A video NOT about Tavistock Abandoned Canal.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- #abandoned #canal #Devon
This weeks adventure see's the Whitewick's explore an area fed by the Flowing Tavistock Canal. A Leat if you will. So from Morwellham Quay we headed North west along the River Tamar to try and find a couple of abandoned tunnels. We had no idea at the time what they where for but this soon became clear as we progressed.
Join us as we walk around the area and discover lots of forgotten history.
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Ok, if this video confuses you, it did us on the day! So the two tunnels we were looking for where for the Leat. Not the actual canal tunnel we found at the end. We need to come back here are search again.
a followup would be great, new information is always welcome especially when it adds to your walks.
i hadn’t heard the word “leat” before but reading about them makes me believe that those were definitely leats, an important part of the canal network overlooked by all but engineers and historians like you and Rebecca
@@bostonrailfan2427 Does the term 'Leat' perhaps come from Let, as from the old usage of 'Blood-Letting'; in this case, there in order to 'Let' waters run from the canal at regulated width and depth, through the 'Leats' to industries and irrigation beyond the main canal. This would also help maintain a good height in the canal and let water out at high water times as well? It has all grown over so fast.
My new word for the day "Leat." A watercourse or aqueduct dug into the ground.
Took me a while looking at OS maps (old and new) to find the canal tunnel, not obvious at all. The two leat tunnels were however easier to locate. That is one really long canal tunnel, and so I understand, a really deep one too!
Yes definitely!! Go back and have another good look around ... it seems a most interesting place ... I know what a leat is .. it's just a cute old name for a small aqueduct ... I think Sir Francis Drake invented them ... he had them running all over Dartmoor ...
I love the fact that while showing history, you don't take yourselves too seriously and it makes for some brilliant videos.
This one is special to me because the terrain is very much like a wooded mountain full of abandoned mine type narrow gauge, probably 2 foot, that I was taken to in 1963, somewhere between Philadelphia and Horseshoe Curve. Several mine cars sitting on the track at one point, they still rolled. Never found out what it was used for.
Welcome to my wacky world of Devon. Principal export now of the Tavistock Canal? Tennis balls 🎾. Mis-shots from the Tavistock Tennis Club get carried by the water flow to Morwellham
I lived in the Tamar Valley for about 10 years and still visit our Uncle and Aunt who live in Gunnislake. The Lake we were told is the vast underground one which would make a world class place if it could be done safely. I got to know POP who was one of the last with a key. Yes I did Mine Guiding one Summer. They have opened up the Devon Great Consoles line further up the valley which is a super walk. David and Lily. We in fact had our Wedding Reception at then Mums house 17 years ago. Yes a lovely place to visit and indeed live. Best Pub The Rising Sun out in the sticks. Dear Fred May in the Albaston Pub would welcome in the New Year with 2 Traction Engines warming up the cold each year. Happy times.
I was walking around the Gunnislake/Morwellham area a few months ago and was equally frustrated as you were at just how much of the old infrastructure is rather rudely fenced off and marked private. I did enjoy the train whistle right at the beginning of the video though! The Plymouth/Gunnislake service is so strange, like a model railway that's run by Network Rail. The whistle you heard is because at every single level crossing on the route, the train must come to a complete halt and sound the horn before continuing onwards :) The branch line still operates using a token system, and the driver has to get out the train and grab or replace the token from a locked box at the end of the platform at St. Budeaux Victoria Road station before continuing onwards to Plymouth Central or Gunnislake :)
Another strange anomaly is that Beeching preserved the Plymouth-Gunnislake route but severed the connection to Tavistock, a pretty substantial town, at Bere Alston where the service now makes a reversal. I initially thought it may have to do with industrial rail freight from the Gunnislake area, but the mines were concentrated much further away at the Great Consols, and the ones closest to Gunnislake already had access to the navigable Tamar.
My leading theory is that the ancient bride at Gunnislake (until the building of the Tamar suspension bridge) is the first road crossing of the Tamar from its mouth at Plymouth nearly 15 miles away, but if anyone has any better theories, let me know!
the Tavistock end of the tunnel is also on private land. The Tamar Trails is a great place to visit.
What a fascinating interesting video. It also sort of felt like we were exploring (and experiencing) along with you.
Thanks Raf, that's always the goal.
Have you explored the old railway tunnel at Shillamill and the viaduct which is not far from where you were at in this video, that's a pretty and interesting walk too, a viaduct and probably the same canal passes under the viaduct, the railway line disused goes from Tavistock to Bere Alston which is still in use and is eventuall ends up at plymouth, they are trying to reinstate this part of the line again and the tunnel are definitely worth a visit.
Very Cool u2 Great vid
Kate and Mike Perth western Oz
Thanks 👍
Nice to see Rebecca again 😀
Rebecca has rather nice shirt potatoes I concur
The look on Rebecca's face when she hears a horn of a train on the Gunnislake Branch!
Thank you 🙂
Morwellham Quay is the port for Devon Great Consols, which which a collection of mines that were the worlds biggest Arsenic Mine back in the 1880 to 1900 ish. Arsenic is nearly always found with Copper and was quite useless until the discovered it was a brilliant poison for the Colorado beetle and they sold what was effectively their spoil heap ! The whole area is extremely hollow and with extensive mines underneath. As you found, not all of them are fenced off. The mine you were looking at was possibly Frementor, which is about 80ft deep. Been a few year since I have been down there. As a member of the local Caving and mining group, I have also been through the canal tunnel. It is braced up in quite a few areas due to collapses and is an extremely wet trip to do the whole length.....wetsuit is a must
Looking at it, it seems too small for a canal boat ... I can't imagine taking one through it for two miles! Nor in a wetsuit today... Hats off.
Dangerous Darren, was thinking exactly the same thing! Best, Mental Martin…
so even if you survive the fall down a shaft, if you don't drown, you get poisoned? You would make an awesome Dungeonmaster!!
@@martinkent9115 Nice to recognised my friend. I think we are both right on this one, great memories with good friends
Great adventure/investigation. Enjoyed very much.
The leat you tried to follow originally had some sections which were carried on wooden launders suspended from chains (known as a chain leat!) to get across some of the steepest drops - these are long gone, which is doubtless why the course of the leat now plunges into the void in places. There are indeed two fairly short tunnels through a couple of rocky outcrops. I don't recommend trying to reach them though - it is very risky.
There’s a video online of two guys paddling through one of the tunnels.
My Grandfather went to the arsnic tip and collected gravel to put on the garden path - then no weeds grew on them!
Reading all the comments I learned about 'leats' from Time Team episodes - 'they' diverted water from a stream or river to create a flow for the mill waterwheels to operate if not immediately on the original water source. Really interesting explore and seemingly quite dangerous if you weren't paying attention. I will have to watch the Edwardian Farm series again to see if they mention anything about this and look forward to further exploration in this area.
You are a fun couple thank you as we are in lockdown in NZ very interesting video
Looks lovely glad you two had a good time would love to take my drone up there
Always crammed full of interesting facts and humour. You two have the gift of making your viewers feel part of the expedition. Thank you
Amy Whitewick. presumably a relation and a new name for the video. Greetings from Australia.
Indeed yes.
Incline was built at same time of canal to take ore from canal down to quay, not after. Tunnel took so long to build because a rich vein of copper was found in Morwell Down so the stop digging tunnel and started mining instead.
I basically grew up exploring those woods, as I lived in one of the nearby Bedford Cottages. You could spend days getting distracted by the endless interesting features without ever finding the one thing you wanted to find. Trust me, you didn't even scratch the surface!
Yup totally aware of that. Are the tunnels doable??
@@pwhitewick They are, occasionally. A local group will walk through it to clear debris, so that's the very best way to get at them. Otherwise it's negotiating with the water company, or the owners of the houses at either end.
Of course, having been a child with little concept of trespass, I used to follow the canal from Tavistock and just go through the gate marked "Private" by the water company, but, that's probably not for the responsible TH-camr! Although, there is the ghostly shape of one of the old barges sunk by that gate. You'd never know what it was, unless you knew.
There's also an interesting spur to Mill Hill, where there's an out of place bridge in one corner of a field visible from the road.
@@MindSump ah sorry, I actually meant the two Leat Tunnels....
@@pwhitewick Unless someone has recently dug them out, they have been buried for a long time, the longer of the two was about 30 paces south west of the rocks you flew from, exiting about the same distance north west. You can find the depression of the leat, but last I knew the actual tunnel could not be seen.
@@MindSump that's a shame. They are marked on current OS Maps so had hoped they might still be kicking around. Ever see them? I'm guessing no pictures exist to this day
Hi Paul & Rebecca. A very interesting and well presented video. It left me wondering if you could access the tunnel entrance from below instead?
I really wish I knew. I'm keen to go again, but need a local with knowledge of the area
Hi thanks for your interesting informative videos they, have filled many a dreary lockdown day and have been like a mini virtual tour of places ive never heard of never mind visited. Very good Keep up good work...... P.S I see you have been to scotland for a few rail excursions but dont know if you have visited the Forth Valley area central scotland? you could stay a month and probably not cover all the rail & canal routes stories, historically as well as modern day development. In a 20...25mile radius you have 2 major canal ways and 2 main rail tracks that converge and have modern landmarks like the millennium wheel and the kelpies incorporated into canal and rail theme but historically would interesting to hear origins and back stories to a time that sea canal and rail logistics dominated this area rich in foundry production mining and powerproduction... 😊😀👌👍
Very entertaining as usual
Lovely video well done
Hi Paul and Rebecca. Who knows how the TH-cam algorithms put the videos you may like onto your home view, but I am certainly please they put Paul and Rebecca onto mine. Your little videos are a perfect match of historical facts and fun, visiting and exploring some lovely places. I’ve binged watch lots of episodes and visited Rebeccas Nest for more of your off the wall history facts. Following your example I’m looking at the Library of Scotland side by side map and have spotted several ruined buildings close to home, that I’m exploring to see what remains when I’m out walking my dogs. When I’ve watched your videos, I have thought, the dogs would love it there and on Rebeccas video when she is answers emailed in questions, you are walking a dog. Does your dog ever go with you on filming trips or are you still negotiating their contract to appear? Thoroughly enjoyable videos, I am looking forward to seeing more. Keep Safe, pete
Morwellham Quay was originally established in the 10th century by the monks of Tavistock Abbey, but rose to fame in the 19th century when it became known as 'the largest copper port in Queen Victoria's Empire'. It was the hub for shipping copper ore from all the Devon Great Consul mines around to Swansea for smelting. When the copper boom declined in the 1860s, arsenic mining took over and Morwellham continued for a couple more decades. It is said there was enough arsenic stored there to kill every man, woman, and child on the planet!
In 1856 Queen Victoria visited Morwellham while staying with the Duke of Bedford at nearby Endsleigh.
There is a slight fall on the Tavistock canal (as mentioned) which produced enough current to float laden barges, or tubs as I think they were called, through the tunnel unmanned, hence the bore of the tunnel is a lot smaller than normally found on the canal system. Water-powered winches were then used to haul the empty barges/tubs back again.
About 30yrs ago, one could hire a canoe in Tavistock and paddle down to the tunnel entrance. It was an amazing trip. The area around there is absolutely amazing. The history of mining and the Devon Consort Mines brought wealth to the area and has left a plethora of industrial archaeology. As for the unfenced mineshaft. Shush, don't tell everyone but I need somewhere to hide the bodies.😉.
Devon Consols not Consort
You said you couldn’t get a phone signal hence couldn’t get the online OS map. What I always do is use the OS map app to create an offline map. Then download it before I set off on an adventure - the GPS still works without a signal.. As coverage is so much better these days it is easy to forget to do. Hope this helps. Another great video!
Cheers Simon. I'm aware of this feature but pretty much always forget to download the map!...
I love the OS navigation app. The one that just gives you a grid ref (and also has a nice compass feature). Works without a phone signal and then you can just check the paper map. Although that is quite dependant on remembering to take it/them (I won't be hypocritical to cast the first stone!)
fascinating place to visit guys
win win lol
So glad to join your Channel, it's great to watch all your adventures, I've been a subscribed viewer for a long time mainly watching on my smart TV! I particularly like your railway videos as
I worked on the railway for 45 years! I retired in 2015 working in the Brighton East coast area from Hastings to Plumpton and down to Seaford. I was a relief signalman for most of my career but also as a Movements Inspector and Signalling manager please keep up the great work you do which so many people enjoy, P.S. Hoping the Lewes Uckfield link may be restored.
that was an elite video... ;)
That took me longer than it should 🤪
@@pwhitewick the places you go and check out are fascinating... btw.. Hello from Brisbane Australia
Odd that the Edwardian Farm team didn't mention this when they activated Morwellham quay some years ago. You'd think it was right up their street (/canal).
Your enthusiasm for exploration is endless and I wish I could go where you go. I thank you for taking me to places I can't go.
Always super enjoyable - thanks! Cheers from New York!
It's always a wonderful treat to watch the two of you exploring. You're a lovely couple and I'm super chuffed to have discovered your channel!
Thanks Ray.
Loved this video. The beautiful sights and sounds of the country make me miss my home land.
I love this area - it's so beautiful. However, at the peak of the Industry, very little grew in the Tamar valley. The levels of Arsenic in the soil prevented vegetation from growing - it is also amazing to see how the land has recovered.
Why was the arsenic there Robert?
Some arsenic was actually mined in the Tamar Valley, and some came about as a bi-product of processing tin and copper ore. They got better at processing as the years went on - for example at the Botallack Mine in Cornwall, there's an arsenic labyrinth to deposit as much as possible in a series of flues before discharging the rest of the gases up a chimney.
I do the Bissoe Trail and surrounding environs a lot. Lot of arsenic in some bits there. And all the heavy metals. But what is amazing is how quickly nature has reclaimed the site. There's also some 'artificial' help. In that, along the polluted Carnon River, they've planted lots of plants that absorb the contaminants. It's cleaning up pretty nicely.
very much enjoy all your videos. Love the fun you portrait in them. Keep it up and thanks for your hard work.
You two are a real treat. The bits of humor in your videos are very entertaining.
i have to compliment Rebecca’s fashion sense, it’s smart yet stylish and a contrast to Paul’s casual look
it’s nice to see you two out and about in this way, you improv and shoot from the hip but make it work here
Very interesting but could be quite dangerous for you with sink holes and collapses. You are both very brave. But your enthusiasm rubs off on us. Thank you for showing all these beautiful historic places.
did you go to Morwellham Quay they have a museum there. A large water wheel, a train run down one of the tunnels. they have actors there all dressed in i think victorian clothes. Well worth a visit
We did. All closed up since March 2020, no sign of opening.
@@pwhitewick It's still going? Jeez I visited there back in 1983 or thereabouts...
Another enjoyable video exploring Britains past hidden industrial heritage and lovely walk through the countryside.
Sneaky tunnel hiding where you didn't expect it! Glad you got to see the portal at least!
I visited Morwellham many years ago and the history was amazing.. Thanks for the video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Brilliant Paul & Rebecca! Love this.
01:26 Was that a train I heard in the distance?
Yes!!... which surprised us!
Thanks guys another very interesting blog
Its also a pity its no longer navigable .I wonder if it could be brought back into use and if so if people would use it? I feel some research coming on!
I think its far too short, no real gain etc
You could use OpenStreetMap maps with an offline map app.
Thanks for the video Paul and Rebecca unfortunately got a bit lost glad you will be going back. Such a stunning industrial experience in this area, a wealth of times gone by. Looks a great place for a holiday at some point hopefully!!😎🐓🐓🐓🇬🇧
Cheers Christopher. Its one of those places and trips that we didn't really plan. So had no real idea what to expect. Sometimes that doesn't help the video flow!
Tavistock ha ha , where your pet , will be seen more quickly than an appointment with a dr. / dentist / et all... too near to Cornwall I recon
more more, encore, fabulous
Absolutely loved it. I just love the banter between you too it always makes for a brilliant video. The area looked just beautiful, thanks so much for taking me. Please stay safe and take care
Morwellham Quay is an excellent place to visit. Highly recommended for those visiting the area. An old copper mine, it had internal water wheels to pump water from lower down in the workings.
Very interesting
Cracking vid, so much info, and when you found the tunnel towards the end of the vid, such awesome sights, canal, sluice gates and the greenery around. Stay safe both!
O.k. 6 minutes in and I still don’t know what a “Leat “ Is.
I live in California , we don’t have any . I have loved every single one of these guys episodes. More please !
ha, most of California's agriculture is based on federally constructed leats (artificial watercourses)
Google it!!
Leat’s an Old English word for a water channel. Sometimes a leat ‘let’ water from a source to a point of use or ‘let’ water from a stream or river, taking it along a contour of the land to supply, say, a mill’s water wheel or a mine’s hammer. Later, over here, landscape architects used them to supply artificial water features like waterfalls. I guess around the world these channels have many names. The island of Madeira has spectacular ‘levadas’ carrying water along contours and making for great walks. Sorry to prattle on, leats of whatever name or purpose are a hobby of mine as my family comes from parts of the country with a lot of these old channels, including near Morwhellam. As a little lad, the sound of water was everywhere on valley sides covered in greenery. The trick was trying to discover the ‘source’ of the sound, often a leat letting water out of a mine. Cheers, 🇬🇧
Great vid don't forget the maps. Lol maybe I could of help you with some of the slopes. As a Tree Surgeon I always have my climbing ropes with me. Did not know this place exist. Thanks for everything. Your Nr1 Fans from Hamburg Germany.
Lovely shots of the hills. Very entertaining search! I'm pleased that you bring us along on the hunt, not simply figure it all out first and then explain it. First rate video.
God... serious memories.. last visited Morwellam Quay in... ooooh.. 1986 or so? Love devon to bits.
Likewise!!... I even have a pic from the school trip somewhere!
@@pwhitewick Hope you drove down to Paignton and had a ride on the Steamies while you were there. Done that and also the one at Minehead (nothing beats the smell of a steam engine)
Really enjoyed this one - that terrain is unforgiving - must have been hell to work in the mines and construct that tunnel!
Excellent. Intrepid, tenacious, impressive and although it is to the west of my territory I did not know about it, which just goes to show that your tenacity pays off, keep going guys loved it. I have a feeling that this is just early days into something that is going somewhere good. West Somerset Mineral Railway & Incline next?
What was being mined ? Stone.? Use of Wheal for mine, same as cornish tin, etc.
Thanks Paul and Rebecca for sharing this video with us. I really appreciate the lengths you go to, to provide us with a really interesting film. ( sometimes looks dangerous) you really look like you take a few risks to show us an interesting and informative video! Keep up the good work and stay safe and well guys 👍🏼👍🏼
Great video , visited Morwellham quay 20 plus year's ago ,quite an impressive place , considering what it once was .
I find it’s common to see abandoned railroad lines get turned into driveways. It’s already flat, wide enough, the drainage is usually excellent. Although (as one property owner told me) you need to watch out for discarded rail spikes.
Interesting! I knew about the canal tunnel but was not aware of all the other features. Did I see a glimpsing shot of some flood markers on the end of a building?
Yup, the Tamar seems to flood around once a decade. Significantly.
Fascinating piece of canal exploration, which might repay a return visit to explore further, including the railway interconnection. Well done!
Absolutely intend to Malcolm. Cheers
Fantastic informative and busy video as ever. I'm so glad you got the weather for it. Maybe a bit of rain could've made some things stand out more with the tunnels but the possibility of making the Leats impassible, before the land-slide. Thank you for taking the time to get all that research done too! Keep Well there. Cheers!
Yes it's a big hill to climb. I kept a boat at Morwellham about 20 years ago and we'll remember the climb up the road to get to the bus stop or pub.
Very good & interesting - Thank you 🙂🚂🚂🚂
Got to love those H&S signs Danger of Falling talk about stating the obvious! Great video. Soon you will be "roping up" on your adventures lol.
If you start in tavistock follow the canal it will come to the other portal on the private property but cant get there because of a gate
Very good , 👍 although I was cringing a bit thinking about the mine shafts but I'm glad you knew what they are. Houses , gardens and I'm sure a lot of animals or people disappear into those holes. Very very dangerous often uncover an unfenced off.
West Devon and Cornwall has no shortage of this stuff.
I couldn't believe how many there were there that are unfenced. Rest assured we stayed clear.
@@pwhitewick there are adits to all around various mines and people have wondered in thinking let explore this tunnel, to be confronted by a shaft.
There are laws that state that shafts must me capped but I beleive it only applies to shaft that ceased after a certain date . Not 100% sure .
I know (and respect) that you keep the channel suitable for the whole family, but I would, just once, love to hear Paul rip out a big old fat F-bomb on camera 😄
Tamar??? That is in Launceston Tasmania!!
Loads of ware in the cannal cause it's nearly always raining! I had a very damp childhood!
Ouch
The railway went the opposite way from the canal. It crosses the main Tavistock to Gunnislake road. Careful if you follow that because there is still a heck of a lot of arsenic on that side of the road as there is on the opposite side of the Tamar on the Cornish side and it is still toxic.
Wheal is the Cornish name for a mine.
hi paul and rebecca , great video and omg i loved the start lmao , another very interesting video, thank you so much again and well done guys :)
There are some scary land features around there!
His name is Paul
Nice little video you need to come back soon as we have literally 100s of disused industrial sites in west Devon, and over the river has a couple too, lots of quirky railways and canals.
Cheers Dave, certainly looks that way!
As Darren Hitchcox says, Morwllham Quay was noted for the arsenic mines. IIRC, at one point, the number of sacks of Arsenic on the quayside could have poisoned the whole UK. Worth a look around when its open and a having a run on the mine train (which you found the tracks of).
Sadly closed since March 2020. We did film an additional bit which suggested that we can't see it opening any time soon as the whole place was in a quite a state. Decided not to include that in the edit!
@@pwhitewick Thats a shame. It was quite the day out for me and my kids about 15 years ago.
@@pwhitewick Morwellham Quay has partly reopened again and there is a lot of work in progress there including new reception facilities, activity centre and full refurbishment of the train that takes visitors through a section of the George & Charlotte copper mine. This should be in operation again in late 2021. Visitors can still look around the Quay and village and The Ship Inn is open. There is also a campsite which is proving very popular thanks to the number of staycation holidaymakers following the pandemic.
Very intresting, watch the unfenced mine shafts, shame some is on private land
Just watching your vertigo set mine off!
Such a weird feeling. I hope the camera conveyed how steep that was!
You two are the Morecombe and Wise of exploration 😂 always enjoy your videos
Thank you 😁
At the start of the video I thought you were reversing a Lorry! 😂
Hi. Thank you for the vid. Just as a matter of interest and local knowledge, it's pronounced Morewell-HAM (stress on the ham) not Morewellum. Not being picky, just hoped you'd like to know.
Nice little explore, not sure I'm any wiser as to what connected to what or why, but I loved the video.
Us too!... we need to come here again.
Tavistock Canal was built to move small barges of stone (granite) and minerals (copper ore) from the town to an offloading point above Morwellham Quay. From there, an inclined ramp allowed the wheeled barges to be lowered down and offloaded into ships for transport to Plymouth and beyond. All went well until the railways superceded it. There’s still a small hydro power station in Morwellham which is supplied by a pipeline coming down from the end of the canal. All part of the UNESCO designated Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape site
If you get the chance a more detailed rundown of the topography and industries would I think be VERY interesting...nice video.
Thanks Ian, we intend to go back so that will be on the cards.
In this video, it appears that *The Whitewicks* have been led astray by mischievous Devon faeries who have disabled their mobile phone signal and sent them to goodness only know where! ;-)
The rocks you were standing on are called Morewell Rocks, a village in ancient Saxon was "ham" so please say Morewell ham not Morewellham. The leat you were trying to follow ran across the front of the rocks in lead cassions. So would be impossible for you to see. I used to go there as a boy before it was discovered.
Great wheel remains. Always think Leat sounds like Lancastrian slang.
So the Tavistock canal was also an aquaduct! Not unusual to see a canal absorb a stream but it unusual to see it used to use the water other than simply as a method of keeping the canal topped up.
The water comes from the big weir on the Tavy in the middle of Tavistock
@@mikebrown3772 It's the fact that the canal is also used to convey water to industrial operations that interests me. As Paul points out, there are several leats that were built just to collect water, and the flow of the canal is noticeable. The canal that created my home town has a barely perceivable flow because the water flow is simply to feed locks.