Explored with Llama.
The River Walbrook, like a number of the former tributaries of the River Thames, was gradually covered over and culverted during the past few centuries and incorporated into London's sewer network.
A couple of interesting articles on the Walbrook can be found here and here.
I'd been curious about seeing this place for many years but at the same time had been put off by how nasty it might be when there were other cleaner and easier places to explore.
Last summer, having figured out an entry point in Moorgate that looked promising, I informed Llama who went and checked it out and confirmed it was successful. Come October, I met up with him at a local pub where he reminded of how relatively deep and silty it was down there. Prepared for the filth that awaited, we were soon on our way and at the bottom of the access shaft.
Stepping carefully into the egg shaped sewer, which was somewhat stoopy at less than 5ft in height, we looked west where the confluence of the flows from three slightly smaller eggs takes place.
From here, it was a case of turning around and heading east for a short distance until we reached the western branch of the LBS.
This view looking north shows the egg on the left, which is where we emerged in to the main sewer. Another local sewer joins the mainline from the east. There is a nice dome in the roof of the tunnel here.
From here, we went a short distance north until just below Moorgate tube station where the tunnel split into two. It was at this point that we turned around and headed south and past the way we entered.
The sewer here was about 9ft in height and relatively easy going. Rags hanging from some ladders providing a reminder of just how high the flow gets when the heavens open.
A short while later, the tunnel drops down in size to about 6ft and turns a bend.
Immediately ahead, the familiar sight of 'Stoop's Limit' came into view and I was relieved that it wasn't anything like as bad as I had expected.
There was no water pouring through the brickwork from every direction so thankfully we remained dry.
Here two little local sewers join. One at either side.
For a little while, we slowly and carefully trudged down the sewer through silty and sweetcorn ridden bum truffle.
It was however, the next section - a more modern reinforced concrete pipe, that I disliked more than the previous bit. The stoopy 5ft RCP was very slippy which made progress slow. A mistake here would be most unpleasant and with the Low Level No.2 interceptor so close by, care needed to be taken.
Once safely past the interceptor, the RCP was now dry and much easier to walk in. Soon the RCP ended and the brickwork returned briefly before another mainly concrete section started.
Moments later however, we had reached the junction where the western branch of the LBS meets the eastern branch.
From here we opted to head up the eastern branch. The tunnel here had a decent height of just over 8ft.
A short distance upstream and the pipe turned to concrete again before returning to brick and opening up into this rather pretty junction.
Heading only a few metres up the right hand side pipe, we come to this steep and very slippery staircase or 'tumbling bay' as they are known. Fortunately, a handrail was provided otherwise getting up and back down would be a very risky business!
The egg shaped tunnel at the top was too stoopy to continue, so at this point we turned around and headed back to the junction where the two branches of the LBS joined.
The final part of the journey was to now head south down the sewer and admire the brickwork. This comprised blue engineering bricks for the lower part of the sewer with mainly red brick but a few yellows added for good measure.
A short way downstream and we came across these two large bricked up tunnels on either side of the sewer. Both appeared to be of the same dimensions and height, which made me wonder if that was once another sewer that ran transverse to the LBS and was now abandoned.
A couple more local sewers joined from both left and right.
Two minutes later, we reach the end chamber which is constructed of yellow brick. Here the floor of the tunnel drops away at about a 30-degree slope and the flow is taken away via a small penstock. The flow from here actually runs below and back in a northerly direction to just beyond the junction of the western and eastern branches of the LBS.
We could have probably got a pic of this little penstock if it wasn't for the fact that the tide was in and blasting jets of water in through the small gaps in the outfall flap.
It was now time to pack the camera away and head out which unfortunately involved retracing our steps all the way back to the way we got in. The next day I treated the old waders to a good bleaching.
Thanks to Llama for the good company and the enthusiasm for trudging through the shit soup. I know it isn't everybody's cup of tea!
The River Walbrook, like a number of the former tributaries of the River Thames, was gradually covered over and culverted during the past few centuries and incorporated into London's sewer network.
A couple of interesting articles on the Walbrook can be found here and here.
I'd been curious about seeing this place for many years but at the same time had been put off by how nasty it might be when there were other cleaner and easier places to explore.
Last summer, having figured out an entry point in Moorgate that looked promising, I informed Llama who went and checked it out and confirmed it was successful. Come October, I met up with him at a local pub where he reminded of how relatively deep and silty it was down there. Prepared for the filth that awaited, we were soon on our way and at the bottom of the access shaft.
Stepping carefully into the egg shaped sewer, which was somewhat stoopy at less than 5ft in height, we looked west where the confluence of the flows from three slightly smaller eggs takes place.
From here, it was a case of turning around and heading east for a short distance until we reached the western branch of the LBS.
This view looking north shows the egg on the left, which is where we emerged in to the main sewer. Another local sewer joins the mainline from the east. There is a nice dome in the roof of the tunnel here.
From here, we went a short distance north until just below Moorgate tube station where the tunnel split into two. It was at this point that we turned around and headed south and past the way we entered.
The sewer here was about 9ft in height and relatively easy going. Rags hanging from some ladders providing a reminder of just how high the flow gets when the heavens open.
A short while later, the tunnel drops down in size to about 6ft and turns a bend.
Immediately ahead, the familiar sight of 'Stoop's Limit' came into view and I was relieved that it wasn't anything like as bad as I had expected.
There was no water pouring through the brickwork from every direction so thankfully we remained dry.
Here two little local sewers join. One at either side.
For a little while, we slowly and carefully trudged down the sewer through silty and sweetcorn ridden bum truffle.
It was however, the next section - a more modern reinforced concrete pipe, that I disliked more than the previous bit. The stoopy 5ft RCP was very slippy which made progress slow. A mistake here would be most unpleasant and with the Low Level No.2 interceptor so close by, care needed to be taken.
Once safely past the interceptor, the RCP was now dry and much easier to walk in. Soon the RCP ended and the brickwork returned briefly before another mainly concrete section started.
Moments later however, we had reached the junction where the western branch of the LBS meets the eastern branch.
From here we opted to head up the eastern branch. The tunnel here had a decent height of just over 8ft.
A short distance upstream and the pipe turned to concrete again before returning to brick and opening up into this rather pretty junction.
Heading only a few metres up the right hand side pipe, we come to this steep and very slippery staircase or 'tumbling bay' as they are known. Fortunately, a handrail was provided otherwise getting up and back down would be a very risky business!
The egg shaped tunnel at the top was too stoopy to continue, so at this point we turned around and headed back to the junction where the two branches of the LBS joined.
The final part of the journey was to now head south down the sewer and admire the brickwork. This comprised blue engineering bricks for the lower part of the sewer with mainly red brick but a few yellows added for good measure.
A short way downstream and we came across these two large bricked up tunnels on either side of the sewer. Both appeared to be of the same dimensions and height, which made me wonder if that was once another sewer that ran transverse to the LBS and was now abandoned.
A couple more local sewers joined from both left and right.
Two minutes later, we reach the end chamber which is constructed of yellow brick. Here the floor of the tunnel drops away at about a 30-degree slope and the flow is taken away via a small penstock. The flow from here actually runs below and back in a northerly direction to just beyond the junction of the western and eastern branches of the LBS.
We could have probably got a pic of this little penstock if it wasn't for the fact that the tide was in and blasting jets of water in through the small gaps in the outfall flap.
It was now time to pack the camera away and head out which unfortunately involved retracing our steps all the way back to the way we got in. The next day I treated the old waders to a good bleaching.
Thanks to Llama for the good company and the enthusiasm for trudging through the shit soup. I know it isn't everybody's cup of tea!
