Bridgemouth Culvert, Manchester
Having already checked out numerous systems in and around this particular area, frustratingly this place had eluded me for sometime now
It was concreteJungle that first checked in on this culvert and having appreciated a hint or two, un-believably I'd already been here..
..Rewind a good 12 months and I'd already looked south of the bridge and wrote the rest of it off as being too small according to some rather un-reliable data!
It's unlike me to write something off without a closer look, ah well props to CJ none-the-less
Only a short one this (Around 300m) A mix of >Stone >Concrete >Brick makes for the culvert which exits via a sizeable dressed stone Arch
(Probably the most interesting bit really!)
The outfall is quite deceiving, as once inside shrinks to barely a 5ft stoop, and continues like so throughout..
Heading up the first stretch through this spray creted box, batting away years worths of cobwebs and spiders that have taken over here
It had been raining hard the past few days on and off and this was infact the first day it had finally let up
Around 100m in, the box sections widens as 3 cast iron sewer pipes cross and a surface drain via a small RCP
(The first being out of shot behind the camera, and the second two require some kind of retarded water sport contortion skills to continue on)
Further upstream the culvert changed direction, along with the construction; the next section was a much older stone affair
Once exposed to the elements and now capped with concrete slabs, forcing it underground to make way for future builds
Headroom was further restricted in this section of the culvert and the water level had crept up to just under 2ft in depth by this point
(Upstream) - This is what the brook looked like before it was culverted
As I shone my torch into the distance, I caught a glimpse of some brickwork
Ahead a junction...
Beyond which the culvert continued on through a slightly deeper yet much stoopier 3ft brick pipe.. NO THANKS!
(Besides there was light at the end of the tunnel)
:
Connecting on the right hand side was another watercourse, which exited through a 4ft brick arch
NOT getting wet wasn't an option here as I had this urge to drag myself up it to see where it went
I was about to give up, until it curved around revealing daylight in the distance
Pressing on, and having covered around 80ft now, the tunnel connected to what looked like a much older stone section, covered in spray crete for reinforcement
At little over 3ft with slightly deeper water for 20+ ft just to stare at an impassable grill.. WIN
SO.. Here are a couple of externals
Along the way were a number of blocked off manhole shafts
This grid located in the road above the only one I could see A.N Other way in/out
And from above
Thanks for looking
