Deep Ochre. If I'm honest, this was the one. I saw it posted on Sub-urban way back when, and before that i didn't really have a whole lot of interest in drains. I had seen pictures of the Westbourne and other various bits and bobs, but this just looked, different. I was amazed, intrigued, gob smacked. I sat looking at the pictures that just seemed to make no sense to me. What was this mighty network of tunnels that sat beneath our nations capital ?. I was keen to find out.

At a whopping 4.5 miles long, Deep Ochre is a test for anyone who attempts to see all in one sitting. Constructed around 1921 - 1928, the tunnel is a mix of concrete, brick, plastic, metal, interceptors, stairs, overflows, junctions, drop shafts, outfalls and O Rly. In order words, its serious business!.

To date i think i have visited Deep Ochre more then 10 times, with various people and still i haven't seen it all. There will always been those niggling side branches that we ignored to pursue others, maybe there just boring pipes. But given a feature like crypt exists on a relatively insignificant stretch of sewer, you can only wonder.

Recently i returned to Deep Ochre to re-shoot various sections of this monster. As quite frankly, my pictures to date were an embarrassing array of flashes, coloured gels, underexposed sections and general emo'ery. Taking to the time to explore some extended stretch's of Heavy Mettle at the same time. Most importantly, i wanted to re-visit the "O Rly" Junction.

Situated at the northern most end of the pipe, the O Rly junction diverts the flow from the Holloway Storm Relief, the sewers that are situated above that, and send it towards the Thames. I would have returned sooner had i not seen something i rather wish i didn't. On a clear night, with no rain in weeks, we headed in at a mid point in the tunnel. Climbed to the bottom of the ladder, only to see the normally bone try tunnel full to the roof of fast flowing, i will devour your soul, sewage. We later learned that this happened only an hour after JD and Stoop had traversed the pipe and continued south into Heavy Mettle.

Now i take nothing for granted, not even rumbles i know are probably trains. If they happened while you were in there, what the hell do you do?.