The (Abandoned Railway) Tunnels of Dartmoor

Only just come across you videos and saw this one about the Tunnels of Dartmoor. The one you are referring to under Leigham in Plymouth is called Cann Quarry Tunnel and was a narrow gauge railway from Cann Quarry to Plymouth. It is sealed at both ends, but is accessible via a manhole and shaft. Being a caver, I have been down here several times. It was used as a air raid shelter during WW2 and the Dartmoor end was also used a an underground hospital. The dividing curtain rails for the beds can still be seen today. It also now have some modern pipes (presume water) running inside it to. Very fascinating place.

The Whitewick team videos are always so personable and great to watch and when you cover a railway that I have an interest in (and there are many in all the regions) it goes to another level. Other You Tubers clearly feel the same going by the comments often with additional and, otherwise unknown, information. Thanks for posting and keep up the good work!

I live locally and often cycle with my family from Plympton park and ride North through these two tunnels and over many viaducts to a pub at Clearbrook, have a couple of pints and it’s downhill all the way back👍 Great channel, very interesting.

The steel aqueduct just beyond the South portal, was for a leat (watercourse) which fed the waterwheels and dressing floors at the nearby Wheal Lopes copper mine. You had a shot of the leat and a sluice on it at the northern end! There is nothing now left of Wheal Lopes, although various shafts are marked on old OS maps. The mine was almost certainly named after the local dignitary Sir Manasseh Massy Lopes of Maristow House who, it was said, became irate when he learned that Maristow mine, close by his stately pile, had holed into his wine cellar. He ordered his carpenter to cut off the pumping rod of the mine's engine shaft to put an end to the venture. The tunnel is reputedly haunted!

The canal to Morwellham Quay was called the Tavistock Canal. Connected to the quay via an inclined plane near the southern portal of the Morwellham canal tunnel.

Brilliant video! I'd love to see the line to Tavistock reopend!

If you are ever down this way again, I'll show you the copper mine in the Leighbeer tunnel, lots of stuff to see, you'll need waders!

Very interesting film. Thank you. I enjoyed the end of the video showing the aquaduct and railway tunnel portal.

Great video! The 'exploration tunnel' is about mid-way along the tunnel, on the left as you head towards Plymouth. Many years ago I went to the end of it - it terminates in water and the roof gradually drops down.

My old Manor lol, been up and down the A386 a thousand times, son used to play for Horrabridge, we lived in Tavy for a few years before moving into Cornwall, sister used to live in Okehampton but now in Bridestowe, all that local knowledge and I never knew there was any tunnels around 🤣

Nearest I've been to where you were is Beer Ferrers where tha station is now The Tamar Belle holiday site. We stayed twice and slept in converted railway carriages and dined in an LMS dining car. Brilliant it was. Anyway I enjoyed being with you two guys again and thank you for having me. Always soooo interesting

Bere Alston, The Bere bit is pronounced beer. We are encouraging the rail connection from Bere Alston to Tavistock as the first stage of the re-opening of the line to Okehampton.

You have to be the fittest because you have to run back for the camera. Great vid, as usual.👍

Always interesting watching your videos.

It's beer Alston, I know...also in true Devonian Taverstock or Taavy There's another railway tunnel that is near the cannal from tavy to morewelham, in the woods near the dump, where Sir Francis Drake was born, but the dump is a more useful modern reference.

The copper mine is the first refuge on the left as you came in through the north portal, it has the top part missing so some people could squeeze through, think I could just about. Just before you see part of the leat as you entered, if you look to the left you can see the abandoned embankment of a tramway towards Shaugh bridge/Dewerstone (Well worth a nose if you haven't already been). The tunnel is often known as Shaugh tunnel, (Shaugh bridge halt is just up the track from it, which served Shaugh bridge, popular with Victorians, However from what I can find it was officially known as Leighbeer, Original engineer was Augustus Bampton, but he died during construction and was superseeded by Brunel.

Awesome video, we may check it out at some point 😀

Another great video P&R thank you for all you do - keep it up!

Interesting that you were looking for these tunnels. I spent many years in Plymouth and cycled up the Plym Valley way when it was still a disused gravel track. I also found the tunnels at Grenofen and the one to the south west of Tavistock. I never realised there was a tunnel under Yelverton until I moved away. It’s a shame there is no access to either end of that tunnel.

The last tunnel you went through is known as “spooky tunnel” in our area. It’s meant to haunted with 2 Victorian girls and an old man who used to work on the railway line. My mums friend went in there at about 1am to do paranormal stuff and the rocks that were on the side got thrown at them. He’s never gone back into the tunnel since. I love walking through that tunnel