Smurfs Hollow Re Re-visited

4th visit to this place now with Oldskool.

We finally got around to properly checking out the other Infall and working out this drain properly.

It's essentially 2 culverts rolled into one...

The Elton Brook Infalls from the West and is culverted underneath Bury, This section we covered on previous visits.

The Walshaw Brook Infalls from the North and joins up with the Elton Brook as it's culverted underground.


Elton Brook Section - An interesting mixture of RCP, Stone & Brick, it does become stoopy in parts, but on the whole is easy to traverse until it joins up with the coit somewhere near the Outfall, this is as far as I have ever bothered to go, you will understand why from the final pic.

Heading downstream from the Elton Brook Infall

The stonework soon gives way to a section of RCP

Before reaching this large concrete construction shaft, which is now capped with a housing estate above

Heading downstream the RCP changes back to stone briefly

It is here where the pail of water hangs from some old rope down the bottom of a manhole chamber

The culvert now changes to much older victorian brick, which has collapsed in parts

Back again to stone, briefly

Then brickwork

Before reaching a rather stoopy Coit

The water is real deep under here, so fook that back we go!


Walshaw Brook Section - Somewhat shorter and rather stoopy. Largely stone with a renewed section of RCP and a number of manhole chambers eventually leading upstream to the Infall.

Not much too see here really versus the amount of stooping required, still good to finally get some pics and check it out properly.

Heading upstream from the Elton Brook Infall

This stone tunnel is similar to the previous section, but initially longer and much more stoopier.

Shrinking to under 4ft it takes a sharp turn right, I really struggled here as it was also quite deep. Wellie fail ensued, I twatted my head, sprained my bad ankle and nearly dunked my camera...

...Why oh why do I do this shit!

Just past this ridiculous stretch of culvert the stonework changes to some rather stoopy RCP FFS

There were a number of large inspection chambers along the way, which allowed us both to stretch our spines out

At the end of a never ending array of pipework it eventually changed back to a brick tunnel which led to the Walshall Brook Infall.