Not sure what to say about this one, a site that many will have noticed looking pretty much derelict AF for years as you would pass just after the M5 J18 slip road. Despite it's run down appearance the site has been in use since its original build around the 1960's. It's difficult to find any sort of info on it. At one time I found a lovely pic from the early years showing it was actually manned back then.
So what do we know about it? It serves to pump sewage from (I think) the Northern Foulwater Sewer under the motorway and into the treatment plant that sits to the left of the M49. Over the years we've looked at this site on many occasion. I recall as far back as 2008 when @rigsby got on the roof only for a worker to turn up. Back before covid we got closer again but alarms were triggered and we left it again for another day. All of a sudden this summer the site seemed to have been powered down. It's possible its now redundant or maybe its mothballed due to this incident back in 2020: Avonmouth explosion: Investigation after four killed in blast - its not impossible to imagine that the waste was pumped down into these tanks. The site of the explosion is still untouched two years later waiting for a full investigation to complete.
Anyway for a few weeks this summer the site was accessible. It led to the local yoof smashing it up a bit and then no sooner was it doable it was locked down again. What can we say about the inside? 6 induction motors pushed the shite from the sluice gates on the lower level along and under the motoways. At some point two of the motors have been removed in last 3-4 years. The remains of the original manned control room are still there along with some new automation stuff.
The lower level can only be described as 'grim' where the motors from the above floor meet the sluice gates. I had recovered from Covid recently before this visit and had lost all sense of smell. 5 minutes on this level fully restored a sense of smell. A tip for you then.. if you lose your smell from covid, go do some smelly drains. Along with the smell was the pleasantries that come with domestic sewage trunks.. jonnys, baby wipes, nappies, used tampons. Absolutely rotten. But hey it scratched a 15 odd year itch, another one ticked off with much credit to @END-PROC who kept a keen eye on it.
On with the pics:
So what do we know about it? It serves to pump sewage from (I think) the Northern Foulwater Sewer under the motorway and into the treatment plant that sits to the left of the M49. Over the years we've looked at this site on many occasion. I recall as far back as 2008 when @rigsby got on the roof only for a worker to turn up. Back before covid we got closer again but alarms were triggered and we left it again for another day. All of a sudden this summer the site seemed to have been powered down. It's possible its now redundant or maybe its mothballed due to this incident back in 2020: Avonmouth explosion: Investigation after four killed in blast - its not impossible to imagine that the waste was pumped down into these tanks. The site of the explosion is still untouched two years later waiting for a full investigation to complete.
Anyway for a few weeks this summer the site was accessible. It led to the local yoof smashing it up a bit and then no sooner was it doable it was locked down again. What can we say about the inside? 6 induction motors pushed the shite from the sluice gates on the lower level along and under the motoways. At some point two of the motors have been removed in last 3-4 years. The remains of the original manned control room are still there along with some new automation stuff.
The lower level can only be described as 'grim' where the motors from the above floor meet the sluice gates. I had recovered from Covid recently before this visit and had lost all sense of smell. 5 minutes on this level fully restored a sense of smell. A tip for you then.. if you lose your smell from covid, go do some smelly drains. Along with the smell was the pleasantries that come with domestic sewage trunks.. jonnys, baby wipes, nappies, used tampons. Absolutely rotten. But hey it scratched a 15 odd year itch, another one ticked off with much credit to @END-PROC who kept a keen eye on it.
On with the pics:
