I found myself with a free pass on a Saturday and thought I’d use the chance to see if I could get out with some local drainers. Luckily for me @Ojay and @Nickindroy were both free and kindly took me to somewhere I’d never think of going myself. And it really is a cracking explore. Thank you both very much for taking me along!
I’m not sure my photos can really do this drain justice, so I’ll explain what I found so captivating about the culvert when I get to that part. It was not short on intriguing features either. It might not be the longest drain, but it makes up for that in quality. No idea why this hasn't had a report done on it for so long.
About the Culvert
Not much to say other than, the appropriately named Hyde Falls is a culvert that takes the Wilson Brook under the M67 and adjacent the canal. It's fairly short and sweet.
The Explore
We were due to enter culvert with a thunder storm looming, and when it rains you’re supposed to stay out of the drains, but the culvert was picked by Ojay and Nick because it would be easy enough to get out of if we really needed to. And they know what they’re doing so off we went.
We started by going through the inflow, which is boxed concrete with a stone floor; possibly the same stone that runs along the outflow section of the underground river.
A short way in and there is a tributary that joins the main outflow. At the time we went in, it was kicking up some spray, but it was a nice little feature that was innocuous enough.
A shot of the outflow looking back from just past the tributary...
Heading up from here the stone floor starts to incline up and the water running downhill has cut into the rock creating little pools. Some aren't actually that little. They're quite deep. Clambering over this is like rock pooling when you're a kid, but if someone has put a bit hat over the rock pools. And for me that is what's so endearing about this culvert. There are shallow fast moving sections and deep chasm like sections, all which make for an interesting journey towards the next section.
And then, when you get to the top of the slope and peer past the brow of the cascading river the culvert opens up into a huge chamber with two waterfalls. The floor is the same rock flooring, with deeply cut pools and white rapids. There is the familiar deleterious of river fed drains scattered around the perimeter; stones, rocks and branches.
Ojay surveying the waterfalls.
The waterfalls and rock pools beneath. These really are an amazing feature.
Looking back from the waterfalls to the outflow. The chamber is large (the picture of Ojay above gives a sense of scale). There is some kind of inflow to the top of the chamber with stalagmites building down.
Leaky Hole. Stalagmites.
While I was snapping this Ojay and Nick headed out to inspect something that caught their eye leaving me in my self inflicted darkness. And, out the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw the ghost of a manfrotto tripod.
It wasn't long before Ojay was ushering us out. Bearing in mind we were expecting an epic storm, the tributary started churning out all manner of foul shit. It seemed like the storm had hit higher up and if we hung about we would struggle to get out (or get flushed out). The stuff that was coming out of the tributary now was foul smelling and grim and contained every kind of modern day crap you can think of. Including dry board partitioning. And the usual sticks and twigs. The spray it was once kicking up raged more fiercely and smelt horribly of decay.
Outside the outflow and looking after Ojay's camera, Nick and Ojay ventured in to inspect what was happening. I took a snap of them satisfying their curiosity whilst hearing the bottles bounce down the shoot and smash as they hit the concrete floor below.
We exited the outflow and made out way up the embankment. At first I thought there were UU employees mooching about above, but it turned out they worked for the canal trust. The tributary connects to the canal and they were clearing all the shit that had built up around the inflow by letting canal water flow out and pushing the shit down. And we all know the kind of crap that people throw in canals. That explains where the tributary connects to.
After another short wander and hop over a fence and scramble down an embankment, we arrived at the inflow.
Not far into the culvert, you can see it has been extended at some point because there on display is Hyde's answer to Megatron's archway.
The main flow of the river diverges into two channels. Nick and Ojay went ahead and you can see there torch lights in the left hand tunnel.
Following the left hand tunnel, I took a snap of Nick looking back up the tunnel. A spot of light painting from both directions makes this image for me.
Looking out over the falls now from the end of the left hand culvert. You can see the rock bed flooring and the channels carved into it over the years by the flow of water. Snakeoil said so in his report and I agree - it's a shame this rock cavern has been subject to spraycrete. But, it's still a magnificent, almost enchanting place to be.
Looking out the inflow from the left hand tunnel, with Ojay and Nick's torch light adding to the ambiance.
We didn't go down the right hand tunnel on this visit. It takes you to the top of the other fall. But it's a bit stoopy and I took far too long getting this image of the climb up to a manhole cover that sits before it.
The explore was finished with a safety brew in a local establishment specialising in safety brews and a fine safety brew it was.
It really was an excellent few hours spent exploring.
Thanks for reading.
EOA
I’m not sure my photos can really do this drain justice, so I’ll explain what I found so captivating about the culvert when I get to that part. It was not short on intriguing features either. It might not be the longest drain, but it makes up for that in quality. No idea why this hasn't had a report done on it for so long.
About the Culvert
Not much to say other than, the appropriately named Hyde Falls is a culvert that takes the Wilson Brook under the M67 and adjacent the canal. It's fairly short and sweet.
The Explore
We were due to enter culvert with a thunder storm looming, and when it rains you’re supposed to stay out of the drains, but the culvert was picked by Ojay and Nick because it would be easy enough to get out of if we really needed to. And they know what they’re doing so off we went.
We started by going through the inflow, which is boxed concrete with a stone floor; possibly the same stone that runs along the outflow section of the underground river.
A short way in and there is a tributary that joins the main outflow. At the time we went in, it was kicking up some spray, but it was a nice little feature that was innocuous enough.
A shot of the outflow looking back from just past the tributary...
Heading up from here the stone floor starts to incline up and the water running downhill has cut into the rock creating little pools. Some aren't actually that little. They're quite deep. Clambering over this is like rock pooling when you're a kid, but if someone has put a bit hat over the rock pools. And for me that is what's so endearing about this culvert. There are shallow fast moving sections and deep chasm like sections, all which make for an interesting journey towards the next section.
And then, when you get to the top of the slope and peer past the brow of the cascading river the culvert opens up into a huge chamber with two waterfalls. The floor is the same rock flooring, with deeply cut pools and white rapids. There is the familiar deleterious of river fed drains scattered around the perimeter; stones, rocks and branches.
Ojay surveying the waterfalls.
The waterfalls and rock pools beneath. These really are an amazing feature.
Looking back from the waterfalls to the outflow. The chamber is large (the picture of Ojay above gives a sense of scale). There is some kind of inflow to the top of the chamber with stalagmites building down.
Leaky Hole. Stalagmites.
While I was snapping this Ojay and Nick headed out to inspect something that caught their eye leaving me in my self inflicted darkness. And, out the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw the ghost of a manfrotto tripod.
It wasn't long before Ojay was ushering us out. Bearing in mind we were expecting an epic storm, the tributary started churning out all manner of foul shit. It seemed like the storm had hit higher up and if we hung about we would struggle to get out (or get flushed out). The stuff that was coming out of the tributary now was foul smelling and grim and contained every kind of modern day crap you can think of. Including dry board partitioning. And the usual sticks and twigs. The spray it was once kicking up raged more fiercely and smelt horribly of decay.
Outside the outflow and looking after Ojay's camera, Nick and Ojay ventured in to inspect what was happening. I took a snap of them satisfying their curiosity whilst hearing the bottles bounce down the shoot and smash as they hit the concrete floor below.
We exited the outflow and made out way up the embankment. At first I thought there were UU employees mooching about above, but it turned out they worked for the canal trust. The tributary connects to the canal and they were clearing all the shit that had built up around the inflow by letting canal water flow out and pushing the shit down. And we all know the kind of crap that people throw in canals. That explains where the tributary connects to.
After another short wander and hop over a fence and scramble down an embankment, we arrived at the inflow.
Not far into the culvert, you can see it has been extended at some point because there on display is Hyde's answer to Megatron's archway.
The main flow of the river diverges into two channels. Nick and Ojay went ahead and you can see there torch lights in the left hand tunnel.
Following the left hand tunnel, I took a snap of Nick looking back up the tunnel. A spot of light painting from both directions makes this image for me.
Looking out over the falls now from the end of the left hand culvert. You can see the rock bed flooring and the channels carved into it over the years by the flow of water. Snakeoil said so in his report and I agree - it's a shame this rock cavern has been subject to spraycrete. But, it's still a magnificent, almost enchanting place to be.
Looking out the inflow from the left hand tunnel, with Ojay and Nick's torch light adding to the ambiance.
We didn't go down the right hand tunnel on this visit. It takes you to the top of the other fall. But it's a bit stoopy and I took far too long getting this image of the climb up to a manhole cover that sits before it.
The explore was finished with a safety brew in a local establishment specialising in safety brews and a fine safety brew it was.
It really was an excellent few hours spent exploring.
Thanks for reading.
EOA
