Chevington Culvert, Northumberland - April 2008

[BigLoada]

Visited with Sausage. We have had our eyes on this one for a while but the opportunity only arose tonight. This culvert carries the Chevington Burn to Ladyburn lake and is approximately a mile long.

We tried going to the exit first as it is easier but the water was about neck level so we decided to go for the entrance which was fine, but the pipe runs at quite a gradient so we turned back after going about halfway as we only had thigh waders.

It isn't really something to gt excited about as it is very modern, just an 8 feet diameter RCP. Thought there was some interesting plantlife and slime, the usual spiders and a notice on the roof which said "Willow Drift" which must refer to one of the many coal drifts in this area I assume.

Here's a few pictures:

The impassable exit. The water here is at least 5 feet deep.

The Entrance

The usual deposits

Marker for Willows Drift

This spider was eating another spider. I found it quite interesting.

Another boring tunnel shot

There was lots of this interesting pondweed type material which comtinually stuck to my tripod legs.

So basically a very long concrete pipe but we're pleased we got round to doing it anyway.

 

[Sabtr]

Those pics came out very good BigLoada. Many thanks mate for the driving. Because of the "layout" of the pipe and the shape of the floor I decided not to take pics (I would only get in the way!). As BigLoada has explained, it was a new pipe and to tell the truth was quite boring. Still needed doing though. I took to amusing myself by playing "spider yo-yo's" much to the horror of BigLoada!!

 

[MonkeyGirl]

haha I hate those spiders! I had about 3 in my hair today. Looks like fun with a dingie if it was flowing fast enough!

 

[Sabtr]

Exactly my thoughts monkeygirl! The water was only flowing at a snails pace but on the occasions we were unable to do it the water flows real fast! It was absolutely straight so banked turns in a dingy would be out too.

 

[Wile-E]

Gotta wonder just what gets in there to support spiders in any numbers, unless they're all just canabalising each other for food!

 

[King Al]

Pritty cool place, like the shot down the pipe​

 

[Sabtr]

Wile_e......every culveert we have done has got hooge amounts of spiders. In this tunnel the spiders "nests" full of eggs outnumbered the actual spiders.
There is a fair breeze blowing down culverts and I can only assume that because of the nearby water there must be zillions of midges and mosquitos to feed the spiders.

 

[Wile-E]

I think the spider is "Meta menardi" if it was completely in the dark zone.

 

[BigLoada]

I think the spider is "Meta menardi" if it was completely in the dark zone.

Whats a Meta Menardi? Is that some kinda spider? I would like to know what they are.

 

[Sabtr]

They had black shiny eyes and made good yo-yo's.

 

[BigLoada]

They had black shiny eyes and made good yo-yo's.

Bah! You are a cruel bugger y'know that! I may not like spiders but I wouldn't give them a headache by playing yo yo with them. Thats just bad

 

[Foxylady]

like the shot down the pipe​

Me too. I also like the entrance pic, which looks quite interesting.
The spider eating the other one may have just mated with him...he obviously forgot to bring a trussed-up fly as a present! You guys have just got to remember the pressies!

 

[Sabtr]

I've just googled Meta - menardi and it is them. Cave spiders aparently!

 

[the|td4]

I once kept a spider in a jar at my mate's allotment...

we called it Shelob and it would eat other spiders and anything else lurking in the shed... oh except that frog behind the seed trays... that thing was hungry !


( No spiders were harmed during the making of this post, Shelob was eventually liberated and is now married, with 178,000 children. )

 

[Elvis killer]

Nice one chaps.

 

[BigLoada]

Nice one chaps.

Cheers matey. Good to see ye here again. We need to catch up soon.