WORK 6 - Manchester
Essentially one of Manchester's intercepting sewers, and little brother of the much larger Davyhulme twins..
This started with a snippet of information I stumbled upon a couple of years ago now whilst looking for something else
Infact it was this construction pic and further linkage that provided further reading and reeled me in
With very little information to go on it's literally taken me all this time (on and off) to locate a suitable/safe entrance
Most access points are within busy roads, and the ones that aren't are without rungs or the step irons have corroded away
After wandering the streets and lifting numerous lids, with only glimpses of what lay below I had practically given up!
Just a few days ago whilst rooting through some scraps of paper for leads I spotted a comment relating to a particular lid I had never been able to lift
Mainly because it's in quite a busy location and a well traversed route by the POLICE
Constructed circa 1911, (Largely a 9ft brick pipe) this interceptor recieves flow from other connecting transverse sewers along the way to the WwTW
Some of the upstream sections have been replaced/modernised over the years with concrete, with a number of inspection shafts and a detention tank thrown in
Yesterday I got this burning desire to go and check this lid, and with the weather kinda on my side, although not favourable for such a system potentially
I drove past earlier yesterday and luckily things had changed (temporarily) so I decided to seize the opportunity
The rain subsided so back I went, waiting for the POLICE and the local chavs to stop circling about and down I went
(A big thanks to Troubleuk who ultimately was my wingman above ground in case anything went wrong) cheers fella
50ft down into a huge split level inspection chamber/detention tank
(Pic looking down to the half way landing stage, the manhole a good 15ft above my head and another 35ft to the interceptor below)
Down to the first landing stage
THIS
Here a mid level sewer flows from left to right and drops down through a cast iron pipe to the main interceptor below
(The smaller sewer is also visible through the square griddle to the right of the above shot ^)
On the far side and beyond the brick barrier which serves as an overflow weir for the mid level sewer is another ladder which descends a further 25ft to the intercepting sewer below
The ladder in the foreground takes you closer to the mid level sewer
HERE
It was foul in the very sense it was grim, and had recently overflowed during yesterdays downpour, causing a build up of turdage and sanitry products
It also sported a frothy head, which is usually associated with a cold beer which I now yearned for
Just after taking this pic I headed upstream through the st00py 5ft RCP, but soon retreated as both my leaky wellies & my nostrils were no match for this shit-pipe!
At the far side of the landing stage, and beyond the brick overflow is another ladder to the main sewer below
At the bottom, a much smaller landing stage with steps down to the sewer, to the left the cast iron pipe to which the mid level sewer descends
Expecting to see some age old brick pr0n, instead was greeted with this dull concrete affair
I made my way into the fast flowing fresh..
This is looking downstream
(You can see the sewer exiting through the iron-work, the lower landing and the interceptor as it races beyond the catch chain through the 7ft RCP)
I first headed upstream for a good while, just endless RCP with manholes in the road chiming overhead - Nothing to See Here
Heading back to where I started I decided to head downstream in search of some brick, sadly moar RCP so concious I had left Trouble above ground far too long now decided to head back and call it a night
____________
SO earlier this evening I headed back to hit a manhole further downstream, luckily the scrub land provided good cover so off I went, again in search of some brick
500m further downstream and bear in mind it was still raining, the noise just got ridiculous, suddenly another 5ft trunk sewer dropped in from my right
(There was no chance of me getting my camera out on the way down, as I had my work cut out fighting the flow and the slippery pipe)
Now the sewer started to steer to the right, another 100 yards or so and my torch caught a glimpse of something
That something being BIGFUCKOFF 9ft RBP.. Finally!
The flow evened out and it became less slippy, so whipping the camera out here wasn't questionable
In the distance the sewer started to curve left, it wasn't long before it reached a large inspection chamber
I climbed up the steps to the side and went for a poke about, this is what I found:
a.) Looking down into the sewer
b.) A 10ft ladder upto a landing stage higher up the chamber
Here 2 cast iron pipes, possible storm drains ? which you can see exiting through the 2 round outfalls below into the interceptor (see pic further up ^)
Beyond the railings and looking down you can just about make out the sewer below
Making my way back down the ladders and into the sewer I headed downstream for a good distance, again with manholes chiming from the streets above
Enough was enough as I wasn't prepared to follow it around town besides the air quality was poor and my lens was becoming a twat to de-mist
I was more than happy with what I had seen of it already
ENDS.
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