TBT, Skelmersdale
May 2013 - Explored with ViralEye and Kenni
First discovered by MaybeNot1330, TBT takes a watercourse beneath Skelmerdale for around a mile and most likely dates from the 1960s at the time of the construction of the New Town.
Starting at the triple bore square concrete box outfall we opted for the driest looking part and went up the right hand side. Unfortunately it was the muddiest and around 30 feet in we were in shin deep wader sucking sticky stuff (after forgetting paulpowers advice of going down the middle!). After comedy attempts at getting free we then opted for the deeper water but cleaner centre bore. A short distance in revealed holes in the walls to check the other two tunnels, the right hand side still muddy and in the left a small watercourse joining via a stoopy RCP. A look up this pipe led us to a small waterfall from a shrinker RCP so we turned back to rejoin the main culvert.
Eventually the three tunnels join at a triple overflow weir system that revealed why our first entry was so muddy. The river has to overflow over two walls of increasing size meaning the right tunnel only sees water during flood levels. The centre tunnel has another watercourse joining via 3' RCP that bends out of sight a short way in. The weir chamber has a section of roof with several small holes streaming daylight through (we're only a few feet under ground here) that we found again on our above ground walk back to the car.
The culvert then widens for a good distance taking smaller smaller watercourses and surface drains from several tiny side pipes before narrowing before reaching a junction chamber within sight of the infall through a change of shape to RCP.
Its a good mooch worth the visit despite it being a bit stoopy for the entire length with quite a few features for a modern concrete culvert.
May 2013 - Explored with ViralEye and Kenni
First discovered by MaybeNot1330, TBT takes a watercourse beneath Skelmerdale for around a mile and most likely dates from the 1960s at the time of the construction of the New Town.
Starting at the triple bore square concrete box outfall we opted for the driest looking part and went up the right hand side. Unfortunately it was the muddiest and around 30 feet in we were in shin deep wader sucking sticky stuff (after forgetting paulpowers advice of going down the middle!). After comedy attempts at getting free we then opted for the deeper water but cleaner centre bore. A short distance in revealed holes in the walls to check the other two tunnels, the right hand side still muddy and in the left a small watercourse joining via a stoopy RCP. A look up this pipe led us to a small waterfall from a shrinker RCP so we turned back to rejoin the main culvert.
Eventually the three tunnels join at a triple overflow weir system that revealed why our first entry was so muddy. The river has to overflow over two walls of increasing size meaning the right tunnel only sees water during flood levels. The centre tunnel has another watercourse joining via 3' RCP that bends out of sight a short way in. The weir chamber has a section of roof with several small holes streaming daylight through (we're only a few feet under ground here) that we found again on our above ground walk back to the car.
The culvert then widens for a good distance taking smaller smaller watercourses and surface drains from several tiny side pipes before narrowing before reaching a junction chamber within sight of the infall through a change of shape to RCP.
Its a good mooch worth the visit despite it being a bit stoopy for the entire length with quite a few features for a modern concrete culvert.
