‘Eerie portal to a lost world' that lies beneath council estate – network of abandoned tunnels left to rot for 60 years

Scottish Sun

5 hours ago

A body was discovered in the tunnels
FROZEN IN TIME 'Eerie portal to a lost world' that lies beneath council estate – network of abandoned tunnels left to rot for 60 years
A EERIE maze of tunnels left to rot under a council estate has been likened to a "portal to a lost world".
They are buried deep beneath a quiet Greater Manchester housing estate, the 1,332-yard tunnel was closed over 60 years ago.
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The tunnels run under a council estate in Manchester
Credit: Facebook
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One of the refuge points where workers would stand as the train passed
Credit: Facebook
Known as Lydgate Tunnel, this Victorian-era passage runs between Grotton and Grasscroft in Saddleworth, and was once part of the infamous Delph Donkey line on the London and North Western Railway.
Opening in 1856, the tunnel was hailed as a triumph of engineering.
The West Yorkshire Advertiser called it 'firmly built' with 'scarcely any vibration' as trains thundered through. But its construction came at a cost.
Just a year before opening, labourer Luke Crossby, 31, tragically plunged to his death down an 85-yard shaft.
In 1855, the Manchester Courier described how he 'missed the tub' and fell headfirst.
His body was found 'much shattered' and the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death.
For nearly a century, the tunnel echoed with the sound of steam engines, until the Delph Donkey line was axed in 1955, part of the controversial Beeching cuts that destroyed Britain's rail network.
Freight trains rolled through for a few more years, but by 1964, Lydgate Tunnel was sealed off and left to the elements.
Now, this creepy time capsule lies hidden beneath homes, fenced off from the public – but that hasn't stopped urban explorers from sneaking in and sharing spine-tingling photos online.
Images posted to the Disused Railway Tunnels UK Facebook page show a haunting scene.
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The tunnel's eastern entrance is bricked up, only accessible through a locked steel door or shuttered window.
Despite six decades of abandonment, the brickwork inside is well-preserved.
One explorer described it as 'a portal to another long-lost world', while another claimed mist 'hovered in layers… very eerie.'
Comments flood in calling it 'spooky,' 'atmospheric,' and a 'forgotten gem.'
Local residents shared memories of walking through the tunnel as children.
One said: 'I was born just 30 yards from the Grotton end.
"Walked it from the age of eight. The alcoves were there to shelter from oncoming trains.'
Others slammed authorities for allowing such a 'stunning piece of Victorian craftsmanship' to fall into obscurity.
'All we had to do was maintain it, but instead we abandoned it,' wrote one user.
Martin Zero, a content creator with a fascination with derelict buildings shared a video from the depths of the tunnels which has already been watched over 26,000 times.
There are growing calls to bring Lydgate Tunnel back to life – not for trains, but for people.
Martin pointed out the ventilation shafts and the refuges, which were where railway workers could hide for safety when a train passed through.
Describing these refuges, Martin said: 'I think it's impressive. It's quite scary because when you look at that, you get the impression of what you're going through, what surrounds us, and what they've had to tunnel through to get here.
'You get the impression of what they were faced with when they were coming through the tunnel, just rock. I find it quite daunting, to be honest.'
One YouTube user commented: 'I travelled on the Delph Donkey every day with my mum to Glodwick Road station in Oldham, where she worked. My dad also caught the train to Platts.
"I was born in 1951, and on one occasion mice, bred in Delph for research, and dispatched by the Delph Donkey, escaped from their cages, and caused chaos amongst the passengers.'
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It has become a hot spot for urban explorers
Credit: Facebook
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A body was discovered soon after the tunnels opened
Credit: Facebook