Late night research

[CaverA]

I was just doing some late night research and actually came across something that caught my attention. Is it possible to gain access to Bristol Water's 'Line of works' its meant to be a line of underground tunnels, pipes and aqueducts that conveys 4 million imperial gallons of water a day to Barrow Gurney.

Other then the fact its full of water is it possible to take a look see?

Sam

 

[SamT]

Sounds like a question for somewhere like

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/
or
28dayslater
or
www.c**tplaces.co.uk
or even
www.28dayslater.co.uk

 

[CaverA]

That's a good idea, I've contact subbrit before about gaining access to a dram way tunnel located in Avon Wildlife Park in Willsbridge, Bristol, but didn't have any luck. That's also on land owned by Bristol Water, when I contact them they sent me a load of leaflefts on dram ways and in the end I let it drop.

Maybe I could ask Darkplaces for a pair of bolt cutters.  :halo:

 

[mrodoc]

Les W. might be able to help. I visited such a tunnel a few years back with a WCC party - quite interesting.

 

[Les W]

The "Line of works" is full of water. The part that crosses the Chew Valley is actually a huge "U" tube completely full of water.

The tunnel that Pete mentioned is the one at Churchill through the hill. It is possible to get organised visits and is open on open days I believe, but it is just a tunnel from the water works through the hill.

 

[nickwilliams]

Is it still possible to get into the Northern Storm Water Interceptor? I went in while they were building it (Anna's brother was one of the tunnelling engineers) but it might be interesting to the complete project.

For those not in the know, the entrance is a shaft under the odd-looking round building which is in a kind of lay-by on your right just after you go under the suspension bridge heading out along the Portway towards  Avonmouth.

Nick.

 

[cap n chris]

The tunnel that Pete mentioned is the one at Churchill through the hill. It is possible to get organised visits and is open on open days I believe, but it is just a tunnel from the water works through the hill.

Correct. Having visited it before on an annual open day I can confirm this to be the case.

 

[graham]

Is it still possible to get into the Northern Storm Water Interceptor? I went in while they were building it (Anna's brother was one of the tunnelling engineers) but it might be interesting to the complete project.

For those not in the know, the entrance is a shaft under the odd-looking round building which is in a kind of lay-by on your right just after you go under the suspension bridge heading out along the Portway towards  Avonmouth.

Nick.

Did that both when it was been done and again when it had been completed & before they started using it, the latter was an end-to-end trip. I would guess from what Hamish (the then City Engineer) told us on that trip that unlikely they'd run trips now.

 

[Hughie]

The "Line of works" is full of water. The part that crosses the Chew Valley is actually a huge "U" tube completely full of water.

The tunnel that Pete mentioned is the one at Churchill through the hill. It is possible to get organised visits and is open on open days I believe, but it is just a tunnel from the water works through the hill.

Once did some work in the water conduit between Blagdon and the Barrow Tanks. Myself and RC were pressure washing the internal brickwork prior to a surveyor inspection. Some of the entrance shafts were 120' deep, although the deepest we went down was 70'.

Actually caught some trout in there - using the fly that should be in every fishermans lure box - a 12' adjustable spanner!

Interesting tunnel nonetheless - about 2'6" wide and 5' high at Winford increasing to about 7' diameter at Barrow.

 

[CaverA]

Okays, thanks for the information. It's just amazing to think that there is all this engineering right under our feet. I think the closest I will get to a man made water conduit in Somerset is the Burrington Combe Audit.

 

[Peter Burgess]

Okays, thanks for the information. It's just amazing to think that there is all this engineering right under our feet. I think the closest I will get to a man made water conduit in Somerset is the Burrington Combe Audit.

I guess that's the one where access is controlled by the Adit Commission.....

 

[graham]

There are a couple of other old ones in Bristol that are accessible.

 

[tony from suffolk]

Actually caught some trout in there - using the fly that should be in every fishermans lure box - a 12' adjustable spanner!

Blimey! That must have been a bl**dy hUGE nut you were undoing!

And I really can't imagine what size of hook you tied it on!

Me, I always favoured the "Polar Ammon Attractor". A deadly fly IMHO.

 

[Hughie]

Actually caught some trout in there - using the fly that should be in every fishermans lure box - a 12' adjustable spanner!

Blimey! That must have been a bl**dy hUGE nut you were undoing!

And I really can't imagine what size of hook you tied it on!

Me, I always favoured the "Polar Ammon Attractor". A deadly fly IMHO.

Well spotted! 

I can imagine the "Polar Ammon Attractor" to be most effective!!

 

[Ellie]

There are a couple of other old ones in Bristol that are accessible.

A few years ago I remember visiting an old conduit under the Three Lamps junction in Totterdown with a caving friend.  If anyone has any info about it I would be interested.

 

[axbridgecaver]

There are a couple of other old ones in Bristol that are accessible.

A few years ago I remember visiting an old conduit under the Three Lamps junction in Totterdown with a caving friend.   If anyone has any info about it I would be interested.

This web site shows some photographs and the NGR - http://tunneling.irational.org/united_kingdom/bristol/ravens_well_ST59947194/

There is also a very short description of Raven's Well in Sally Watson's book Secret Underground Bristol page 126