Local school finds out about work on Victorian railway tunnel with dark history
A team working for the Historical Railway Estate (HRE) visited St Augustine’s CE Primary School recently to tell pupils about a scheme being undertaken on a nearby Victorian railway tunnel with a tragic history.
A team working for the Historical Railway Estate (HRE) visited St Augustine’s CE Primary School recently to tell pupils about a scheme being undertaken on a nearby Victorian railway tunnel with a tragic history.
The school, part of Vantage Academy Trust, sits next to Clifton Hall Tunnel in Pendlebury, Greater Manchester, where the collapse of a construction shaft resulted in five fatalities in the 1950s.
Afterwards, the tunnel was closed and partially infilled but a few voids were left that have now been filled to ensure the tunnel remains safe for generations to come.
HRE Engineer Andrew Willison and contactors AmcoGiffen talked to pupils from years five and six about the HRE work, what is happening in the tunnel and about construction site safety.
AmcoGiffen also returned to St Augustine’s to clear vegetation, lay artificial grass, paint planters and build an arbour in the school’s Peace Garden as well as working on the early years playground.
Andrew said, “National Highways took over managing the HRE in 2013 and since then regular safety checks have been carried out at Clifton Hall.
“To ensure the tunnel stays safe in the future we decided to fill the remaining voids as a precautionary measure and St Augustine’s school have been very helpful in providing access to the construction site through their playing field.
“The visit was part of our thank you and we were delighted that the pupils seemed really interested and asked lots of questions.”
During the visit the children were shown a model of the tunnel and heard about the work, which involved filling 30 metres of voids with 2,200 tonnes of cement and ash, as well as viewing the worksite from the school grounds.
Emma Dilworth, Associate Principal at St Augustine’s CE Primary School, said, “The pupils and staff were fascinated to learn all about the history of Clifton Tunnel and how the local area has changed over the years.
“The demonstration of how the tunnel will be filled was very interesting. The pupils relished the opportunity to contribute to a time capsule that was buried within the tunnel.”
Dave Martin, Contracts Manager, AmcoGiffen, said, “Our combined rail and highway expertise has enabled safe, on-time and in budget delivery of this unique project on behalf of National Highways. In addition, we were able to forge a cherished connection with St Augustine’s to ensure the history of the tunnel is remembered for generations to come.
History
Constructed in the 1846 Clifton Hall Tunnel, which locally took the name of its dark-whiskered foreman, ‘Black Harry’ formed part of the Patricroft to Molyneux Junction line and is a double track horseshoe shaped tunnel measuring 1187 metres long and lined throughout with brick. Its construction was difficult from the beginning as the ground was very unstable where mining had already taken place.
The surrounding area was subject to intense urbanisation with the need for homes being built directly above the tunnel and there were several rounds of remedial works including the addition of steel ribbing to provide additional support.
Salford City Council granted planning permission for the scheme in May 2024 and AmcoGiffen started work in November.
Following a partial collapse on 13 April 1953 all trains were stopped and inspection carried out. Two weeks later the tunnel roof failed, directly beneath an old construction shaft.
Witness accounts from residents living above the tunnel described hearing a loud cracking noise at 5:35am, followed by two houses, numbers 22 and 24 Temple Drive, collapsing to the ground. The tragedy resulted in five fatalities and the tunnel was never reopened.
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