The Shortcliff Brook runs from the Leicestershire countryside, and ultimately, after merging into other watercourses, flows into the town of Loughborough. Along its course the brook flows beneath the M1 motorway, and as a result is joined by several smaller motorway drains along its course. This stretch of the M1 was opened in the mid-'60s, so I would assume most of this is from about that period as well.
'The Shortcliff Series', as you may have guessed, is a series of short culverts in this area, taking the brook under quarry workings, the M1 itself, an A road from a junction, and finally under a former railway line. I wasn't initially expecting this to be report-worthy, I just went out for a mooch to test the new lenser, but after discovering more nearby I thought it'd make a nice report joined up. Anyway, onwards...
The Brook flows from the west...
It's met by this 3ft pipe, which takes it under quarry workings for about 100m.
After following the pipe to the other side, the brook once again opens up for about 150m as it winds through a wooded area.
A couple of these things were just beside the brook itself. UrbanCaving says he thinks its a marker for a water main.
At this point the brook curves around and drops down into a chamber to pass under the motorway.
Now into the first explorable culvert...
After this culvert the brook follows the motorway for about 500m, with a few smaller motorway drains joining onto it along the way. Afterwards the brook again drops down into another culvert, but 6ft this time! This one was explored in reverse, starting at the outfall.
Here a section of concrete (I presume) has collapsed or been eroded away beneath the brook... I made sure not to fall into it
...and last but not least, a little railway culvert about 50m downstream from the outfall of the above culvert. A little stoopy this time but at least its not RCP again.
From this onwards the brook flows towards loughborough, with Harvester culvert being just over 1km downstream.
Thanks for looking!
'The Shortcliff Series', as you may have guessed, is a series of short culverts in this area, taking the brook under quarry workings, the M1 itself, an A road from a junction, and finally under a former railway line. I wasn't initially expecting this to be report-worthy, I just went out for a mooch to test the new lenser, but after discovering more nearby I thought it'd make a nice report joined up. Anyway, onwards...
The Brook flows from the west...
It's met by this 3ft pipe, which takes it under quarry workings for about 100m.
After following the pipe to the other side, the brook once again opens up for about 150m as it winds through a wooded area.
A couple of these things were just beside the brook itself. UrbanCaving says he thinks its a marker for a water main.
At this point the brook curves around and drops down into a chamber to pass under the motorway.
Now into the first explorable culvert...
After this culvert the brook follows the motorway for about 500m, with a few smaller motorway drains joining onto it along the way. Afterwards the brook again drops down into another culvert, but 6ft this time! This one was explored in reverse, starting at the outfall.
Here a section of concrete (I presume) has collapsed or been eroded away beneath the brook... I made sure not to fall into it
...and last but not least, a little railway culvert about 50m downstream from the outfall of the above culvert. A little stoopy this time but at least its not RCP again.
From this onwards the brook flows towards loughborough, with Harvester culvert being just over 1km downstream.
Thanks for looking!
