Report - Greenwich Park Reservoir, Admiralty Western Reservoir & Hyde Vale Conduit - Oct 2013.

[Ojay]

Greenwich Park Reservoir, Admiralty Western Reservoir & Hyde Vale Conduit

So I've been working in the big smoke a fair bit in recent weeks, it goes without saying I've tried to squeeze the odd outing in between..

Thanks to soylent green for hitting this up with me a while back now

..And of course credits to bauhausgirl and kevin arnold for putting the work into this one, specifically the conduit tunnels which I've heard talk of in the past yet never seen any pics

Rather than go into great detail, take a look at BHG's thread here which covers the history properly > http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/non-public-site-reports-discussions/85046-greenwich-park-reservoir-hyde-vale-conduit-admiralty-western-reservoir-ldn-oct-13-a.html

In the meantime here is a couple of bit's I yoinked from her


First up, Greenwich Park Resi

This Victorian reservoir was opened in 1844

Greenwich Hospital had spent a lot of time and cash enlarging and improving the maze of underground conduits that weave their way through the Park

As well as supplying Deptford Dockyard and the hospital itself, the surplus water could be flogged off to local residents

The spot they chose for an open reservoir in 1844 was home to a small colony of Anglo Saxon tumuli didn’t bother the admirals in charge one jot,

They had already turfed-up several ancient burial mounds before a newly-politicised public got wind of it

The fury over the Anglo-Saxon graves was both organised and angry

Greenwich’s 19th-Century Swampy, one ‘Simon Sensitive,’ was appalled and made the campaign public, writing to the Pictorial Times

The protesters got themselves a stay of execution – and they saved the burial mounds (albeit in a very damaged form.)

Reservoir cost £3,069, and was designed by Sir William Thomas Denison, Superintendent at Portsmouth Dockyard, under the watchful eye of the Admiralty Works Department

The new tank held 1,125,000 gallons of water, was partially dug-out, partially built-up and measured 160 feet across its base

It only lasted 26 years, the hospital closed in 1871 and Kent Waterworks covered the reservoir with a turf roof, and screened it with bushes.

A laddered shaft dropped us inside

Moar brick pr0n

The business end of things

Loved this place

Next up, Admiralty Western Reservoir

This lot is all linked to Conduit House

Inside, there’s a big room, underneath which the business went on – a big old reservoir that sent out tunnels full of water to the hospital

It was used by the authorities during WW2 as an air raid shelter, having since been drained

Eastern End cell, this would have been the original entrance to the shelter; note the sign on the floor by the doorway

Cells

Toilet cubicles constructed from rudimentary blockwork in the Westwern end-cell

Graffiti, time capsule and ball bounce marks

Lastly, Hyde Vale Conduit

At least three underground tunnels or conduits are known to exist under Greenwich Park, brick-built and practically large enough in which to walk upright

These were water mains designed to channel natural groundwater from higher up the hill down to the buildings of the Royal Hospital for Seamen, now the National Maritime Museum, at Greenwich

The construction of the Royal Hospital was commenced in the reign of King William and Queen Mary in 1698, utilising an uncompleted building of 1664 originally designed as a palace, to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren

There are three conduit heads from this system: Hyde Vale, One Tree Hill Conduit Head and the Standard Reservoir Conduit House, all listed

The Hyde Vale conduit is an underground tunnel, constructed of brick, built to carry water to the Standard Reservoir in Greenwich Park

Originally, the conduit ran south-westwards towards a conduit head at the top of Hyde Vale, but subsequently blocking has reduced its length to just under 250m

The Hyde Vale conduit is probably to be dated to c. 1695, when an existing conduit system was refurbished to supply the Royal Hospital

The original entrances to the conduits were sealed by the Royal Parks authority to prevent unauthorised access some years ago

17th Century tunnels, yes please


And so we dropped into these here tunnels

Thanks for looking ​