Report - Hackney High Level Storm Relief, London - March 24

[Exploring With Pride 🌈]

History:
Unfortunately, there's not a great deal of info online regarding this place, but from some guesswork and liaison with the @TheVicar who's far more clued up than me, I can enlighten you to an extent...
Firstly, the clue is the name, this particular storm relief links into both Deep Ochre and Holloway storm relief, and was constructed at various points ranging from 1893 to 1955.
Like many other of London's colossal scaled subsurface soakaways, features tend to remain the same, including the all to familiar red brick tunnelling design.

Our visit:
In keeping with my last handful of drainage expeditions, I was accompanied by none other than @TheVicar and @obscureserenity for the ride. Standardly starting our afternoon in the nearby spoons in Hackney, loading up on greasy grub & cheap pints.
Although it wasn't long before we made our way in the direction of the lid, one by one, high-vis'd up, head torches at the ready, we dropped in...
Unbeknownst to me, this would turn into quite the underground trek.

Following the right-hand tunnel, all seemed well for the first half, however, it wasn't too far down before we were met by what's perhaps the gnarliest ladder I've had the misfortune to deal with...
It certainly pays dividends to bring gloves to these things!

With the ladder thankfully surpassed, we found ourselves in the pill-shaped tunnel section, believed to have been constructed between 1909 -1911.
Personally, this was the most photogenic area of this place by a long shot, and so the photo opportunities were shamelessly seized...

Admittedly, I did find myself wondering what exactly it is that draws me to drains when faced with a barrage of excrement amongst all manner of god knows what else...
(🤮🤮🤮)

Moving as swiftly as possible powering our way through this, the design of the tunnel suddenly changed to the more contemporary industrial concrete rings.
Becoming apparent that Deep Orche was nearby, and our exit was within reasonable distance, we decided to rattle of a few extra snaps before packing the cameras away.

From here, it spat us out into Deep Orche, which we visited back in December. Unfortunately, this time around the exit we used previously was jammed shut.
But alas, and after momentarily panicking at the idea of retracing our steps, we soon found a lid that would play nice.
Up the ladder we went, and one by one we were greeted by the well-received night air... ahhhh.
All in all, and despite the ever-lingering drain stench, this would be one I'd classify as worth looking at!

Until next time ~​

Need a heads up one day when ya doing something like this so we can organise a 28 mass flush event 😂😂😂

 

[Llama]

Nice one!
That filthy ladder was even more repugnant than it was when I was there a few years back, was good to get past it and into the relatively cleaner section beyond.
The pill section is a beauty and it was good to explore downstream of the staircase and all the way to the North Eastern Storm Relief despite that part being unremarkable, but it ticked that piece of the jigsaw off for me.
Here's to more good weather and drains.

Ay, yeh man, sometimes ya just have to suffer for your art it seems!

 

[Llama]

Love the pics and write up 👊 Looks grim down there 😅

Fancy joining us on another one matey? 🤣

 

[Llama]

Epic pics, looks really clean and inviting down there, NOT! That staircase/waterfall, sure I have seen it before, but forgot the name of the report.

It’s definitely worth it for the shots undeniably, I really aught to invest in a gasometer for these things

 

[Llama]

Need a heads up one day when ya doing something like this so we can organise a 28 mass flush event 😂😂😂

Would be one sterling flush n all

 

[obscureserenity]

Fantastic report mate! Another Sunday evening well spent

 

[Llama]

Fantastic report mate! Another Sunday evening well spent

Cheers Kat, many more ahead I'm sure

 

[Uncle Tony]

With the ladder thankfully surpassed, we found ourselves in the pill-shaped tunnel section, believed to have been constructed between 1909 -1911.
Personally, this was the most photogenic area of this place by a long shot, and so the photo opportunities were shamelessly seized...

Admittedly, I did find myself wondering what exactly it is that draws me to drains when faced with a barrage of excrement amongst all manner of god knows what else...
(🤮🤮🤮)

Moving as swiftly as possible powering our way through this, the design of the tunnel suddenly changed to the more contemporary industrial concrete rings.
Becoming apparent that Deep Orche was nearby, and our exit was within reasonable distance, we decided to rattle of a few extra snaps before packing the cameras away.

From here, it spat us out into Deep Orche, which we visited back in December. Unfortunately, this time around the exit we used previously was jammed shut.
But alas, and after momentarily panicking at the idea of retracing our steps, we soon found a lid that would play nice.
Up the ladder we went, and one by one we were greeted by the well-received night air... ahhhh.
All in all, and despite the ever-lingering drain stench, this would be one I'd classify as worth looking at!

Until next time ~​

Well, well! It's been a very long time since I've set foot in there. From that GRIM ladder onwards, through the pill-shaped pipe (heading downstream) I believe you're in the Bethnal Green Branch of the North Eastern SR, construction c.1936. And much the same as you have expressed, I found that section to be particularly photogenic. I've seen it in various states of flow, including completely impassable due to the amount of overflow from the High Level barrelling down it. Someone came prepared with those gloves! :P

 

[Llama]

Well, well! It's been a very long time since I've set foot in there. From that GRIM ladder onwards, through the pill-shaped pipe (heading downstream) I believe you're in the Bethnal Green Branch of the North Eastern SR, construction c.1936. And much the same as you have expressed, I found that section to be particularly photogenic. I've seen it in various states of flow, including completely impassable due to the amount of overflow from the High Level barrelling down it. Someone came prepared with those gloves! :P

Ah mate, it’s a grim one that’s for sure. Gloves were definitely a necessity 😅

 

[TheVicar]

Well, well! It's been a very long time since I've set foot in there. From that GRIM ladder onwards, through the pill-shaped pipe (heading downstream) I believe you're in the Bethnal Green Branch of the North Eastern SR, construction c.1936. And much the same as you have expressed, I found that section to be particularly photogenic. I've seen it in various states of flow, including completely impassable due to the amount of overflow from the High Level barrelling down it. Someone came prepared with those gloves! :P

The gloves were essential, that ladder was absolutely minging.
I've never been sure of what the correct name is for this drain. I had always referred to it as the Hackney High Level SR but it is also effectively a branch of the NESR.
What is interesting is that it appears to have been built in two phases. If you look at the 1934 LCC map that resides at Abbey Mills, it is labeled as the High Level Relief and only goes as far as the Mid Level Sewer No2 which is behind a small penstock just at the top of the staircase in the photos. Tallginge found out that this part was constructed between 1909 and 1911.

It appears that in 1936, it was extended starting with the staircase all the way down to the NESR.
From the bottom of the stairs onwards, it's not quite so photogenic and is just a 6ft tunnel with what I think was a small overflow from a branch of the London Bridge Sewer near Hackney City Farm.

 

[obscureserenity]

The gloves were essential, that ladder was absolutely minging.
I've never been sure of what the correct name is for this drain. I had always referred to it as the Hackney High Level SR but it is also effectively a branch of the NESR.
What is interesting is that it appears to have been built in two phases. If you look at the 1934 LCC map that resides at Abbey Mills, it is labeled as the High Level Relief and only goes as far as the Mid Level Sewer No2 which is behind a small penstock just at the top of the staircase in the photos. Tallginge found out that this part was constructed between 1909 and 1911.

It appears that in 1936, it was extended starting with the staircase all the way down to the NESR.
From the bottom of the stairs onwards, it's not quite so photogenic and is just a 6ft tunnel with what I think was a small overflow from a branch of the London Bridge Sewer near Hackney City Farm.

I may invest in some gardening gloves for draining as per your recommendation!

 

[obscureserenity]

Cheers Kat, many more ahead I'm sure

Definitely, looking forward to it!

 

[Uncle Tony]

The gloves were essential, that ladder was absolutely minging.
I've never been sure of what the correct name is for this drain. I had always referred to it as the Hackney High Level SR but it is also effectively a branch of the NESR.
What is interesting is that it appears to have been built in two phases. If you look at the 1934 LCC map that resides at Abbey Mills, it is labeled as the High Level Relief and only goes as far as the Mid Level Sewer No2 which is behind a small penstock just at the top of the staircase in the photos. Tallginge found out that this part was constructed between 1909 and 1911.

It appears that in 1936, it was extended starting with the staircase all the way down to the NESR.
From the bottom of the stairs onwards, it's not quite so photogenic and is just a 6ft tunnel with what I think was a small overflow from a branch of the London Bridge Sewer near Hackney City Farm.

Ah. That's intriguing. Got me to look again at a bit of mappage, which is always nice. The works drawings for that first section seem to have been made up in 1906. I've attached a drawing I found of the 1906 overlfow chamber, which I presume was later altered (possibly as part of the 1936 works). Also a snippet of map from 1906 showing the first section stopping at Mid Level. Love a bit of investigation.

 

[TheVicar]

It's always good to see different maps and diagrams of these places, you can never have enough.
Sometimes it's quite hard to find the information you are looking for but between us all, little bits of jigsaw can be slotted together.

 

[gatopretorockey]

Great report with lovely photos, loved the stairs and the tunnel shot with the red light, really cool. Thanks to you and everyone who are brave enough to go down and produce these amazing reports.