Just been looking through some canal events and noticed that the Dudley Canal Trust operate guided tours through some of the old limestone workings during high season times. The whole of August being such a time.

I know its not every bodies cup of tea to go on guided tours but it does offer the opportunity to see something out of the ordinary. http://www.waterscape.com/features-and-articles/events/4175/tours-through-the-subterranean-world-beneath-dudley 

Peter.

I don'think there is much to see in the tunnels nowadays but I have travelled through the Netherton Tunnel with the trust if there is interest I am sure we could sort out a trip but would need 20+

Mike

If people are thinking along these lines they may also want to take a look at the monthly 'through trip' they do in the Standedge Canal Tunnel. It takes around 3hrs in a pod attached to a battery tug.

From my experience going though when they towed peoples boats you will get annoyed by the other people in the boat and the lights inside it.

Much better for the Mine Explorer type would be to blag a trip with someone who is taking their boat through. These days you can steer your own boat, accompanied by a pilot, but it has to be diesel (so Miles dingy is ruled out)

http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/huddersfield/standedge1.htm 

Rick

Whoops meant standeage Tunnel - sorry amount sending this from hols.
can have an adit now only trip

Mike

If you've not been on a through trip from Dudley to Parkhead (or vice-versa) it is well worth doing - the main bore is not that boring !

Although most of the side tunnels and caverns are at the Dudley End and you can see these on short trips which take you through the 2 new canal tunnels (1984 & 1989) which were built linking older tunnels and Singer Cavern to the main tunnel and one of the canal basins to allow the Canal Trust to run "round-trips".

Moz.

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In the 1990's we went on a PDMHS bus trip to the Black Country Museum, which included a boat trip into the limestone caverns that include the "Singing Cavern" which is accessed off the Dudley canal tunnel. This was an interesting trip and is ideal for a family contemplating a day out.

However, back in 1963/64 when the Tipton portal of the Dudley Canal Tunnel was in danger of being blocked by railway plans to block the portal by building an embankment because of the railway line crossing directly above the portal, Dudley Canal Tunnel Preservation Society was formed to opposite this work, PDMHS members supported the fight to save the tunnel entrance. Most people thought that the entrance would be lost and a trip was arranged on which Trevor Ford booked places for a few lucky PDMHS members to to be legged through the tunnel. Members from all over the country (Sheffield, Leicester, Southampton etc.) congregated early morning at the Tipton portal joining up with many other people from different societies, all of us with the same intention to stop the portal being blocked. We jumped into a steel barge that had carried coal still with the coal dust in it, no seats, we all stood tightly packed together, most of us wearing our caving helmets and carbide lamps and away we went. After passing through the Castle Hill basin we entered the tunnel and volunteers took it in turn to leg the tunnel (it is 3172 yards long) through to Park Head where we had a picnic prior to the return trip. It's not boring, especially if one likes being underground and it certainly opened my eyes to the hard life of a bargee and his family. I had a 2 x gt. grandfather who was a bargee on the Derby/Coventry canals with his family, delivering coal in the early/mid 1800's before the arrival of the railway. My gt. grandmother Ann Cotton was born whilst her parents were working the Coventry canal.

For anyone interested in reading about the Dudley limestone mines, PDMHS and Shropshire Mining & Caving club published a joint publication (P.D.M.H.S. Bulletin, Volumne 14, No. 1, Summer 1999; Shropshire Mining & Caving Club Account No. 23), the author was Steve Powell.

Does this trip just entail the usual boat-trip that you can do from the Black Country museum?

Netherton Tunnel is 3058 yards long and has a towpath through it! Well worth a look if you are in the area. There is also the remains of an engine house near one end of the tunnel.

A while back some of us managed to get the Trust to allow us to canoe through some of the tunnels. They still followed with their electric tug to ensure noone dissappeared, but they were very helpful.

http://www.sotp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=9002&highlight=dudley 

Roly

Looks fun 🙂

Looks fun :)

More chaotic I think described it!

Looks fun :)

More chaotic I think described it!

Chaotic/Fun... it's all the same! 😉

Someone may mention the Tavistock Canal Tunnel in due course and there is information on the interweb about people going down it on kayak canoes (years ago).

People get excited about access, including matey in the upstream portal house.
There is a very low section of concrete reinforcing which means that you would have to get out of a kayak.
The flow is quick and you are unlikely to be able to paddle upstream.
There is an air shaft that has a fair old beam of water coming out of it in dry weather. It sounds and is pretty hairy.

I am aware of "some people" who did it in a 15ft canadian canoe with an outboard motor and had to take the outboard off and lie down in order to get under the low bit.

Although an unadvisable trip, it would be wise to contact the DCUC to gain access particulars.