Theres just something i love about the sewer network of london. Like a pirate treasure trail of drains, just when you think its all over, bang new possibilities flow from the side pipes like last nights curry. X may mark the spot, but sometimes the map might not be accurate. The past few months have been somewhat of a re-sweep of London, rechecking old leads and continuing along the tunnels and sidepipes we gave up with before.
Officially known as the “Deptford Storm Overflow”, it serves the Southern High Level Sewer No*1 and No*2. This was one of the very first drains i attempted, that we just could not find a way into. Countless trips, countless explorers, hundreds of manholes popped and yet after two years we had still failed to find any access. In the end we wrote it off and continued to pastures anew, vowing one day to continue the search. Well tonight was the night, armed with fresh information so hot it would melt even the sturdiest of waders we ventured forth once more to London.
After some KFC ‘good times’ we were ready to go, manhole located, cover popped, local gangsters vacated, down we go. Descending the ladder i prayed to the sewer gods, was the moment of success finally upon us? Two years of searching for this damn thing had almost caused me to deny its existence. Touch down, torch on. Oh, Sh**.
We emerged into a large concrete chamber, two giant gates holding back the interceptors to my left, a brick tunnel with extra overflows to my right. Vic-tor-y! In just thirty meters of tunnel i was already satisfied. All the effort, the time and the wasted trips had finally paid off, in full, with a large amount of interest!
Its safe to say this drain is tidal, during high tide 95%, if not all of the tunnel is underwater, with this in mind we decided to head to the outfall and work our way back. The tunnel itself although large and brick is fairly uneventful, little features exist excluding the curves on its course to the outfall. Around the half way point we reached the tide, crabs scuttling sideways as we approached.
Pushing on through the knee deep water for ten minutes we reached the end, the single pipe splitting into three and filtering off behind the tidal flaps. With nowhere else to go we took some photos and headed back and out, taking a brief visit to the interceptor chamber behind the flaps.
