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Report - - Crypt (Wimbledon Park Sewer and Southern High Level Sewer #1) – London – January 2019 | UK Draining Forum | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Crypt (Wimbledon Park Sewer and Southern High Level Sewer #1) – London – January 2019

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TheVicar

Loyal to the Drain
Regular User
Visited with Tallginge
Crypt is a rather grand junction chamber where the Wimbledon Park Sewer and the Southern High Level Sewer #1 converge in Wandsworth.

The reason for such an ornate chamber is that Crypt was originally the start of the west end of Joseph Bazalgette’s sewage aqueduct in Wandsworth which was constructed between 1882 and 1885. The beautiful brick arches were constructed to maintain the physical integrity of the aqueduct which is now sadly demolished.
The aqueduct was a rather impressive structure that curved gracefully across its substantial length while carrying the sewers across the lower lying land that encompasses King George’s Park to the west all the way to St. Anne’s Hill in the east.

These two pictures are as you can clearly see are from the Wandsworth Heritage Service. It was the only place I could find a picture showing a substantial view of the aqueduct.

WHS1216.jpg


WAN_9065.jpg


There is surprisingly little in the way of historical information available online with regards to this structure which is a shame.
A page from ‘The Engineer’ dated March 1886 provides detailed plans of Bazalgette’s completed aqueduct.

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This photo dated 1930 on the Sewer History Website shows the aqueduct from what is now Neville Gill Close. Below that is a contemporary view of the site from Google Street view. I was pleased to see that the bowling green is still there and in use!

1930_bmm313.gif


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The 1920 Annual Report of London County Council, Volume 3, Public Health, states that
“The Southern high-level sewer No. 1(Clapham to Putney extension) is carried over the Wandle
by means of the Wandsworth aqueduct, which consists of a series of brick piers and arches. For many years a lateral movement has been taking place, the greatest deviation from the perpendicular being 23½ inches. It is essential that support should be given to the structure and brick buttresses are being placed against certain of the piers, the estimated cost of the work being £2,000”

I have not been able to find a date for when the aqueduct was demolished so I'm unclear if this work was ever carried out or whether the structure was perhaps demolished instead to save the money being spent.


The first five photos I took show The Wimbledon Park Sewer where it joins Crypt and runs down the southern side of the chamber before falling into the middle section where the flow is now carried away to the Southern Low Level #1 Sewer. Note the blocked off arch at the end of the chamber where the aqueduct would have continued.
The middle channel would have been originally been an overflow and have dumped excess flow into the River Wandle at Dormay Street which is a present day sewage discharge point that is currently in the process of being connected to the Thames Tideway tunnel to clean up the river.

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The next five photos show the Southern High Level Sewer #1 which runs down the northern side of the chamber and also empties into the middle section.


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The final photo is taken from within the middle section at the eastern end of the chamber to show the ‘water’ flowing down from the two sewers above.


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Last edited:

Ojay

Admin
Staff member
Admin
Been a few years since this has popped up, you not been already ?

You ought to have nipped down for a golden shower and had a closer look at the interceptor
 

TheVicar

Loyal to the Drain
Regular User
I'd never got round to having a look at this one, but better late than never. :p
It would be interesting to know exactly what was down there but the shower was not appealing and I hadn't brought me brolly!
 

tarkovsky

SWC
Regular User
Those brick arches are excellent! Great pictures and nice report! (I suspect I've probably used this exact response before, but it makes it no less true, haha!)
 

tallginge

more tall than ginger tho.....
Regular User
Yeah was a busy day that – enjoyed it! Nice report and pics mate. Love them old ones as well. It seems like such a waste of three years’ worth of work to build a structure that size only to eventually demolish it and send the flow into the Low Level no.1. Did J Bizzle make a fuck up! He was usually pretty good at forseeing problems
 

siologen

I Go Where The Drains Are
Regular User
I tried to unclip the tideflap on the manhole into the lower section of this in 2011. It was rusted solid, even with a 4lb Mallet.
Ive heard 'some people' say theyve been down there n that theres some decent sized big brick ovi n a nice stairway.... But you know how Londoners are for Bullshit.
 

TheVicar

Loyal to the Drain
Regular User
Yeah was a busy day that – enjoyed it! Nice report and pics mate. Love them old ones as well. It seems like such a waste of three years’ worth of work to build a structure that size only to eventually demolish it and send the flow into the Low Level no.1. Did J Bizzle make a fuck up! He was usually pretty good at forseeing problems
Yes another action packed day of drains, I don't think there has been one we haven't enjoyed!
Thanks for your help with the lighting, it always looks nicer when someone else fires some photons about.
It does seem very strange that the aqueduct was demolished which makes me think it was done to save on the 2 grand repair quote from 1920.
I can't believe for a moment that J Bizzle made a fuck up mistake, I won't hear a bad word about the chap! :Not Worthy

I tried to unclip the tideflap on the manhole into the lower section of this in 2011. It was rusted solid, even with a 4lb Mallet.
Ive heard 'some people' say theyve been down there n that theres some decent sized big brick ovi n a nice stairway.... But you know how Londoners are for Bullshit.

I've heard about the tideflap on the lower section and rumour of the stairway that you refer to but wading through the bullshit can be hard work sometimes, especially with drains. One thing I've learnt over the years is to take anything I have read or been told with a generous pinch of salt. ;)
 

Killa

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Quality report and nice detail:thumb
Heres another drawing from the internet, sadly cannot remember where l got it from, but its from “The Engineer”, March 12 1886:

Clearly showing the commencement of the aqueduct:

894DF231-6AB7-436F-85F2-D156E6FE3E3B.jpeg



The Engineer April 2 1886:
Also showing other construction details: side exit manholes, breathers, tide flap chambers and cross sections of various brick and pipe sewers:

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I have some info on why the aqueduct was demolished in a text book, l need to find it, however:wanker
 

TheVicar

Loyal to the Drain
Regular User
Thanks for those pages from The Engineer Killa, they are very good to see.
If you do manage to find the information regarding the demolition of the aqueduct, then I would be most interested in learning about it. :thumb
 

Killa

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Thanks for those pages from The Engineer Killa, they are very good to see.
If you do manage to find the information regarding the demolition of the aqueduct, then I would be most interested in learning about it. :thumb

As promised, here is the page about the demise of the aqueduct, still not clear when it was demolished, but it was post war, guessing 1950’s??
Source: Public Health Engineering Practice Volume ll: Sewerage and Sewage Disposal, L B Escritt, Macdonald and Evans, 1972 (l)SBN 7121 1641 9


724EBD70-F9D3-4D12-AC7F-9A69F9220E25.jpeg


Cheers:thumb
 

TheVicar

Loyal to the Drain
Regular User
Thanks for digging that out and posting it up Killa.
It's nice to know the reason for the demolition even if the date was not mentioned.
That's another interesting book by the sounds of it.
 

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