Malago Storm Water Interceptor (AKA Dreadnought) Bristol Sept 2010

[vwdirtboy]

The Malago Road area in Bedminster bristol was prone to minor flooding up until the late sixties, then shortly after the building of a new housing estate nearby in 1968 during a severe storm it suffered a major flood in proportions never seen before! The nearby Wills & Co tobacco factory suffered over 1 million in flood damage to stock (that's alot of fags in 1968!) with the water reaching some 4ft in depth at the factory.

The old Victorian storm drain could no longer cope with the increased run off from the new housing estate and something drastic had to be done to prevent further flooding and damage.

So in 1971 the Malago storm water interceptor was built to alleviate flooding in the Bedminster basin. Due to its increased size it could deal with massive amounts of run off as well as coping with the tidal surge that enters from the tidal portion of the river Avon new cut.

Having been in here on many occasions I can say that this is the lowest water level that either Petz or myself have ever seen!

Thanks for looking

 

[klempner69]

Very well captured Dirtboi...Petz seems to have kept out of view!!

 

[bonecollector]

Nice one vdub, looks awesome.
No dressing up for petzl in this one then?

 

[Scaramanger]

Interesting set of tunnels

 

[Em_Ux]

Great pictures! Really like no 10 and 14

 

[Foxylady]

Very interesting set of tunnels. Love the 'greenhouse' style bit at the ends. Neat.

 

[hydealfred]

Once again some excellent photography VW

 

[KooK.]

Nice report, like the old pics with it.

 

[King Al]

Great pics VW!! some very impressive features like the shots from inside the bars

 

[UrbanX]

O...OMG! Why isn't this in my town? Very jealous!

Great report: love the history, but not as much as I love the pics!

 

[Simon-G]

Fantastic pics, when walking through the tunnels how did you know what route to stick to because I see they can split off in various directions, or do the pics look as if you are further up the tunnel than you actually were? I always think these water tunnels are a work of art but I am very apprehensive about going in any, a mind block on my part, I always have visions of a monsoon comming down and being stuck in there.

 

[tumbles]

Fantastic pics, when walking through the tunnels how did you know what route to stick to because I see they can split off in various directions, or do the pics look as if you are further up the tunnel than you actually were? I always think these water tunnels are a work of art but I am very apprehensive about going in any, a mind block on my part, I always have visions of a monsoon comming down and being stuck in there.

It's fairly deceptive.. there is one main route that it takes. The southern foul interceptor runs alongside it and at various points there are small links between the two.

That is incredibly low though.. visited in October myself and it was quite low. Want to see the steps after a heavy downpour or when some snow has melted...

 

[J_a_t_33]

Love the pics, great report thanks!

 

[derelicthunter]

wow

great find guys look like an amazing explore i just may have to take a little trip xD

 

[nelly]

Some stunning photos

 

[cuboard]

great pictures!!!!

 

[Hendreforgan]

I can remember the night of those floods, my family lived in Headley Park at that time, roughly half a mile to the south and on a hill. It had been raining heavily for several days and, that evening, friends of my parents had visited, left and then came back with the report . . . "we can't get out".

There were only three roads off the "hill" and water was deeper than the roof of a car at the bottom of each. Couldn't get to School at Bedminster Down next day . . . shame . . . and when I could I remember on the edge of the bridge crossing the "stream" at Bishopsworth there was a crumpled garage jammed onto it with a car sat on top!

A buddy of mine lived in a large council estate about half a mile to the east of Bedminster and I can remember that for years all of the white pebble dashed houses here had a senna stain on them almost to the top of the windows.

The storm drains shown here in this report were only the "big end" of a multi-million pound system that went a very long way indeed in several directions. I remember the "stream" at Bishopsworth being widened and having high concrete sides built and these improvements went as far as the big housing estates at Hartcliff to collect rain water pouring down the face of Dundry Hill on the Somerset border!

Awesome pix . . . amazed you're actually able to get in there!