Report - Conisbrough water pipe tunnel , june 2021

[jezzyboo]

Been wanting to get this done for a ages and after viewing Hughie'ds and tarky's excellent reports the urge grew even stronger im not going to bore you with the history as its been done before and better than i could have done it lol , Had been out early this year for a scout but was unable to locate the entrance so returned a fortnight ago determined to find it . However after about 40 minutes wondering around the woods no doubt looking like a weirdo i was forced to accept defeat and go back home lick my wounded pride and study maps and previous reports ( which is what i should have done in the first bloody place ) returning again this morning and finding it easy ( i had been searching the wrong area ) i got kitted up and in i went

start point at the conisbrough side

bit of a squeeze getting in but once inside it wasn't uncomfortable this is looking back to the start

on with the explore at last nice arched roof

change in styles to flat metal plate roof

limestone rock sides and brickwork inbetween

after a time i arrived at the first of 4 air shafts the tunnel is well ventilated and dry

moving onwards from the first air shaft this was the tightest bit of the whole explore had to go in feet first but it did open up again

this next bit had mini hurdles lol the cast iron water pipe is asbout 18 inches in diameter or 450mm

air shaft number 2 not as deep as the first there was a metal grid on the top of them all not evident on the pics

brick archway the start of section 3

looking back to the air shaft

air shaft number 3

approaching air shaft 4

around the bottom of the air shafts it was tight but the rest of the tunnel isn't to bad that wheelbarrow is still there not ageing to well lol

the last air shaft number 4 the only one built in brickwork

last squeeze not one to do if your claustrophobic lol

looking back to air shaft looks like some one has started nicking the pipes

end in sight ! back to metal plate roof with the pipe gone it was dead easy to walk through this last section

and back to brick arched roof

nearly out

the new Edlington end

walking back out you can see conisbrough water tower and the island's of trees all 4 of them is were the vent shafts are clearly visible on google maps , well enjoyed this one cheers for watching

 

[HughieD]

Good work mate!

 

[danensis]

I did that from the Edlo end back in the early 1960s. It was a pain either walking double on top of the pipe, or trying to squeeze down one side or the other. At least there wasn't all the infill down the air shafts in those days.

 

[jezzyboo]

I did that from the Edlo end back in the early 1960s. It was a pain either walking double on top of the pipe, or trying to squeeze down one side or the other. At least there wasn't all the infill down the air shafts in those days.

great to hear this ,wow ! early sixties explore torches and cameras have got a bit better but nice to hear its not changed to much hope these pics brought back good memories for you hope other people are still exploring it in another 60 odd years time thanks again for your comments

 

[HughieD]

great to hear this ,wow ! early sixties explore torches and cameras have got a bit better but nice to hear its not changed to much hope these pics brought back good memories for you hope other people are still exploring it in another 60 odd years time thanks again for your comments

What @jezzyboo said!

 

[Dirge the sergal]

Good to know I'm not the only person to spend ages wandering around the woods looking for the west entrance. Found the east one non problem and went a short way in a while ago but the one in the woods still eludes me