here is a selection of some culverted parts of the knowsley brook.
kev had mentioned this weeks earlier and we decided to check it out.
the caged section ran right through the middle of the now closed ethel austin HQ then it split into 2 where another brook meets it.....more on that later.
anyway on a day marked for draining and with rain forecast, the black clouds started to form ......this wasnt looking good.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5454/7...8300ff95_z.jpg
we had a few derps as a backup and when we arrived at our entry point to the culvert , it was raining heavy so we decided to check the derps out and come back.
with the derps out the way and the rain eased we decided to give this a culvert a go ,dropping in by randles bridge.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5332/7...4726d047_z.jpg
this brought us into the caged area.....we assume the cage is to stop people accessing the ethel austin site above ?
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7...d1bcf3d9_z.jpg
we had to negotiate this part without disturbing security on the ethel austin site as the culvert passed right in front of the security hut,and we knew security was out because we had heard the gates to the complex open while we was just near the hut.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5117/7...0484a427_z.jpg
that said we carried on.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8142/7...665a8bc0_z.jpg
it opened out into a massive long section running the whole length of the ethel austin site.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7246/7...d7b77e46_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/7...9bab3464_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7109/7...7ce30d3a_z.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7...a32922bc_z.jpg
we passed various industrial units along the way in a brief uncaged part.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/7...957c298d_z.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8147/7...e349fb8e_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/7...551b9fd6_z.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5196/7...337111ee_z.jpg
we then found ourselves in a little new section.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/7...ba4c427b_z.jpg
before entering a massive long section....this is where another watercourse fed into knowsley brook........(just as we entered into here it started to rain)
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5443/7...49997a63_z.jpg
there was 2 grilled airshafts in here this was the first one....there was a strange smell in this culvert, also the water was of a brown nature.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7137/7...cdf837d3_z.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7...dd3da08f_z.jpg
manhole along the way
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7...a467277a_z.jpg
airshaft number 2 (at this point the water flow had increased dramatically and we could feel heavy rain coming into the shaft throught the grill above.)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7122/7...b2f10c7f_z.jpg
you can see the flow as kev struggles to keep his tripod in the drink.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/7...2cded781_z.jpg
turning a corner we was met by an rcp.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/7...c99a4665_z.jpg
this was as far as we went, by now the flow was making it very hard to stand and also place a tripod in the water.....the floor was also really slippy and it seemed to go uphill so we ended it here until a day when this great british weather decides to play ball.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5117/7...39ba13f7_z.jpg
some light fun on the way out.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7...b95d0fbc_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7082/7...59739a70_z.jpg
some information on a possible future of the former ethel austin site.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...0252-30841917/
to be continued...........
