The Winchester

September 2011

Sometimes you just gotta try something new. Taken from information kindly provided by Eotech, all we knew of this drain was where it’s infall was. Rolling down a hill in the dark, we found the manhole easily and with a heave, the cobweb covered hole was uncovered. The barred infall was far too tight to squeeze down, but once inside it was spacious enough to walk without stooping.

Initially rough surfaced, the tunnel eventually smoothed out so it was the same all the way along, bar a few manholes and the end, where the tunnel turned into a 2 foot RCP down to join the Motherload. Although the Motherload was the initial target of the evening, the gates were open meaning the flow was considerably higher than when they’re shut. The dilemma of course is that when the gates are shut, the water builds up behind them and could potentially ‘flush’ you out when the gates open. Yep, Motherload has a reputation as a killer.

The only ‘feature of any note was this manhole chamber with it’s metalwork pipe (bone dry) there to feed the miniscule flow. This felt a lot like Bunker in Warrington, but without the cool features. I also didn’t fall over here, which is always nice.

Bristol’s got loads of drains. I’ve already enjoyed the delights of Dreadnaught, Rednaught and now DIY, but Motherload is the one I really want to crack. Maybe next time…