Report - The Ranelagh Sewer & Storm Relief, London 2017-2020

[stoff urbex]

amazing lighting there ginge top report

 

[The_Raw]

Nicely done mate. That was a funny way to meet up

 

[TheVicar]

Just read though this again and enjoyed it just as much as the first time!
I remember those rats that lived behind that wooden board in the second pic, you can see all the bits of wood they have been chewing through.
I clearly recall when you got lost above ground while I was waiting for you at the bottom of that tumbing bay - was beginning to think something had gone wrong.
You did well finding that extract from 'The Builder' regarding the Ranelagh slide. It's an incredible bit of engineering is that.
It was funny when you wandered downstream from the slide and returned a few minutes later with @The_Raw before we all walked down to the curved overflow chamber just before Hyde Park where the amusing 'plug and chain' was.
I'd forgotten how much there was to this drain further downstream until I saw these pics.
Great times, shame there won't be much of this malarkey for some time now.

 

[tallginge]

I’m going to have to read this lot again properly later, buts it’s definitely one of my favourite systems and it took me and Adders ages completing as well a good few years back now.

Some amazing pics and a good write up, was good going back into some of this lot with you.

I’ll still never forget a fresh turd floating down at the outfall whilst I was taking a pic of the outfall structure... trust @Adders to be curling some history out eh

Thanks mate, yeah enjoyed that night walking down the 'new' start to the NWSR wiv ya to the other side of that 'timbered up' overflow - wonder why they didn't leave them all open?

wow amazing photos and report 10 out of 10

thanks bud

Epic stuff mate. Hope you’re safe and in good health

Hey mate, thanks. Yeah safe and well in sleepy suffolk. Hope you're doing ok?

Astonishing variety of things to see down there really.
I'd like all monster drain reports like this to come with a map with some indication of where the groups of photos were taken, since most people probably won't have a clue which bits of London you were underneath without having to look it all up

Yes isn't there! Thought about a map but it doesn't go under much of note and the walk's essentially linear from end to end bar the storm relief so isn't especially confusing for once. Here's one anyway tho, bit late but whatever Circled numbers are at start of 'section' and here's that link I mentioned

https://www.waternz.org.nz/Attachment?Action=Download&Attachment_id=3378

brilliant report and pics @tallginge

thanks mockney reject - was in lavenham the other day lol - thought of you!

Outstanding stuff, very well organised and the photos are just hitting the mark, I read it briefly yesterday and re read whole thing today. Looks so big, and so photogenic. Quality through & though.

thanks CJ - that's very kind of you

great photos, one of the best sets of photos ive seen on this page

thanks man - we try to make an effort to get it 'right' as painlessly and as quickly as possible

amazing lighting there ginge top report

thanks christoff

Nicely done mate. That was a funny way to meet up

thanks mate and thanks for the 3 pics - hope yer didn't mind me using them! Still chuckle at the thought of you waiting above the lid, watching and waiting for it to lift slightly

while I was waiting for you at the bottom of that tumbing bay - was beginning to think something had gone wrong

yeah sorry bout that mate. Felt guilty at the time and even worse when i got bloody lost!

You did well finding that extract from 'The Builder' regarding the Ranelagh slide

thanks mate - nothing else would convince me they'd willingly underpin that length of sewer - had hoped to find some pics or more detail on the construction process for that beautiful three arched overflow chamber at the archives but left disappointed

'plug and chain'

yeah was good fun that - felt like a flusher. Vidz still on me vimeo if anyone's not seen it Yeah yer right about the downstream stuff and there being a lot to it. Reckon there's enough for a revisit. Hopefully that'll be in the summer

 

[mockney reject]

thanks mockney reject - was in lavenham the other day lol - thought of you!

You shoulda called in

 

[pastybarm]

Were there any of them flowhawks in this stretch of't system?

 

[Philwill80]

Absolutely amazing report, so much detail and such fantastic photos. People are so oblivious as to what’s beneath their feet while going about their daily routines. Fascinating!

 

[horrgakx]

Great photos, some are super well lit! It would be fascinating to see a 3D model of all these tunnels.

 

[Giulio]

What a trip!!
How/where did you get out?

 

[siologen]

That heavy lid in the cycle path was the original way in when i did it with JD n Stoop in 2004.
Took them a few years to figure out Easylifts.

 

[Seffy]

Back once again with the legendary reports! Love it @tallginge

 

[tallginge]

Were there any of them flowhawks in this stretch of't system?

probably mate they're usually in full sewers or junctions near overflows, or empty overflows but often see them by lids woulda no doubt bin one by the scary hydraulic flap downstream from egg overflow

Great photos, some are super well lit! It would be fascinating to see a 3D model of all these tunnels.

thanks, yeah imagine a model of the whole lot. TW send robots wiv cameras on them down some pipes, we've seen their tracks, so hopefully they're already on it - dunno what they'd do about full pipes tho. A mini boat? If lockdown lasts long enough i'll carve a model of the 3 arch overflow outta wood an post it here! I've used some of the surveying equipment that could model it - never underground tho.

How/where did you get out?

not here at the end of the serpentine but if yer desperate

That heavy lid in the cycle path was the original way in when i did it with JD n Stoop in 2004.
Took them a few years to figure out Easylifts.

nice, easily done - i remember thinking i was gonna have to walk down from hampstead heath or enter via the serpentine. Never met JD or Stoop but can imagine them peering into that grill ^^^ from in the serpentine, waving a torch about and getting all excited at the thought of being inside

Back once again with the

ill behaviour

 

[tallginge]

Beyond the leap weir and the flaps is a long empty chamber with another flap at the end. I’ve not been passed that one but it’s either the Thames and Tideway’s site or another chamber with the Storm Relief flowing into it and then the Thames

Well, in the end it turns out there was another chamber where the Storm Relief meets storm flows that make it over the leap weir in the sewer. Bit of a sod to get to currently and there's no access from the Low Level - even when it's as empty as this. The combined flow then goes through one of two pipes which I assume sump under or through Tideway's work in the Thames.

Dry weather flow from beneath the Ranelagh Sewer leap weir is seen coming out of the lower of the two small pipes on the right. The other one comes from the smith street sewer.

Another shot from the Low Level

The rest is as described above

Storm flows from Smith Street Sewer???

 

[TheVicar]

Great pics there TG. Nice to see where the dry weather flow from the leap weir joins the LLS, never seen the flow as low as that!

 

[Calamity Jane]

Well, in the end it turns out there was another chamber where the Storm Relief meets storm flows that make it over the leap weir in the sewer. Bit of a sod to get to currently and there's no access from the Low Level - even when it's as empty as this. The combined flow then goes through one of two pipes which I assume sump under or through Tideway's work in the Thames.

Dry weather flow from beneath the Ranelagh Sewer leap weir is seen coming out of the lower of the two small pipes on the right. The other one comes from the smith street sewer.

Another shot from the Low Level

The rest is as described above

Storm flows from Smith Street Sewer???

Fab photos. Some interesting architecture