South Wales Disused Railway Tunnels explored

Over the last few weeks I've been tracking down a walking disused railway tunnels in South Wales.
My list includes,

Morlais/ Miler Tunnel, near Merthyr Tydfil (1040yds).
Severn Bridge Tunnel, near Lydney (506yds).
Tidenham Tunnel, near Chepstow (1188yds).
Tintern Tunnel, near Chepstow (182yds).
Usk Tunnel, Usk (256yds).

Usk, Severn Bridge and Morlais Tunnels are very easy to access and your able to walk throughout with any problems at all.
Tidenham Tunnel is gated, but is accessable. The entry is less than 30yds from a main road over bridge, access is via the very steep side of the cutting.
Tintern Tunnel is accessable but you need to be a nimble. It is the best one after Tidenham I've been in, the treat at Titern is the North portal, when it opens up to the former Wye river crossing.

Below (hopefully) are some pictures of the tunnels. The pictures should be in the order that they are listed above.

Regards

Great Western.

 

Continuation of the Tintern Tunnel pictures.

 

Finally Usk Tunnel and what remains of Usk Station.

 

Fascinating! An amazing memorial to the men who engineered and built them!

During your visits, did you see any bats? The Waverley Line reinstatement project had a problem with bats in a tunnel, who's roosts are protected by law - hence probably why one tunnel had gates on it. Secondly, as the infrastructure is basically left as is by the owner (either the National Cycle & Pathways NGO/Quango or the local Council), the structures can be dangerous.

 

Even Chiltern Trains have had more than their fair share of bat problems. http://www.bats.org.uk/data/files/Wolvercote_Tunnel_Geoff_Billington.pdf

 

I didn't see any, but then again my lamp wasn't on full power.
It was bad enough being in there, let alone having company !

Great Western