River Fleet CSO
The River Fleet is the most famous underground river in London. It was certainly at the top of my list of things to do under the smoke. I am particularly grateful to both Adders and Ojay for their detailed accounts of it, which I’ve read through dozens of times now. Adders for the map, which got me off to a flying start at the end of 2016 and Ojays for the description and photo of a certain really useful lid (where Mrs Brown and dog Tiddles nearly ended up across the road!) which made completing this monster CSO actually achievable.
This report covers the whole lot of the main line Fleet Sewer and most of the Storm Relief, which runs much deeper than the CSO at the upstream end and regularly receives overflows from the main sewer above.
I’d take a seat if yer gonna read all of it. There’s lots to see down there and I didn’t hold back with my camera! I’ll describe my mooches from the upstream end of the CSO first and the Storm Relief last.
I’ve been down various parts of the system five times now from only two lids! I saw the upper most part on the fourth visit and dropped in at that really useful lid not far from the Regents Canal and walked upstream as far as I could before I started going downstream again! At that point I turned back and took pics.
Not sure which way it flows here but at the far end it joins with a fast flowing 4ft concrete egg falling away from the Fleet.
Turning around and these twisty tunnels soon drop into the Fleets main line
The tunnel on the left, I assume, is the River Fleet, which rises in Hampstead Heath. The tunnel right of the wall leads to where the previous two photos were taken from.
Or maybe this is the Fleet? Either way side pipes come thick and fast to begin with
There were several junctions like this, which seemed to alternated between the left and right pipes being bricked up. I didn’t venture far up any of them
And lovely curvy junctions
Londons “second staircase of DOOM” It really isn't that bad to traverse – I guess being tall helps. Keep mouth shut and hold onto the slimy handrail for all its worth. With gloves on of course! Check out the scour marks on the side, though, jeez….
There’s three or four almost identical chambers like this, each with their own drop shaft linking them to the storm relief below.
From Adders report
The section under Regents Canal is pretty stoopy. Not too bad but bad enough! From this side (looking downstream) the floor drops about a foot 15m in, giving more headroom for another 15m. Then the roof drops 2ft to about 3ft high for the final 10m. Its not pleasant but a means to an end and all that. Keep mouth shut and camera strap shortened around neck! Maybe being tall isn’t so good….
This was a nice chamber to drop into. On my fifth and most recent visit with theVicar, the first thing we both saw was a discarded and drowned iphone in the overflow pipe. Somehow it hadn’t made it to the dropshaft on its own so theVicar helped it along its way. Best place for it, I say…..
Just downstream of this chamber was one of those loud but stoopy side pipes, that I couldn’t resist exploring at the end of my upstream visit. Well I’d been under for the best part of three hours already, so it’ll just be a piss in the interceptor in comparison. I’m rather glad I did too, after five minutes stoopin. At the top it seems to open up again to approx. 5’ but I didn’t fancy the inevitable soaking. Just taking this was bad enough!
Soon after we left the chamber that we entered from we could hear the roar of the Mid Level No.2 Interceptor, indeed you can easily hear it from the surface. The invert narrows along much of this stretch and the going is awkward, balancy, slippery and slow. As you pass the interceptor another slimy handrail is provided to give you something to grab onto if you slip while taking photos! The flow is quite fast here as the sewage tries to drag you down the interceptor. Hold on tight and don’t furkin slip! Presumably the interceptor is accessible here, or was, judging by the two tempting handrails that disappear down into it.
As usual its drier but shittier after an interceptor for a short while until more pipes add to the flow
The walk down to one of the newer sections took longer than we were expecting. The concrete pipes, chamber and overflow were constructed in the 80’s to accommodate the development of Kings Cross overhead. There’s an overflow on both sides, with the left one going under the main line to join the right one, which leads to another concrete pipe and drop shaft to the storm relief.
Unfortunately, this overflow has been bricked up. Fortunately, I knew there was another similar one further down, that wasn’t.
More bricked up side pipes, just like further upstream
Presumably this is a more modern tube line that couldn’t be kept out of the sewer. At least there was a sign to warn those who haven’t seen it ahead. Safety first an all that…..
Cast iron reinforcement
This is one of the best overflow chambers I’ve ever seen; its mint! It’s a joy to look at and figure out its construction, which is impeccable as usual, except the odd leak! I couldn’t work out why the drop shaft is at the upstream end instead of the downstream end like all the others. The drop shaft connects with another side pipe but why didn’t they move the whole thing upstream 10m to accommodate that? Seems less efficient to me. It’s a long way until the next one, which presumably has something to do with its size. Unfortunately, these were the best two pics I got, despite help from the vicar, as I’d not charged me torch up the night before
You don’t see stemples like this in modern drains. That overhang looks far too dangerous and tiring on the arms
Finally we arrived at the Farringdon Road section, where the pipe nearly doubles in size. Much epicness awaits downstream of here, its probably the most feature packed two miles of drain I’ve walked down.
Normal flows disappear down the Mid Level Number 1 Interceptor, storm flows go over the weir, which has this shiny new handrail on it. The tag on it was dated April 2017. The Vicar and I left just down from here and went our separate ways home on public transport. I got a few funny looks I’m sure! Thanks for the good company again, mate!
Continued Below.....
The River Fleet is the most famous underground river in London. It was certainly at the top of my list of things to do under the smoke. I am particularly grateful to both Adders and Ojay for their detailed accounts of it, which I’ve read through dozens of times now. Adders for the map, which got me off to a flying start at the end of 2016 and Ojays for the description and photo of a certain really useful lid (where Mrs Brown and dog Tiddles nearly ended up across the road!) which made completing this monster CSO actually achievable.
This report covers the whole lot of the main line Fleet Sewer and most of the Storm Relief, which runs much deeper than the CSO at the upstream end and regularly receives overflows from the main sewer above.
I’d take a seat if yer gonna read all of it. There’s lots to see down there and I didn’t hold back with my camera! I’ll describe my mooches from the upstream end of the CSO first and the Storm Relief last.
I’ve been down various parts of the system five times now from only two lids! I saw the upper most part on the fourth visit and dropped in at that really useful lid not far from the Regents Canal and walked upstream as far as I could before I started going downstream again! At that point I turned back and took pics.
Not sure which way it flows here but at the far end it joins with a fast flowing 4ft concrete egg falling away from the Fleet.
Turning around and these twisty tunnels soon drop into the Fleets main line
The tunnel on the left, I assume, is the River Fleet, which rises in Hampstead Heath. The tunnel right of the wall leads to where the previous two photos were taken from.
Or maybe this is the Fleet? Either way side pipes come thick and fast to begin with
There were several junctions like this, which seemed to alternated between the left and right pipes being bricked up. I didn’t venture far up any of them
And lovely curvy junctions
Londons “second staircase of DOOM” It really isn't that bad to traverse – I guess being tall helps. Keep mouth shut and hold onto the slimy handrail for all its worth. With gloves on of course! Check out the scour marks on the side, though, jeez….
There’s three or four almost identical chambers like this, each with their own drop shaft linking them to the storm relief below.
From Adders report
The section under Regents Canal is pretty stoopy. Not too bad but bad enough! From this side (looking downstream) the floor drops about a foot 15m in, giving more headroom for another 15m. Then the roof drops 2ft to about 3ft high for the final 10m. Its not pleasant but a means to an end and all that. Keep mouth shut and camera strap shortened around neck! Maybe being tall isn’t so good….
This was a nice chamber to drop into. On my fifth and most recent visit with theVicar, the first thing we both saw was a discarded and drowned iphone in the overflow pipe. Somehow it hadn’t made it to the dropshaft on its own so theVicar helped it along its way. Best place for it, I say…..
Just downstream of this chamber was one of those loud but stoopy side pipes, that I couldn’t resist exploring at the end of my upstream visit. Well I’d been under for the best part of three hours already, so it’ll just be a piss in the interceptor in comparison. I’m rather glad I did too, after five minutes stoopin. At the top it seems to open up again to approx. 5’ but I didn’t fancy the inevitable soaking. Just taking this was bad enough!
Soon after we left the chamber that we entered from we could hear the roar of the Mid Level No.2 Interceptor, indeed you can easily hear it from the surface. The invert narrows along much of this stretch and the going is awkward, balancy, slippery and slow. As you pass the interceptor another slimy handrail is provided to give you something to grab onto if you slip while taking photos! The flow is quite fast here as the sewage tries to drag you down the interceptor. Hold on tight and don’t furkin slip! Presumably the interceptor is accessible here, or was, judging by the two tempting handrails that disappear down into it.
As usual its drier but shittier after an interceptor for a short while until more pipes add to the flow
The walk down to one of the newer sections took longer than we were expecting. The concrete pipes, chamber and overflow were constructed in the 80’s to accommodate the development of Kings Cross overhead. There’s an overflow on both sides, with the left one going under the main line to join the right one, which leads to another concrete pipe and drop shaft to the storm relief.
Unfortunately, this overflow has been bricked up. Fortunately, I knew there was another similar one further down, that wasn’t.
More bricked up side pipes, just like further upstream
Presumably this is a more modern tube line that couldn’t be kept out of the sewer. At least there was a sign to warn those who haven’t seen it ahead. Safety first an all that…..
Cast iron reinforcement
This is one of the best overflow chambers I’ve ever seen; its mint! It’s a joy to look at and figure out its construction, which is impeccable as usual, except the odd leak! I couldn’t work out why the drop shaft is at the upstream end instead of the downstream end like all the others. The drop shaft connects with another side pipe but why didn’t they move the whole thing upstream 10m to accommodate that? Seems less efficient to me. It’s a long way until the next one, which presumably has something to do with its size. Unfortunately, these were the best two pics I got, despite help from the vicar, as I’d not charged me torch up the night before
You don’t see stemples like this in modern drains. That overhang looks far too dangerous and tiring on the arms
Finally we arrived at the Farringdon Road section, where the pipe nearly doubles in size. Much epicness awaits downstream of here, its probably the most feature packed two miles of drain I’ve walked down.
Normal flows disappear down the Mid Level Number 1 Interceptor, storm flows go over the weir, which has this shiny new handrail on it. The tag on it was dated April 2017. The Vicar and I left just down from here and went our separate ways home on public transport. I got a few funny looks I’m sure! Thanks for the good company again, mate!
Continued Below.....
