Urban Exploration- Where have you been?

[4v6]

Always interested me, the thought of long abandoned places, ripe for exploring!

Guess my interest first got piqued when i was a nipper.
Just down the road was a large land drain, its still there as it happens and i wanted to see what was in there.

So one drizzly saturday morning, me and a couple of the local kids went and had a look.
Only thing is, i went with wellies and a torch, they chickened out and went home when they heard the roar of the water inside this dark scary tunnel.
Takes a little nerve when youre young to go into the abyss (as it seemed to me at any rate) but as i waded in and the light got less and less my eyes started to finally make out what the deafening water sound was coming from- a road drain that adjoined and which was spewing water against the opposing sidewall.
Made a racket but was way less than what it sounded like.
By now im about 100 yards inside and a 45 degree turn to the left is coming up, the waters about knee height and almost over me wellies, had a leak inside one so cold wet feet it was anyway.
With the torch on i can see what appears to be a "room" with a place to stand on (opposite sides) and a vertical shaft about 30 feet high leading to a manhole cover, which is directly under the main road with cars and truck clattering over it, so no sticking yer nut up for a look see!
With the torch on, the tunnel stretches out into blackness, so with a little trepidation i continued.
A few access shafts came and went along the some quarter mile length, the exit finally showing itself at the base of some stairs (yes concrete steps to slow the water i assume) which again made a terrific racket but wasnt exactly impressive when you saw it.
The actual exit was thru a barred grid that was hinged at the top with gravity keeping it pinned.
After that i often used to go to school thru that tunnel as it saved time, kept you cool and dry in the summer too.

The other land drain i explored was a different proposition as its in the midle of a long abandoned field (theyre just starting to set up for building on it now tho) and required removal of the enormously heavy cast iron cover, not easy when youre about 6 stone ringing wet as i used to be.
Some prying with a bar did eventually result in access and the cover heaved to one side revealed a vertical shaft around 80 to 100 feet deep.
Dropping a housbrick down it resulted in a few seconds of utter silence then an explosion with a huge reverb that lasted quite a while. Not possible to see the bottom at all but a bottle of petrol with a light on it might have worked, if id had one.

In the walls of the shaft were square galavanised steel footholds and cobwebs like off a horror film.
Got my torch handy and climbed in starting my way down checking each hold just in case.
Didnt find any loose ones tho or id have probably gone down a bit quicker.......

Eventually after what seemed like an age i got to the bottom which opened out into a concrte and brick lined room with two tunnels going from roughly south to north and around 3 feet high.
Couldnt see any real distance up the southward branch or the north branch and going up either wasnt really on without a skateboard to lie on.
Eventuallt traced the north branch exit to a swamp area around a quarter mile away next to the sewage works (in the shit literally) the other runs back up under the estate and probably picks up the majority of the spill from the streets....
The climb back up was good as the light down there wanst brilliant but you get a surprisingly large amount even through a 3 foot square opening like that.

Recently did a night run thru the netherton canal tunnel (twice).
Its 1.7 miles long with airshafts along the length.
Quite nice at night too as you cant see abloody thing when you turn the lights off and just sit there....listening.

Couple of years ago managed to get on a tour of the old Nuclear Bunker at Drakelow, or as it was known in the 80's "RSG7".
Id always wanted to get in there and have a look round after hearing stories of trucks disappearing down it in the small hours, your imagination runs riot at whats in there.
Plenty of space i can tell you, lots of decay tho, its not in good shape any longer and the tours have all been stopped due to vandalism, so its unlikely itll be opened again.
Shame really as i enjoyed poking about in the dark, looking at the old 80's telephone exchange and seeing how it was laid out with toilets and infimary, kitchens and stores etc....

[john johnson]

Gordon wr was into this, he posted some interesting pictures too

[Phil Payne]

Well, there's always the Williamson Tunnels in Liverpool and the Park under the Town in New Mills.

[4v6]

Some photos inside drakelow here:

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/...light=drakelow

[TeXerv]

last year I've been visiting Guernsey and the Channel Islands. There is an old German underground hospital on Guernsey - it is even scary in there. I can't imagine how wounded men can get well again in this cold and wet dripstone cave. I even shot some pics but unfortunately can't place them here.

[saladdodger]

back in 2003-4 i visited canadian red cross memorial hospital in Taplow near Maidenhead, now demolished

Also Cane Hill mental asylum in Surrey i think it was, now demolished

Great fun if your sensible, i was purely up for seeing an old building left alone, time stood still so to speak.

Shame these scrotes smash everything up

[saladdodger]

ah!!! also a folly over in Henley but got chased out of that one

[dt4]

Dont forget to get your confined space training and always carry your mines self rescue kit!!

[yeti]

I'm a heights not depths kinda bloke. I don't do much urbex, but I love a good crane.

[RetroAuto]

Sorry Tony, as I started to read your first posting for some strange reason I thought you were going to mention Ninja Turtles

How would you communicate with the outside world in the event of an emergency?