Below and Beyond: Bits & Pieces, Rochdale

Sunday, 21 April 2013

Bits & Pieces, Rochdale

R.I.P Nikon...

Sorry good people of Rochdale but it does come to something where a Town is much more interesting below the streets than it is above!

Three out of four people on benefits, or so the story goes.. Infact other than Lisa Stansfield, Dunlop Mills & Asbestos I'm not really sure what there has been to shout about over the last few years other than drains.

Aside from that, this Brook is culverted around and under Rochdale in varying sections, some short and of little interest.

The below report containing much of the interesting stuff that can be found below the streets with a little effort, trust me just don't go in this one when it rains!

Starting upstream, the first section runs through a 3ft RCP.. Next

Then it's onto moar RCP (2.5ft) roughly 80m split into 2 sections and guarded by large grilles, I don't think so.. Next

Next up is actually a rather decent looking 6ft dressed stone arch, much more appealing than the scruffy estate that sits above it anyway.

About 10ft inside, the watercourse inverts a good 100m in as it drops down into a 5ft Masonry coursed Egg.

This section of culvert is clearly of some age judging by it's overall construction.

Although still quite old, the addition of brickwork on the left which infact is a disused overflow from the nearby sewer..

Beyond the rusting iron flap is a decent looking 3ft brick egg, it only stretches for around 30m before it's truncated from the sewer it once served.

In recent years UU have had to clean their act up with regards to sewage discharges.

So a small CSO has been constructed nearby and retro-fitted via a 2ft RCP approx 20m further down the culvert from the disused overflow in the above picture.

I've since lifted a couple of lids here and it's too small to bother with, that and it's in rather a public location so I wasn't bothered to hop in for any pics at this point.

Anyway, the 5ft stone tunnel carries on a good 200m before any real change, it's also quite slippery under foot so I took my time here.

The only real feature at this point was the odd manhole chamber,

A mix of concrete and brick obviously added much later into the system for inspection purposes.

As the drain started to take a significant change in direction, the construction also changed to a brick/stone arch affair for the next 100m or so.

After the usual slip, slide & stoop through 300m+ of stone arse I was able to stretch my back at the junction which suddenly presented itself.

Good use of brick here, and I'm more than certain more aesthetically pleasing than what's above ground at this point.

Exiting the 'chamber' is a sizeable RBP (A good 6ft in height) it did appear to go on..

And on..

(Note the missing masonry on the floor section)

It took what seemed like an absolute age to traverse this section despite in reality the entire stretch only being around 150m or so.

Further down a cast iron pipe crosses through the RBP and ahead this 8ft Arch junction.

Looking at the construction of the brickwork further down it appears the 8ft Arch has been reduced back down as it carries the watercourse a short(ish) distance to the outfall.

It's also silted up quite badly and having already seen where it emerges cba with A.N Other pic of a 4ft outfall.

Having already paid a visit to the mid section HERE I decided to have another look downstream despite previous failed attempts..

Following on from that lot ^^ is another culverted section which carries the brook a further 300m or so back underground via a 2m CMP.

The infall is closely guarded by a large grille; Main purpose it would seem to filter out Rochdale.

There is no easy way in here even for a size zero so I hush puppied it to the outfall a bit further down in a another attempt to 'get in'.

Luckily the locked chain appeared to fall off this time around, allowing access through the gate.

Once in, moar CMP

Around 100m, up a concrete channel forms, it's also here after kicking up a fair bit of debris I encountered a strong egg odour, which really meant one thing.. GTFO!

As luck would have it the golden arches were nearby, it goes without saying I got some odd looks whilst eating my meal.

The next section, (and by far the most interesting of the lot), was once again guarded by a big ass grille.

I did walk up from the outfall on this piece, but as you can see the final box section beyond the the grille in the picture above. ^

It soon gives way to a st00py 4ft silted half CMP half spraycrete pipe, which without a wetsuit and effort which I sincerely lack these days wasn't happening.

A bit further down a large concrete junction/inspection chamber,

along with a small surface run off which enters in on the right.

Beyond which the drain now takes to a 2.5m CMP as it winds it's way downstream.

It wasn't long before another inspection chamber and watercourse presented itself.

Then heading down a further 150m the CMP is once again interrupted by a concrete box section, (this time re-inforcements as it passes underneath a carriageway).

Then back to CMP as it twists & turns a little more heading d/s

The only real features for a good while were a couple of side entry manhole shafts.

Eventually another watercourse joins, having been punctured in on the right via a 2ft concrete channel.

Now it was a bit further down from this point I realised something wasn't quite right, the water level had started to rise, the noise levels had increased and it was apparent it was bucketing it down above ground.

(Only after having made it finally past what seemed like a million overflowing side pipes and a swollen river.. Eventually).

As I stood somewhat bewildered two thirds of a way in an unknown system I decided to take another shot whilst debating the best GTFO course of action.

Unfortunately the situation worsened and as I frantically tried to pack up the D7000 decided to swim for it.

Sadly these things aren't designed for sub aqua exploring, so all I have left is this 20 sec exposure as it took a dive/swim before I managed to pluck it out..