This Bank Holiday weekend I had plans for a trip to Manchester to visit family, my old school that is to be demo'd imminently and of course some drains. My travel plan scheduled in detours to pass through Ebbw Vale to investigate a culvert, and Stoke to check out the local known drains. As the day panned out I only got to Ebbw Vale, mostly due to having a crappy day which prompted the decision that my weekend would be better spent sleeping.
The Culvert in Ebbw Vale is along the River Ebbw Fawr, a stretch of just over a mile of the river was culverted in 1937 to accommodate expansion of the steel works. The tunnel was originally a brick lined concrete arch for its entire length. In places it has raised walkways on either side, in other spots only on the one side. It's a culvert that has seen much in the way of additions, alterations, patching up and general bodged connections which make it all together more interesting I'd say.
Construction pic - 20 February 1937, © Ebbw Vale Archive Trust
As mentioned above, most of the alterations have likely made this a more interesting drain to explore, but the one spot where I found myself wishing they'd left well alone was the infall. Previous to construction of the culvert the river entered the steel works site immediately after passing under the roadway that borders the entire site. The border road passed over the river via a bridge of limestonestone construction and the culvert was built up to the bridge creating an impressive infall. The re-lining work that took place in the 80s covered over the bridge. In one awkwardly angled corner at the infall a vertical slither of limestone blocks has somehow escaped being entombed and its texture and form are in contrast with the surrounding concrete.
Just inside the culvert, looking back to the infall.
When the culvert was re-lined some sections were entirely replaced with concrete box section, for most of its length the arch itself was simply concrete lined while an entire section around its mid point was left in its original state. It's a patchy weird smorgasbord of construction jumble that is quite unique in its untypically English appearance.
Not far in the culvert drops down a small slide into the arch
From the top of the slide looking into the arch
The steel works ceased production in July 2002 and demolition began in August of the same year. The site is still being cleared and made fit for re-development which has some effect on the culvert. Side pipes that would have drained parts of the site have been clumsily back filled with concrete and masonry debris which has fallen into the main tunnel causing blockages and general annoyance under foot. In some spots new drainage has been badly connected to the culvert in a manner that leaves it looking as if the RCP has just burst through the culvert wall, other section see runs of missing access covers.
A missing cover lets in the daylight
A new drainage connection or two
Beyond the box section that can be seen in the background of the above pic the pipe suddenly reverts to its original unlined state. Throughout the length of this original section a redundant steel sewer pipe runs along one side sitting on right angle brackets set into the wall and floor. It's quite bizarre that this stretch was left unlined, bizarre but great as you go from the relatively clean and orderly concrete arch into nicely aged red brick. It's at about this point that I noticed that lighting had been installed in the pipe, not your usual temporary construction type lighting but fluorescent ceiling units, I did find a switch but it was already plain that these things were not going to operate.
The start of the unaltered section, the sewer pipe is open at both ends and so is now a dis-used isolated run of pipe.
Further downstream, looking upstream, a washed out section of floor causing turbulent waters
Although this original section was the most fun part of the explore, if the drain had been entirely original I suspect it wouldn't have been quite so much fun. From the point of the last pic for some distance downstream was a run of steel I beams set into the upper portion of the arch, they seemed suitably corroded and aged to be contemporary with with section, the steel works site was criss-crossed by rail tracks and so one guess is that this section was further braced in this manner where it passed under rail lines.
The braced section
The switch, back to concrete. The open end of the sewer pipe clearly visible and the ceiling lights continue.
Another thing that I noted can be seen in the pic above. The older unaltered access shafts most had ladders of steel bars set into one corner of the shaft, that's not something I've seen that much of in English drains, may be it's a Welsh thing? By this point I'd been walking for quite sometime, I'd fallen over at least twice and gotten pretty well drenched from the waist down. My waders were chaffing, my legs aching, my resolve diminishing . . . I figured I'd now have a pretty short uneventful walk to the outfall, I was right but for one more random feature. Shinning the torch off down the tunnel there seemed to be something odd going on up ahead, but I couldn't really hear anything in the way of crashing waters from side pipes, and I couldn't quite make out the feature from way off. It was really only as you got right on it that you realised what was going on, a short section of tunnel opens up in a much taller and wider arch, of the original brick construct, I'm sure there's a good reason.
The random big arch, looking upstream
This drain had turned out to be way way more interesting than I'd imagined it might be and it wasn't quite done. Still heading downstream a long slow curve gave way to a steady slide that sent the waters shooting down it at pace. I managed to send a great jet of water all over my gear, which was propped against the wall, when I accidentally stumbled forward and set foot in the flow right by it.
The pre-outfall slide
From here it was just a couple more smooth bends to the outfall. As I approached I could hear crashing water and passed the last bend to see the outfall with a pipe someway up the wall sending water falling to the river. After a long while underground (5 hours) the outfall was quite a sight, the blazing midday sun shone through the new spring leaves and cast a green glow over the scene. The falling water splashed and shimmered as two mallards flew in and landed on the relatively still water just beyond the outfall.
From just inside the culvert, looking to the outfall
Now it had been a much longer detour than I'd thought, I was soaked and pretty beat. I'd been taking pictures the entire way through but had been feeling like I hadn't managed to get anything that was really useable to illustrate the place. I walked back to the car, chaffing more than ever, sweating, looking decidedly English I'd imagine! By the time I reached the car I'd decided that I was going to head home, a shame as I'd been looking forward to this trip for a while, but I was so knackered I'd have probably spent my time in Manchester sleeping. I headed home, a three hour drive, and am making plans to get back to Manchester just as soon as finances allow.
Oh yeah ,the name in case you didn't realise is relatin gto my multiple instances of getting wet.
JD
The Culvert in Ebbw Vale is along the River Ebbw Fawr, a stretch of just over a mile of the river was culverted in 1937 to accommodate expansion of the steel works. The tunnel was originally a brick lined concrete arch for its entire length. In places it has raised walkways on either side, in other spots only on the one side. It's a culvert that has seen much in the way of additions, alterations, patching up and general bodged connections which make it all together more interesting I'd say.
Construction pic - 20 February 1937, © Ebbw Vale Archive Trust
As mentioned above, most of the alterations have likely made this a more interesting drain to explore, but the one spot where I found myself wishing they'd left well alone was the infall. Previous to construction of the culvert the river entered the steel works site immediately after passing under the roadway that borders the entire site. The border road passed over the river via a bridge of limestonestone construction and the culvert was built up to the bridge creating an impressive infall. The re-lining work that took place in the 80s covered over the bridge. In one awkwardly angled corner at the infall a vertical slither of limestone blocks has somehow escaped being entombed and its texture and form are in contrast with the surrounding concrete.
Just inside the culvert, looking back to the infall.
When the culvert was re-lined some sections were entirely replaced with concrete box section, for most of its length the arch itself was simply concrete lined while an entire section around its mid point was left in its original state. It's a patchy weird smorgasbord of construction jumble that is quite unique in its untypically English appearance.
Not far in the culvert drops down a small slide into the arch
From the top of the slide looking into the arch
The steel works ceased production in July 2002 and demolition began in August of the same year. The site is still being cleared and made fit for re-development which has some effect on the culvert. Side pipes that would have drained parts of the site have been clumsily back filled with concrete and masonry debris which has fallen into the main tunnel causing blockages and general annoyance under foot. In some spots new drainage has been badly connected to the culvert in a manner that leaves it looking as if the RCP has just burst through the culvert wall, other section see runs of missing access covers.
A missing cover lets in the daylight
A new drainage connection or two
Beyond the box section that can be seen in the background of the above pic the pipe suddenly reverts to its original unlined state. Throughout the length of this original section a redundant steel sewer pipe runs along one side sitting on right angle brackets set into the wall and floor. It's quite bizarre that this stretch was left unlined, bizarre but great as you go from the relatively clean and orderly concrete arch into nicely aged red brick. It's at about this point that I noticed that lighting had been installed in the pipe, not your usual temporary construction type lighting but fluorescent ceiling units, I did find a switch but it was already plain that these things were not going to operate.
The start of the unaltered section, the sewer pipe is open at both ends and so is now a dis-used isolated run of pipe.
Further downstream, looking upstream, a washed out section of floor causing turbulent waters
Although this original section was the most fun part of the explore, if the drain had been entirely original I suspect it wouldn't have been quite so much fun. From the point of the last pic for some distance downstream was a run of steel I beams set into the upper portion of the arch, they seemed suitably corroded and aged to be contemporary with with section, the steel works site was criss-crossed by rail tracks and so one guess is that this section was further braced in this manner where it passed under rail lines.
The braced section
The switch, back to concrete. The open end of the sewer pipe clearly visible and the ceiling lights continue.
Another thing that I noted can be seen in the pic above. The older unaltered access shafts most had ladders of steel bars set into one corner of the shaft, that's not something I've seen that much of in English drains, may be it's a Welsh thing? By this point I'd been walking for quite sometime, I'd fallen over at least twice and gotten pretty well drenched from the waist down. My waders were chaffing, my legs aching, my resolve diminishing . . . I figured I'd now have a pretty short uneventful walk to the outfall, I was right but for one more random feature. Shinning the torch off down the tunnel there seemed to be something odd going on up ahead, but I couldn't really hear anything in the way of crashing waters from side pipes, and I couldn't quite make out the feature from way off. It was really only as you got right on it that you realised what was going on, a short section of tunnel opens up in a much taller and wider arch, of the original brick construct, I'm sure there's a good reason.
The random big arch, looking upstream
This drain had turned out to be way way more interesting than I'd imagined it might be and it wasn't quite done. Still heading downstream a long slow curve gave way to a steady slide that sent the waters shooting down it at pace. I managed to send a great jet of water all over my gear, which was propped against the wall, when I accidentally stumbled forward and set foot in the flow right by it.
The pre-outfall slide
From here it was just a couple more smooth bends to the outfall. As I approached I could hear crashing water and passed the last bend to see the outfall with a pipe someway up the wall sending water falling to the river. After a long while underground (5 hours) the outfall was quite a sight, the blazing midday sun shone through the new spring leaves and cast a green glow over the scene. The falling water splashed and shimmered as two mallards flew in and landed on the relatively still water just beyond the outfall.
From just inside the culvert, looking to the outfall
Now it had been a much longer detour than I'd thought, I was soaked and pretty beat. I'd been taking pictures the entire way through but had been feeling like I hadn't managed to get anything that was really useable to illustrate the place. I walked back to the car, chaffing more than ever, sweating, looking decidedly English I'd imagine! By the time I reached the car I'd decided that I was going to head home, a shame as I'd been looking forward to this trip for a while, but I was so knackered I'd have probably spent my time in Manchester sleeping. I headed home, a three hour drive, and am making plans to get back to Manchester just as soon as finances allow.
Oh yeah ,the name in case you didn't realise is relatin gto my multiple instances of getting wet.
JD
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