This tunnel system is somewhere I have been attempting to locate for some time. They were created c.1785 and used to power the Park Cotton Mills complex near the current site of Sainsbury’s. The mill burned down in 1868.
“…the wonderful conception which enabled him [Mr Peter Marsland] to impound the waters of the Etherow and the Goyt, for the double purpose of supplying water for mill power and for domestic use by inhabitants of the town, this scheme including a marvellous system of tunnels converging towards Park Mills”
One of the two parallel tunnels was used by the CEGB c.1960s as a water filled coolant tunnel and extended to the site of the former Stockport Power Station, presently the Peel Centre. This tunnel remains flooded.
The other tunnel, possibly interconnected or maybe not – diverged part way and continued for almost half a mile. The location of this entrance matches with where an entrance should be as shown on the plan I have, hence it should run for 15m – 20m before doubling back on itself to the right running for around 10m and then intersecting the Ancient Corn Tunnel.
Given the arch barrel looks far too flat for my liking and I can’t help wondering where all the loose bricks have come from, this looks like a challenge for the ROV I had started building a while ago (a remote controlled car with a camera stuck to the top!). Time will tell what actually lies in the distance…
This photo of a part of the tunnel dated 1959 is from the Stockport Council Website