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Report - - The Longbridge Tunnels, Birmingham - November 2018 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - The Longbridge Tunnels, Birmingham - November 2018

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Landie_Man

"Landie" or Harry
Regular User
Visited back in November with Mookster after seeing the Typhoo Factory. Another one ticked off the list which has been kicking about for years. I really enjoyed this one; though quite bare and largely sealed, it had a lot of nice things to see down there. The air was pretty bad though in places!

History - Borrowed!
The ‘Shadow Factory Tunnels’ are what remain of Lord Austin’s secret plans that were created to increase the force of the British military against the German military aggression in the arms race that led up to the start of the Second World War.

Munitions workers produced Merlin engines to power Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes which were used to regain control of the British skies during the 1940 Battle of Britain.

The Shadow Scheme involved two stages; the building of nine new factories and the extension of existing factories.

This extension included here; the Longbridge plant. Australian-born industrialist and Conservative MP, Lord Austin, whom founded Austin Motors; had already contributed to the war effort during the First World War, turning his factories to munitions and engine production.

The tunnels which ran beneath Austin Rovers Longbridge plant are mostly all that is left of the plant; a large housing development increases in size upon the former footprint. These tunnels ensured that production of the engines and munitions could continue underground in relative safety.

After WW2; the factory returned to producing automobiles and the tunnels were soon abandoned. By the late 60s, the plant was the second largest car plant in the world.

After the collapse of MG Rover, the site saw its redevelopment. Famously; a mini was kept down here after workers damaged it in the 70s and it was hidden from bosses. The mini is now in a museum.

This is a very small portion of the tunnels. Lots is bricked up

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chills

Queller of the uprising
Moderator
Agreed! Great photos with detail and sharpness capturing individual elements that make this site so unique! Love it!
 

obscurity

Flaxenation of the G!!!
Regular User
really nice snaps there mate :thumb one of the few places I never get bored of seeing quality photos from.
 

mrbrowne93

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
i only found out about this lastnight, i went to visit an asylum in wales so wanted to look up about it first and came across longbridge tunnels, i have probably spent the last 5 hours so far doing my research an im quite confident about giving it a visit so we are heading out tonight to find a way in i've got photos saved from my research of possible entry points i know 2 of them are blocked up but just curious if their is actually still a way into the tunnels, we will still go anyway just for the experience but if we can get in that's a bonus!
 

mookster

grumpy sod
Regular User
i only found out about this lastnight, i went to visit an asylum in wales so wanted to look up about it first and came across longbridge tunnels, i have probably spent the last 5 hours so far doing my research an im quite confident about giving it a visit so we are heading out tonight to find a way in i've got photos saved from my research of possible entry points i know 2 of them are blocked up but just curious if their is actually still a way into the tunnels, we will still go anyway just for the experience but if we can get in that's a bonus!

The only possible entrance to this part of the tunnels was backfilled with metres and metres of rubble and debris.

There may well be an entrance to the other half however I've not seen any photos from it for years.
 

mrbrowne93

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
The only possible entrance to this part of the tunnels was backfilled with metres and metres of rubble and debris.

There may well be an entrance to the other half however I've not seen any photos from it for years.
I went their lastnight got to one entrence which has a big blue steel down on it welded down the middle and a big pile of dort infront of it not to far down from longbridge train station behind sainsburrys and all of them shops, me and my mate pretty much walked down it all the way to the train station and couldnt find any way in
 

mrbrowne93

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
The only possible entrance to this part of the tunnels was backfilled with metres and metres of rubble and debris.

There may well be an entrance to the other half however I've not seen any photos from it for years.
I might have to look deeper into it then and try find a way in, i was debating taking a sledge hammer to the one thats bricked up but im not about all that lol just want to experienc local well know parts of history
 

mrbrowne93

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
i thought the shaddow tunnels are park of the GKN factory in swethwick ?? they're not connected to the longbridge tunnels ?
 

Landie_Man

"Landie" or Harry
Regular User
i thought the shaddow tunnels are park of the GKN factory in swethwick ?? they're not connected to the longbridge tunnels ?

It too confused me at first. A shadow factory is nothing to do with shadows created within. It’s a factory below a factory; so that while looking like theyre closed; they can continue production sub level. A shadow of a factory.
 

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