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Report - - Continuing with the River Dean / Harrop Brook, Bollington Cheshire. | UK Draining Forum | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Continuing with the River Dean / Harrop Brook, Bollington Cheshire.

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JMRodwell

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Having wetted my wellies and whetted my appetite my paddle along the River Dean in Bollington, Cheshire, continued.

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Actually the aim of today's outing was merely to take a closer look at this strange weir-with-a-hole behind the Tullis Russell paper mill.
I think that the modern car-park was once a mill-pond and this was used for draining it.

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But a few yards behind me the High Street tunnel caught my eye, as tunnels do.

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Actually only the far end of it is under High Street, most of it is under people's back gardens and a large pub. But it really is a tunnel of three parts.
The first bit of it has been rendered with icing for some reason.
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The second bit was corrugated which a pain to walk on, especially in the dark as my torch that I happened to have was pretty feeble
I think there had been a collapse here back in the 70s or 80s. I wonder who had made their home in the bird-box.

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Then the third part opens out into plain but not unnattractive stone-work. The water at this point also opened up to above welly-level, which was a bit annoying.

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The pipes were a bit tricky as the bed was uneven and rocky, but at least there was a bit of light now.

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The view back up towards the top end
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Emerging out at alongside the verdant back-gardens of Water Street in the sunshine.

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More photos here

That was fun! Now my plan was to carry on down the river to a spot just above the Rat Tunnel where I'd be able to clamber out, but as I passed the tributary Harrop Brook I thought I might as well take a look up there.
The next tunnel was under Queen Street, well more of a long bridge really. (A tunnel is longer than it's wide, and a bridge is wider than it's long - is that right??)

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Can't think what those flanges are for though... More photos here.

Then came the looming concrete opening of the Oak Bank Tunnel, which ran under the now-demolished Oak Bank Mill.

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I had no idea what to expect up here and peering into the blackness and other than a few steps I wasn't sure whether to carry on, it did look very dark & daunting.
And not at all inviting. But hey - when did that ever put a drainer off??

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I could only really see anything when the flash went off, and had no idea how deep the water was. But tentatively carried on for sake of knowledge!

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I guess the square hole would've been a drain from the mill above, but it looks more like an access shaft.
Up at the top end I still had no idea what the terrain was, and the flow was very loud indeed.
Obviously looking at it now there wasn't much to worry about! And the bed-rock might even have made a nice water-slide.

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And this one I think is one of my favourite subterranean snaps that I've taken - so much going on! I should really go back with better torches I think...

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Another square access / drain shaft / vent thing, a big valve and we're back in the sunshine.

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More Oak Bank Tunnel photos here.
The next tunnel is under Shrigley Road, and is really only notable for the soggy clamber up the weir to get out.

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Just one more Bolly tunnel to go now - but that's going to be tricky...
 

Stopford_lad

foul-mouthed oaf
28DL Full Member
It's been a while since I stumbled down here Some decent little culverts..some of it's proper stoopy too, looks as though you found out the hard way :thumb
 

JMRodwell

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Ta Wildboyz! Was good fun - clean, safe and a nice and cool on a hot day! :-)
 

JMRodwell

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Cheers Jason! Some nice little culverts indeed, but it's all quite roomy! Although I was on my hands and knees over the rocks on the left in the Oak Bank Tunnel - but mainly cos I couldn't see anything!! haha.
 

Stopford_lad

foul-mouthed oaf
28DL Full Member
Cheers Jason! Some nice little culverts indeed, but it's all quite roomy! Although I was on my hands and knees over the rocks on the left in the Oak Bank Tunnel - but mainly cos I couldn't see anything!! haha.

I followed it upstream from Bollington rec ground and it was in full flow.
You did well, it's a real ankle breaker it parts, especially through Oak Bank, and quite deep too..reminds me of Hyde falls.
 

JMRodwell

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
You're right Snake Oil - the Oak Bank Tunnel would have been built 200 years ago or so, but of course it's hard to say how much of it now might be that old.
 
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