NickUK's Manchester Drain Tour, September 2012
This started when I heard that NickUK was planning on visiting/re-visiting some nice little drains in the vicinity of Manchester last month. Over the course of 4 days, we met up with some local heads to do 4 drains. Nick did all the work; picking me up from the station, taking me to drains, lending me tripods and wellies, taking me back to the station and buying me stuff. Had some belting laughs and just generally hung out together. Awesome.
Some of these are on an old budget Ricoh LX-33W film camera.
Medlock Culvert
Visited with Hidden and NickUK
Medlock is a large brick and stone culvert with a nice stone step feature. Filled up with McDonalds coffee for this one using NickUK's copious amount of coffee bean loyalty cards and pumping out Big Narstie around East Manchester before diving into the bushes at Phillips Park.
Hulme Flume's Little Brother
Visited with NickUK and a Pole
Earlier I said we did 4 drains in 4 days, this is a hideous lie. To get to Hulme Flume's Little Brother you have dip back into the Medlock and pass through You Missed. A boring and unsightly stretch of concrete that runs beneath the UMIST buildings near London Road.
Needless to say, walking through a river after substantial rain in wellies will usually get you wet, or even thigh waders like my associates for that matter. Still, last time I was here I did it in just my shoes. So wellies were at least a step in the right direction. Still, we made it in one piece and weren't swept away...
The brick here has a gorgeous purple tone to it.
Supercharger B
Visited with Millhouse, NickUK and a Pole
Supercharger is another brick culvert that runs through Birchfields Park in South Manchester. There are some sidepipes and other bits to explore, but we just ran the length of the B section, snapped the mini waterfall and chased some rats back out the way we came in.
Hyde Falls
Visited with Agour, Mortal Decay and NickUK
This one was by far the most enjoyable and eventful. The stand-out feature here being a twin waterfall not too far from the outfall. Getting to this one requires a descent down a steep bank and the successful navigation of the deep rock pool assault course. Trying to climb up to the higher levels requires a lot more effort. Nckt informed me of the history of the infamous lodged ladder. The ladder is currently locked tight between the base of a rock pool and the spraycrete tunnel. All four of us attempted to dislodge it, with no success other than to almost knock NickUK out.
We chilled in the dry corners. Despite ruining the cave-like feel of the place, the aforementioned spray crete sort of renders the place like the bowls of a waterpark attraction at a theme park. The noise is terrific after you've spent a little time in here.
With the echoes of the falls still ringing in our ears, we departed to be met by four policeman who were informed of our cars by some nosey locals. Sound enough though, they seemed genuinely quite interested to hear about the falls as we explained our presence. I think they were just pleased not to be dealing with actual criminals in Hyde for a change.
Thanks to NickUK for inviting me out for these. Top service, would definitely book again...
tweek
This started when I heard that NickUK was planning on visiting/re-visiting some nice little drains in the vicinity of Manchester last month. Over the course of 4 days, we met up with some local heads to do 4 drains. Nick did all the work; picking me up from the station, taking me to drains, lending me tripods and wellies, taking me back to the station and buying me stuff. Had some belting laughs and just generally hung out together. Awesome.
Some of these are on an old budget Ricoh LX-33W film camera.
Medlock Culvert
Visited with Hidden and NickUK
Medlock is a large brick and stone culvert with a nice stone step feature. Filled up with McDonalds coffee for this one using NickUK's copious amount of coffee bean loyalty cards and pumping out Big Narstie around East Manchester before diving into the bushes at Phillips Park.
Hulme Flume's Little Brother
Visited with NickUK and a Pole
Earlier I said we did 4 drains in 4 days, this is a hideous lie. To get to Hulme Flume's Little Brother you have dip back into the Medlock and pass through You Missed. A boring and unsightly stretch of concrete that runs beneath the UMIST buildings near London Road.
Needless to say, walking through a river after substantial rain in wellies will usually get you wet, or even thigh waders like my associates for that matter. Still, last time I was here I did it in just my shoes. So wellies were at least a step in the right direction. Still, we made it in one piece and weren't swept away...
The brick here has a gorgeous purple tone to it.
Supercharger B
Visited with Millhouse, NickUK and a Pole
Supercharger is another brick culvert that runs through Birchfields Park in South Manchester. There are some sidepipes and other bits to explore, but we just ran the length of the B section, snapped the mini waterfall and chased some rats back out the way we came in.
Hyde Falls
Visited with Agour, Mortal Decay and NickUK
This one was by far the most enjoyable and eventful. The stand-out feature here being a twin waterfall not too far from the outfall. Getting to this one requires a descent down a steep bank and the successful navigation of the deep rock pool assault course. Trying to climb up to the higher levels requires a lot more effort. Nckt informed me of the history of the infamous lodged ladder. The ladder is currently locked tight between the base of a rock pool and the spraycrete tunnel. All four of us attempted to dislodge it, with no success other than to almost knock NickUK out.
We chilled in the dry corners. Despite ruining the cave-like feel of the place, the aforementioned spray crete sort of renders the place like the bowls of a waterpark attraction at a theme park. The noise is terrific after you've spent a little time in here.
With the echoes of the falls still ringing in our ears, we departed to be met by four policeman who were informed of our cars by some nosey locals. Sound enough though, they seemed genuinely quite interested to hear about the falls as we explained our presence. I think they were just pleased not to be dealing with actual criminals in Hyde for a change.
Thanks to NickUK for inviting me out for these. Top service, would definitely book again...
tweek
