The UK Drain Meet of 2007 was like a good ol' caveclan meet back in Australia. Old friends, new friends, childish antics, long roadtrips and big draaaaaynes. Steve D, Jondoe and I piled into JD's cramped zoom-mobile and busted North to Robin Hood land. I always loved Robin Hood as a kid, stringing up my dad's bow and blasting arrows around our little patch of the Australian dream with the skills of a shortsighted cupid. I remember one skipping the top of the back fence, skimming the neighbours house and soaring out into the neighbourhood. At least it wasn't the evil looking ones with rusty barbed heads on them. Prolly skewered some poor bastard's dog. Sorry 'bout that mister!
Beck Valley Culvert (aka Curious Tower)
Nottingham's Beck valley Culvert is a long stormwater drain/culvert with a few shape changes and notable features. The best of these is the aptly named Curious Tower. It's a brick shaft dropped into the tunnel during construction for moving machinery. The shaft has a 45 degree twist where each layer of bricks has a slight rotation from the layer below it creating a stepped effect in the brickwork. Atop the shaft is a small rendered brick tower with a single arched doorway.
Beck Valley Culvert
The majestic outfall of Nottingham's Beck Valley Culvert. From the inset stones, to the ornate keystone to of course the Swans chillaxin (fuck you zero) draining in England can sure be regal.
The tower is local oddity, tucked into a corner of a public park beside a church. A sturdy steel bar door secures the tower, with a tentative reach around we found the accompanying padlock to lock it all shut. A surprised yelp came from outside "There's someone in the curious tower!". Quickly a small crowd of onlookers formed, standing back as if we might somehow breach the door and deflower their daughters or devour their brains. Both are a little unrealistic, right?
"Is there a name for what you're doing?"
"Not really, some people call it draining."
"Subterraneans? Hey everyone come over here we have some Subterraneans!"
They listened wide eyed to our white lies then went upon their way. Who here hasn't had some fun at the expense of the surface dwellers?
Curious Folk
Jondoe and Steve D inside the Curious Tower. The hatch leads to levels of ladders and catwalks and the Escher-esque twisted shaft.
Megatron (aka Megatroooon)
Found on a previous trip to Manchester Megatron is a juggernaught of the North. It's a mean ankledeath trek for most of the way being filled with rubble, bricks and debris. Three parallel stone tunnels with arched windows between then lead to wide brick doubles, tall arched brick triples and finally into the massive chamber where it's rumoured the frozen Decepticon lay dormant for thousands of years. For a culvert it's about as good as you get, until someone introduces you to Macro (see below).
2.5 minutes f5.6 Fuji 160c. Jondoe's picture is nicer
Curious Shaft
As previously mentioned Manchester has 2 large shafts beside a reservoir which we postulated provided overflow chambers for the voir. They're 7m across and 50m deep with small alcoves cut into the sides. A staggered, rusty ladder rises 15m from the bottom. Like the canary into a mine we lowered a frankenstein creation born a small part of each of us. Steve's LeDildo, Jd's searchblaster and my uberfluro slipped through the grille and into the void. The lights didn't reveal any more clues, nothing short of a real reccie would sufficed. With the 2 ropes tied together (debate over double fishermans versus double figure 8 ensued - the 8s won with a biner backup) I descended looking like a christmas tree with all the shiny metal hardware and lights strung around my harness.
Two of the small alcoves connected into a short tunnel with a manhole shaft (blocked) but the rest gave no hints to their former purpose, now they're little window boxes for trees and weeds. The rusty ladders start 15m from the bottom of the shaft, aligned with the manhole alcoves but without evidence of actually reaching them. No rusty chunks sticking from the wall, and no handrails inside the alcoves as typically placed above ladders. The ladders are rusty enough to have been submerged in water repeatedly, infact one swayed back and forth by it's last remaining tie as I grabbed it. The bottom of the shaft is flooded and thick with decaying plant matter and chunks of wood - thick enough to give the illusion of being solid from above. From the length of the ladder sections it's likely 2-3m deep if the protruding ladder is the last. 50m doesn't seem to far until you're staring up (or down) the rope, and that's nothing compared to the ascents cavers do. Respect.
Macro AKA Bradford Beck
After joining forces with Loops, Zero and DDT we busted over to the recently crowned king of the north: Macro. The forlorn sky sprinkled down and hinted worse but the age old explore adage "When It Rains Go In Drains" prevailed. Knowing how and when to break the rules is more important than following them blindly so in we marched. Macro is one of the longest (6hrs excluding side tunnels) and most varied drains around. It's a feature filled sensory assault but is noticeably devoid of real sewerfreshness. Macro snakes its way through Bradford changing shape and construction constantly offering up feature after feature in all possible configurations and sizes. I've only a few photos to offer but inspect the following to see but 1/10th of what this mammoth tunnel has to offer. The best culvert (and one of the best drains) I've ever seen.
Loudmouthed Zero provided some comic entertainment with his inaugural Otter impersonation. Ah Zero The Otter you're a funny guy, floating face down in the Bradford Beck while your clownpants fill with water. All hail Teh Otter. Steve provided similar shits and giggles by climbing into a gushing 2ft side tunnel, getting drenched for his efforts.
Urban Explorers Doco
Decent bit of film and a relaxing evening laughing at Turbozutek, Slim Jim and the gang. Afterwards we ditched Steve in Leeds to seek alternative accommodation with the film festival groupies who watched the film and swooned over his New York accent and bridge climbing, freight hopping hobo antics.
In the 18 months since leaving Australia this is the closest I've felt to home, surrounded by a group of dedicated like-minded people. No matter where you go in the world there are explorers to make you feel welcome and drains to make you feel comfortable. It's all a bit silly isn't it but bring on the UK Drain Meet 2008!
Beck Valley Culvert (aka Curious Tower)
Nottingham's Beck valley Culvert is a long stormwater drain/culvert with a few shape changes and notable features. The best of these is the aptly named Curious Tower. It's a brick shaft dropped into the tunnel during construction for moving machinery. The shaft has a 45 degree twist where each layer of bricks has a slight rotation from the layer below it creating a stepped effect in the brickwork. Atop the shaft is a small rendered brick tower with a single arched doorway.
Beck Valley Culvert
The majestic outfall of Nottingham's Beck Valley Culvert. From the inset stones, to the ornate keystone to of course the Swans chillaxin (fuck you zero) draining in England can sure be regal.
The tower is local oddity, tucked into a corner of a public park beside a church. A sturdy steel bar door secures the tower, with a tentative reach around we found the accompanying padlock to lock it all shut. A surprised yelp came from outside "There's someone in the curious tower!". Quickly a small crowd of onlookers formed, standing back as if we might somehow breach the door and deflower their daughters or devour their brains. Both are a little unrealistic, right?
"Is there a name for what you're doing?"
"Not really, some people call it draining."
"Subterraneans? Hey everyone come over here we have some Subterraneans!"
They listened wide eyed to our white lies then went upon their way. Who here hasn't had some fun at the expense of the surface dwellers?
Curious Folk
Jondoe and Steve D inside the Curious Tower. The hatch leads to levels of ladders and catwalks and the Escher-esque twisted shaft.
Megatron (aka Megatroooon)
Found on a previous trip to Manchester Megatron is a juggernaught of the North. It's a mean ankledeath trek for most of the way being filled with rubble, bricks and debris. Three parallel stone tunnels with arched windows between then lead to wide brick doubles, tall arched brick triples and finally into the massive chamber where it's rumoured the frozen Decepticon lay dormant for thousands of years. For a culvert it's about as good as you get, until someone introduces you to Macro (see below).
2.5 minutes f5.6 Fuji 160c. Jondoe's picture is nicer
Curious Shaft
As previously mentioned Manchester has 2 large shafts beside a reservoir which we postulated provided overflow chambers for the voir. They're 7m across and 50m deep with small alcoves cut into the sides. A staggered, rusty ladder rises 15m from the bottom. Like the canary into a mine we lowered a frankenstein creation born a small part of each of us. Steve's LeDildo, Jd's searchblaster and my uberfluro slipped through the grille and into the void. The lights didn't reveal any more clues, nothing short of a real reccie would sufficed. With the 2 ropes tied together (debate over double fishermans versus double figure 8 ensued - the 8s won with a biner backup) I descended looking like a christmas tree with all the shiny metal hardware and lights strung around my harness.
Two of the small alcoves connected into a short tunnel with a manhole shaft (blocked) but the rest gave no hints to their former purpose, now they're little window boxes for trees and weeds. The rusty ladders start 15m from the bottom of the shaft, aligned with the manhole alcoves but without evidence of actually reaching them. No rusty chunks sticking from the wall, and no handrails inside the alcoves as typically placed above ladders. The ladders are rusty enough to have been submerged in water repeatedly, infact one swayed back and forth by it's last remaining tie as I grabbed it. The bottom of the shaft is flooded and thick with decaying plant matter and chunks of wood - thick enough to give the illusion of being solid from above. From the length of the ladder sections it's likely 2-3m deep if the protruding ladder is the last. 50m doesn't seem to far until you're staring up (or down) the rope, and that's nothing compared to the ascents cavers do. Respect.
Macro AKA Bradford Beck
After joining forces with Loops, Zero and DDT we busted over to the recently crowned king of the north: Macro. The forlorn sky sprinkled down and hinted worse but the age old explore adage "When It Rains Go In Drains" prevailed. Knowing how and when to break the rules is more important than following them blindly so in we marched. Macro is one of the longest (6hrs excluding side tunnels) and most varied drains around. It's a feature filled sensory assault but is noticeably devoid of real sewerfreshness. Macro snakes its way through Bradford changing shape and construction constantly offering up feature after feature in all possible configurations and sizes. I've only a few photos to offer but inspect the following to see but 1/10th of what this mammoth tunnel has to offer. The best culvert (and one of the best drains) I've ever seen.
Loudmouthed Zero provided some comic entertainment with his inaugural Otter impersonation. Ah Zero The Otter you're a funny guy, floating face down in the Bradford Beck while your clownpants fill with water. All hail Teh Otter. Steve provided similar shits and giggles by climbing into a gushing 2ft side tunnel, getting drenched for his efforts.
Urban Explorers Doco
Decent bit of film and a relaxing evening laughing at Turbozutek, Slim Jim and the gang. Afterwards we ditched Steve in Leeds to seek alternative accommodation with the film festival groupies who watched the film and swooned over his New York accent and bridge climbing, freight hopping hobo antics.
In the 18 months since leaving Australia this is the closest I've felt to home, surrounded by a group of dedicated like-minded people. No matter where you go in the world there are explorers to make you feel welcome and drains to make you feel comfortable. It's all a bit silly isn't it but bring on the UK Drain Meet 2008!
