Unexpectedly, one of my favourite Sheffield drains so far. Recent map scrutiny revealed a possible culvert built over Meers Brook, which it turned out has already been explored and named here as ‘Stoopatron’. This is a 1km stretch of culvert, running to the River Sheaf.
Having failed to get in here a couple of times due to high water levels, me and @Esoteric Eric had been keeping our eyes on the weather, hoping for a dry spell. A previous attempt at entry ended up with some comedy and precarious ledge balancing, wetness and very little success, meaning we were extra determined on this occasion, in spite of the culvert’s name alluding to its potentially deadly stoopy nature.
Parts of this explore were a real test of endurance, particularly the mid section which necessitates a really long, seemingly never-ending, low-slung, thigh-busting stoop. Nevertheless, it turns out that this is more than made up for by the unexpected stepped sections, which are pretty epic to behold. Forgive the picture heavy report, but there was so much to see here...
From inside the inflow. I soon realised that my left wader leg had sprung a leak through a small tear, resulting in a leg full of water and cold foot syndrome for the duration.
The initial short arched section of tunnel soon led to this chamber...
Then more arches
And concrete...
And stoopy pain....
Being honest with you, I've forgotten some of the order here, but this happened at some point, which was nice...
After lengthy walking, the noise of rushing water up ahead was getting noticeably louder, suggesting something good may occur. Soon, Eric turned and declared 'You'll like this!'. He was referring to what turned out to be a fairly awesome double staircase section...
This bit alone was worth the effort, having the appearance of some kind of flooded, abandoned subway...
The next section bought with it the endless stoop of despair, during which we abandoned any notion of returning the way we came. I'm not even sure if the following picture is of the worst bit or not, having pretty much lost the will to live at this point, let alone take pictures.
Somewhere along the line was more brick...
And then, more joy in the shape of a couple more stepped sections...
Not long after this we reached the end....
Exit was fun: as the brook runs behind a load of terraces we ended up choosing a house where there appeared to be a clear pathway out to the road and legging it across the garden. Due to my early leak incident I was pleased be be able to remove my waders, walking through the streets of Sheffield with no shoes and very wet trousers. To the pub, for more post-drain real ale...
Taking silhouettes of @Esoteric Eric taking photos in tunnels...
More photos here
Having failed to get in here a couple of times due to high water levels, me and @Esoteric Eric had been keeping our eyes on the weather, hoping for a dry spell. A previous attempt at entry ended up with some comedy and precarious ledge balancing, wetness and very little success, meaning we were extra determined on this occasion, in spite of the culvert’s name alluding to its potentially deadly stoopy nature.
Parts of this explore were a real test of endurance, particularly the mid section which necessitates a really long, seemingly never-ending, low-slung, thigh-busting stoop. Nevertheless, it turns out that this is more than made up for by the unexpected stepped sections, which are pretty epic to behold. Forgive the picture heavy report, but there was so much to see here...
From inside the inflow. I soon realised that my left wader leg had sprung a leak through a small tear, resulting in a leg full of water and cold foot syndrome for the duration.
The initial short arched section of tunnel soon led to this chamber...
Then more arches
And concrete...
And stoopy pain....
Being honest with you, I've forgotten some of the order here, but this happened at some point, which was nice...
After lengthy walking, the noise of rushing water up ahead was getting noticeably louder, suggesting something good may occur. Soon, Eric turned and declared 'You'll like this!'. He was referring to what turned out to be a fairly awesome double staircase section...
This bit alone was worth the effort, having the appearance of some kind of flooded, abandoned subway...
The next section bought with it the endless stoop of despair, during which we abandoned any notion of returning the way we came. I'm not even sure if the following picture is of the worst bit or not, having pretty much lost the will to live at this point, let alone take pictures.
Somewhere along the line was more brick...
And then, more joy in the shape of a couple more stepped sections...
Not long after this we reached the end....
Exit was fun: as the brook runs behind a load of terraces we ended up choosing a house where there appeared to be a clear pathway out to the road and legging it across the garden. Due to my early leak incident I was pleased be be able to remove my waders, walking through the streets of Sheffield with no shoes and very wet trousers. To the pub, for more post-drain real ale...
Taking silhouettes of @Esoteric Eric taking photos in tunnels...
More photos here
Last edited:
