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Tunnel under Handsworth road


misterH

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Anyone got any info on the brick lined tunnel just been unearthed under Handsworth road just below the church and at the side of Challenger tyres?

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The tunnel is 4ft high, 4ft wide and is thought to be either for miners, or for access to St Mary's church across the road but at this moment could be anything

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In fact there used to be a sewage works just down the hill - although this seems to run perpendicular 

I've left my cursor over the site of the club

Screen_Shot_2018-02-26_at_16_40_12.png

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I’m sure we can cross mining activity off the list.

 

Any coal found that close to the surface ( if you can even find it that close?) would simply be open casted.

I’m no expert and may have this wrong, but seem to remember reading that the seams of coal run slightly down hill, as such in South Yorkshire.... Cap House just north of Barnsley had one seam at a depth of 140m were as Dinnington was far deeper. 

Given that, I think Handsworth would be more famous as a mining town with if it had a 4foot deep seam. 

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I wonder if it could be a drift entrance into a mine? There used to be a drift where the trug wagons came out (sure it is still there under the Parkway?) down Waverley Lane after the cottages in the bottom of the hill near the old bridge over the railway. This was before building of the Parkway and may well have been built over by the Parkway. 

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I looked on the coal maps and there's nothing in the vicinity. The tunnel is also roughly following the contour of the hill (or is at least perpendicular to it at this point) which a drift never would

If someone were able to get a photo showing the full cross section of the tunnel, that would tell a lot

 

Edit: You know what - it could even be the 'coal hole' for the original Ash Leigh house ?

(assuming it doesn't go all the way under the road)

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It's all a log time ago, but my Granny {died 1966} used to talk about a tunnel which ran from Handsworth Church to the Cross Keys, maybe it was built so the vicar could nip for one?

Wazzie Worrall

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