks for the video.
A JCB would be a lot more useful than an old vhs recorder!
Whoops That's predictive text for you!!☺️
Hello Paul and Rebecca, thank you for another lovely video, if you ever find yourselves in the North East of Scotland, one walk I can recommend is the Formartine and Buchan way, wich follows the lines from Dyce to Fraserburgh and Peterhead, unfortunately, we are still in lockdown, but hopefully it won't be for too much longer, stay safe, all the best, Stephen.
One day we shall retire to NW Scotland! Thanks for the tip Stephen.
@@pwhitewick My pals done that, upped and offed to Knoydart from Chesterfield area.
Theres an old railway viaduct and stuff with dead horses skeletons underneath, so it flows......
The rail in the foreground could be for moving stuff to the next lock, it doesn’t appear to be of a wide gauge, could be for the conservators of the canal, hence why it doesn’t show up on the rail plan.
Yup that's really the only possible outcome I guess.
Watching Murder She Said 1961 at about 15 minutes into the movie there’s a train going over and a car coming through a tunnel. I am assume that this is a used line not disused one. It really would be neat to know where that is. As always I thoroughly enjoy and somewhat envy all the train history you have. Thank you
Even if you don't find exactly what your looking for, your explores are still great because of the scenery and the history! Was that Rebecca singing in the music you used? lol
Haha, nope that was the Great Andrew ApplePie
Another great video ,,was expecting the title local history enthusiast gets attacked by angry Badger !!!
Every possibility.
Another charming and interesting video!
Is the stone wall sloping down to the right at 2:00 the same wall as at 2:04??
Yup that's the one. Runs parallel to the Canal.
Looks like you found a couple of levels off the main open mine. I wouldn't venture into an iron ore working, it was mined from below on the principal that the iron above caved in, and years later often the soft ground above will too.
So they mined and from below fully expecting a collapse?
You've got it. If you ever get to the Furness peninsula in Cumbria you'll find the old iron mining districts pockmarked with collapsed ground and pond where the mines ultimately gave way.
Blast furnaces, as opposed to smelting towers, but it's all the same principle!
Thank you Thomas, I need a Layman's terms description of how this would have worked!
@@pwhitewick I have emailed you!
Always the tease.
Always a pleasure
@@pwhitewick - Promised a tunnel then denied ;0)
@@owenrichardson1419 Best ask for your money back then !! 😄😁
The first negative-positive photographic process was patented by in 1841 by William Henry Fox Talbot. Daguerreotypes arrived a couple of years before that. Plenty of time for your photo to have been taken before 1889. So that doesn't help much with dating.
Thanks for the info Blaidd
paul could have been good to drop Rebecca's channel in description to help find. great vid as always pleasure to watch.
Good plan. I shall do just that.
Nice little vignette, thanks. Looking forward to something a bit more substantial.
Last week's edit nearly killed us. Hence this video! Presume you've watched.
Oh yes, sorry, asking a bit much to have you busting a gut every week, but I do love a good viaduct!
A good story, and video, such a pity, there is not enough History available about the old iron works, nice weather too,, but what about that blue barge 1:18 in the background, I pretty sure that was our old narrow boat 'avalon'
Haha... Brilliant, certainly could be. Right outside the pub as well so that adds up!
Was this line used as a temporary line to build the canal.
I think the Canal came a long time prior to the railway so might even be the other way around.
Although there's not much to see, it makes you want to investigate the line more.
Yup moderate failures to dig up anything half decent often do leave us wanting to go back and check to see what we missed.
30 seconds in and already have clicked the "thumbs up". Are you going to do some more with the bicycles? KEEP SAFE!
Ah thanks Sheila. Yup now that it seems the hotels are opening we will pack the bikes up and get a few miles under our belts. Lots of plans!!
Did I see the Whitewicks at yesterday’s rail architecture you tube?
We did indeed join David and Tim. Fascinating as always.
Tintype photography goes back to 1850's.
Could the mystery line be a tempory aid to construction line?
Possible yes, also an access or loading.
Could that railway line in the foreground be a temporary line for transporting building material from the canal to the Iron works.
Absolutely Keith, in fact as someone suggested it may have been there to help with the closing of the Ironworks.
The voyage is the destination, and you did find man-made inclines and brickwork hidden in the bushes. If there ever was a tunnel maybe it was covered up for safety. About that photo, is it possible it is a reverse print, changing left and right? Or am I repeating some half-forgotten Sherlock Holmes mystery? 🤔
Good idea Sir, but I think its the right way around... "think".
it's all a bit of mystery this one rails not on the maps but seen in photos + missing tunnel not where it should be on the map. Can they solve this one?
Well can they?... Stay tuned to find out
Seend has a lot of history buffs..if u asked u would have seen many old pics of the area..most of the ore went to the canal on overhead buckets
Yup, my father is one of them.
Are railway shorts what Paul sometimes wears?
Very very rarely
You can see a trace of the parallel line on Google maps, dosen`t seem to go far, shunting line ?.
My guess is canal access
Are there any pictures of Seend from 1920s other than in the book seend past and present my family lived in row lane from about 1725 until the 1980s all I can find out is that there was a rail link to the station it went to the bridge by the barge in over the field to the siding in station I am embarking on a new project to make adiarama of the area
Sty? .... Maybe Stile
No apostrophe in 'ironworks'... It's plural, not possessive.
Thank you, amended.
Good video but what's the music you used
m.soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie
Thanks it sounds great
Thought you said you said the Taff's rejected the product as being sub ¿?
Could it possibly be a crane rail ?
Yup that's certainly a possibility.
Could there have been a bridge/tunnel at the very end of the tramway, just below the first 9 in the ref. 2758.997 on the old 1888 (published) map [maps.nls.uk/view/102348004]? An embankment but not the track continues on the other side of the road (Pelch Lane) to where the 1901 (pub) map marks this as Old Quarry. No doubt at some time the track continued across/under/over the lane.
Yup so that's the exact spot of the first possibility that we found. We think that went under the road and to what was the quarry.
Photography started about 1840 ish Dauggerotype ? Any experts like to update....
First invented in 1826! Shown to public in 1839. www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dagu/hd_dagu.htm
Great video as usual,
But sorry Paul they are "Stiles" not Styes.
I found this map which may help you.
maps.nls.uk/view/120377652
lovely out in the country, success ot not
It's all an investigation into days gone, whatevers found or not.....
Maybe you could not find the tunnel because they ironed it out.
Enjoy these videos, loads of disused lines around Harrogate, most accessible and for some real history check out: www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/gallery/harrogate.html. Keep up the good work.
Where is Ground Penetrating Radar when you need it???
We forgot to check Lidar now you mention it.
A bit disappointed as you were for not determining the railway line in the photo. Did you not consider any aerial photos of Google satellite views? I think it's time that you two invested in a drone
Entrenching spade🤔
Freight train up-north somewhere
th-cam.com/video/sovs5rfxELQ/w-d-xo.html
These annoy me a tad because clearly it's a heritage storage of some place and therefore a trespass right?
@@pwhitewick it's an industrial mining site, probably not railtrack. that channel mostly gets permissions from keyholders. instagram.com/p/CCDw8DFAq_u/
Hi, the two of you..
Just a quick question.. why is the sound so rubbish on the video.? And, can it be fixed.? It nearly makes it impossible to watch.
Keep up the great work guys.
R.
Any particular aspect of sound??
I'm pretty sure this is a dogging spot
Nah two miles to the north.
Mr Picky here. 3:41 Why would you be climbing over pigs houses and not steps. Live TV! Did you mean stiles? But then you could have said that and its my cabin fever hearing?
We always get the two mixed up!
I took on board your answer to myprevious comment about music, but this is even worse. Its intrusive and diverting from what is very interesting stuff. Singing is really intrusive. Sorry to carp, but it is almost causing me to unsubscribe. The music/singing serves no useful purpose whatsoever.
Then I would definitely suggest unsubscribing as the music is important to us personally.