Report - River Rea - Birmingham - May 2015

[TheVicar]

​

Birmingham's River Rea doesn't appear to attract many visitors other than graffiti artists and heroin addicts (needles embedded in the seals between RCP sections) and whilst I'd been meaning to have look down there for the last 4 years or so, I just never got round to it and forgot about it.

However, the thought of it entered my mind again a month or so ago and with the better weather I decided to meet up with concreteJungle and check it out.

Like most culverts and drains, it's the sort of place you could spend all day investigating side tunnels and taking photos but we didn't have quite that long to spend.

The section we explored was between Highgate and Duddeston Mill which is where the vast majority of the interesting bits are:

It was just downstream from this more unusual piece of debris (which was still connected to the factory above) that a long stoopy box culvert joined the Rea which eventually led to 'Snot Jerusalem.


Further on at Floodgate Street there is a pedestrian footbridge across the river, under the railway bridge:

Down by Montague Street the river passes below another railway bridge before entering the longest culverted section during its course:

 

[Snake Oil]

Liking this, those side pipes do look inviting

 

[concreteJungle]

Nice photos man, was a good days walk down that stretch.

I can't quite believe the needle pipe, despite it looking full of large diameter sewery potential the urge to explore it was killed by those pointy gatekeepers.

Birmingham needs a dedicated drainer on this, there were so many of those wooden flaps that deserve more attention.

 

[Miss Mayhem]

Very nice, looks lovely,
Cheers for sharing

 

[Lancashire lad]

now this is a drain id like to get to grips with looks great

 

[huey]

Nice report and cracking pics, looking good.

 

[The Shepshed Diamondback]

at the start of the pics I thought it looked but wow I love the look of the inside, great job.

 

[Adders]

@turkey, fancy a trip down here?

 

[Ojay]

^ haha

We would have pulled more of it off if it wasn't for exceptional circumstances..

Good work gents, and some decent pics, sadly we only have video and front page news

 

[TheVicar]

Thanks everyone! It's well worth a visit if you are local or passing by Brum

 

[Punk]

Very nice Love the underground section

 

[Rosary_Boy]

the pictures with the three tunnels is called the dark half hour we use to walk this when kids in early 80s if you know your know.
if it rained heavy you would be in trouble making this walk, us kids from saltley and Bordesley was always down there
good times, by the way love the photos

 

[TheVicar]

the pictures with the three tunnels is called the dark half hour we use to walk this when kids in early 80s if you know your know.
if it rained heavy you would be in trouble making this walk, us kids from saltley and Bordesley was always down there
good times, by the way love the photos

Thanks for this input. It's always great to hear other people's memories of such places, especially if it was somewhere they explored as a child!
I like the name 'Dark half hour'. Nice one.

 

[Rosary_Boy]

Thanks for this input. It's always great to hear other people's memories of such places, especially if it was somewhere they explored as a child!
I like the name 'Dark half hour'. Nice one.

Would like to do the walk again but as its so slippy as F**k and not so good on my feet as then I don't really wana end up in the river lol

 

[Calamity Jane]

Love this, I find these reports calming, and these are stunning, the light is fantastic.