Tintern Tunnel at The Black Mountains

Background

A short distance north of the recently visited Tidenham tunnel can be found it’s shorter counterpart, the 182yard Tintern tunnel. Opened the same year, in 1876, it closed earlier, in 1964, as it was not on the section of line required to transport cut stone from Tintern quarry to Chepstow. For this reason, perhaps, the rails have been lifted unlike Tidenham tunnel. Originally owned by the Wye Valley Railway company, the line was taken over by Great Western in 1905. Just north of the tunnel, beyond Tintern bridge, was Tintern station. Just to the south the line divided (in a northerly direction), and a very short branch line headed west to serve Tintern Wire and Tinplate works. Interestingly, the wireworks was closed just prior to the opening of the branch line, so it saw little use for five years until the works was brought by the Abbey Wire and Tinplate company. This was also a short-lived affair as the company closed in 1901 and sold the single locomotive that worked the line. Horses worked the branch until 1935, when it closed officially. Then, in 1941, the rails were lifted and taken for use on the western front during world war 2.

Visiting

This is an easy and interesting tunnel to visit. We parked on the western side of the river in Tintern village. From here, an easy walk along the road leads to a collection of touristy buildings, including the old abbey mill, gathered around the western end of the wireworks bridge. I fully recommend following the signs a ‘£1.50 lovely ice cream’ and eating as you carry on over the bridge. From here, follow the trackbed south alongside the river, ignoring the few paths that branch off and up the hill to the left. After a few hundred yards the track opens up to the left, and the south portal of the tunnel can be found lurking around the corner in a deep sheer-sided cutting.

The tunnel today

This is a short, curved tunnel, and light could be seen filtering from the other end straight away. Construction is very similar to Tidenham, with sets of wide arches cut into the sides. The few yards nearest the northern portal are the only to be brick-lined. Both portals sport large metal doors, both of which are open. There is no sign of damage to the tunnel walls at all, and some of the recesses are very deep with back walls of bare rock. Just to the north of the tunnel can be found the forgotten abutments of Tintern bridge.