Z
Zero
Guest
Devils Gate - The return...
Having previously visited the eastern sections with loops there was always the nagging "whats at the end of the pipe" feeling when we left. I kept meaning to go back but newer bigger explores kept cropping up and it got pushed back into the box of "maybe next time".
Well today was going to be different the sun was shining Dempsey was in town and we had a few hours to kill. We headed to our cover and with luck we found some nearby barriers, so kitted up and headed down.
Off we trudged, passing all the familiar sights including the gate which had now been cleared of debris which meant the water could be drained by the pumps. After having a quick look around we headed west into the unknown.
Now i am in no way a fan of concrete, its cold, boring and all pictures you take of it look rubbish, so the walk was extremely dull. After around fifteen minutes of near miss falls and 0.5 ft side pipe we came to a long set of stairs which headed up to a 3ft RCP which smelled of petrol. We decided to take pictures on the way back so pushed on.
Another ten minutes and we came to a small chamber with a relief slide heading up into what looked to be a entrance shaft. Might as well have a look we thought. So up we went and damn were we wrong. To the left a 10ft RCP headed south towards a heavy rushing sound and to the north a brick wall with a gap at the top.
Now originally this pipe would have taken the flow all the way to the nearby Jew's Road pumping station. But since closure the end of the tunnel was sealed up and water diverted down the slide towards Falconbrook. Through the top we could see lush pieces of red brick peeking through so with help from Demps i went up and over.
On the other side the 10ft red brick pipe headed down a set of curved stairs slowly getting smaller to around 7ft and into a pool of eel infested water. Now when i say infested i mean it i counted thirty plus, the pool probably caused by a blockage at the other end. I took a few pictures and headed back over the barrier.
Back on the right side we headed towards the rushing sound. Five minutes later we came to a large set of brick stairs where the pipe continued and at the end of that more stairs headed down the other side towards one of the interceptor sewers. To the right was a series of small slots which gave access down into another of the sewer but the flow was too deep to be of any use.
Seeing as how we had exhausted all possibilities from this pipe we took a few photo's. As we had plans to meet Dsankt and Loops for another drain later we decided to call it a day and began the long walk back to the start.
Still more to see here folks!.
Pictures
Behind the blocked tunnel
long stairs, image to dark but petrol smell was horrible
Stoop's Limit
Behind the blocked tunnel
long stairs, image to dark but petrol smell was horrible
Stoop's Limit
After visiting Devil's Gate we headed over to meet with Dsankt and Loops to explore Stoop's Limit drain also known as the London Bridge Sewer. Another one the drains that keeps getting pushed back into the "Maybe next time" box this time there was nothing to stop me, so down we went.
We emerged a small side pipe a short distance from the main junction. After a short walk we climbed down into the main branch. The junction chamber had two pipes flowing into it with the roofs construction similar to that of an ice house, on to the limit.
The sewer was fairly deep which in itself is not a problem but couple that with the fact theres god knows what lurking beneath, ready to catch the feet of a weary traveler it proved to be quite a pain. My right foot clipped something heavy and i stumbled forward, in my mind i just remember Bradford and the events that earned me a stupid nickname and pulled my other foot over somehow keeping upright.
Now i had been out all day and was low on sleep so this and trying no to take the poo-dive of death made this drain rather un-enjoyable while walking although it was fun to stand still and admire the Victorian pride every so often.
We finally arrived at the limit, but due to a set of new pipes spewing there hearts out we decided against going further although Dsankt was kind enough to slip through for a couple of pictures. After Dempsey re secured his magic duck tape waders we headed back to the main junction for more photos.
We pondered exploring upstream but we still had things to do tonight and to be honest i wanted out.
Pictures
Westbourne
Westbourne
Now no drainers first trip to London would be complete without a trip to the Westbourne, a nice easy drain which doesn't involve a lot of walking, perfect!. This would be the first time i have explored the Westbourne in the daytime so i was interested to find out if it looked any different.
We kitted up and swiftly headed in, the reassuring echo of the manhole closing welcoming us. We headed into the main junction and luckily for Dempsey the water level was low so no need for duck tape.
To be honest we had a pretty standard trip, moving from feature to feature taking a few pictures here and there. A near face plant from me and some rampant paranoia of natural light from Demps. We stayed for a few hours before my memory card was full and couldn't take anymore. (note to self buy spare card).
Pictures
The End
