free hit counter
Hunting Butts Tunnel - Cheltenham May 2018 | Oblivion State Urban Exploration

Post a thread

Post a thread in one of the forums

Browse the forums

Browse threads and contribute to reports

Contact Staff

Contact the team

Hunting Butts Tunnel - Cheltenham May 2018

Lenston

OS Full member
OS Full member
Joined
Jun 5, 2014
Messages
1,668
Reaction score
637
Points
113
Location
Wales
History (GWSR.COM)​

 ​

Hunting Butts tunnel often gets overlooked but it is the shorter of the two tunnels on the Honeybourne Line.  It has track laid through it and it is used to store rolling stock although the Cheltenham end of the tunnel is fenced off with a robust steel palisade.  Hunting Butts tunnel is just 97 yards long and was originally envisaged as a deep cutting.  However, this would have severed the gallops then used by the new racecourse so, perhaps with an eye on future revenue afforded by the racecourse the GWR agreed to build the tunnel and it was completed in the Autumn of 1904.  Cheltenham Race Course station was completed in 1912; six years after the line had opened throughout. ​

 ​

 The Honeybourne Line was effectively closed in 1976 following a freight train derailment on what is now known as 'Chicken Curve' north of Winchcombe, probably because of movement in the embankment.  This is a problem that has beset this location since the 1920s and in January 2011 finally collapsed, severing the line.  No through trains traversed the route after that date and it was officially closed later November 1976. ​

In 2010 the trackbed was replaced and is now used to store rolling stock.​

 ​

Pics​

41914628092_430cdc38e5_c.jpg

 ​

41914626672_8dcf0de017_c.jpg

 ​

41240808254_65e8d02619_c.jpg

 ​

41914624662_4f879bafbb_c.jpg

 ​

41914623132_366bd08e1c_c.jpg

 ​

41240800504_ec9d55b2d4_c.jpg

 ​

41240798164_91d617ed30_c.jpg

 ​

41240797014_461ba2ce42_c.jpg

 ​

41914616602_ca28eccbc7_c.jpg

 ​

41914615712_b6b6c67cc7_c.jpg

 ​

Thanks for looking ​
 

Lenston

OS Full member
OS Full member
Joined
Jun 5, 2014
Messages
1,668
Reaction score
637
Points
113
Location
Wales
Quite a few were added less than 10 years ago as they relaid the track.

 
Last edited by a moderator:

hamtagger

OS Full member
OS Full member
Joined
Jan 30, 2014
Messages
3,517
Reaction score
1,062
Points
113
Location
Lincoln
Looks like a cool place mate, i like the old Gloucester Train axle thing too. :)  

Unknown.jpg

 
Top