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View Full Version : River Croal - Bolton Culverts, March 2010



crippletron 3000
01-03-2010, 08:58 PM
Bolton Culvert(s) - Undergound Bolton - Visited by Ojay, Gone, Rookie & Urban Soldier.

The River Croal is culverted at three seperate points through Bolton town centre, running under Knowsley Street; the Market Place and Bridge Street. Prior to 1836 the River Croal formed the boundary between the townships of Great and Little Bolton.

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011815.jpg

Another last minute.com explore and bombing it over to Bolton late one evening we once again wadered up.

Access was one of the Outfalls on the other side of town where we walked firstly downstream then back Up-Stream towards Bridge St, passing under Bradshaw Gate and the Gates Shopping Centre.

On the way, there was some very interesting features, in all we spent 4 hours and it was nowhere near long enough!

The night wasn't complete without it's comedy moments:

Me and Gone both falling into some huge hole in the middle of the river bed

Gone getting attacked by killer budgies LOL,

Rookie getting pissed wet through because he only had wellies.

Anyway some photos of the River as it passes through under the Town Centre, Enjoy :thumb

Infall into downstream section, mainly concrete
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011823.jpg

Looking back out
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011819.jpg

After A long walk down we came across the roaring weir at these falls
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011854.jpg

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011855.jpg

Eventually we could see daylight
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011826.jpg

Just further downstream
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011820.jpg

Looking back upstream
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011829.jpg

Eventually we came to another infall even further downstream
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011852.jpg

Whilst at this point we spotted this curious egg shaped sewer/storm outfall
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011846.jpg

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011847.jpg

And This
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011850.jpg

Urban Soldier had no sooner pointed this out, that before I could grab my camera Gone was in like a rat up a drainpipe. Seconds later he came flying out like a crazy mutha, he was being attacked by 'Killer Budgies' I managed to Grab a few shots before Gone & Rookie jumped back in and headed up the overflow.

If you look hard enough you can see 'Killer Budgies' just inside....
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011837.jpg

Heading back upstream from the section we first started at
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011860.jpg

Fucking soaked after dropping down some big ass hole just infront :(
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011861.jpg

Passing through a mixture of concrete and stone arches
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011871.jpg

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011873.jpg

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011880.jpg

It was here we noticed some massive metal door, inside we were under the foundations of what looked like to be part of the Gates Shopping Centre
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011875.jpg

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011877.jpg

We eventually arrived here
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011863.jpg

This was by far the most interesting section even though we didn't make it onto the bridge still managed to get some decent shots
http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011868.jpg

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/ojay1234/Bolton/_1011870.jpg

Rochester
01-03-2010, 09:06 PM
Great report mate, see many rats?

crippletron 3000
01-03-2010, 09:08 PM
No just killer budgies LOL

boxfrenzy
01-03-2010, 09:33 PM
Some tidy stuff there indeed. The outdoor shots are pretty cool mate :thumb

TCCI
01-03-2010, 10:02 PM
Great work m8 i love the first pic some cool water affects:thumb

Neosea
01-03-2010, 10:22 PM
This looks great and a real adventure!

ZombieSazza
01-03-2010, 11:19 PM
Wow, nice place to explore! :D Nice pictures and report :thumb

Killer Budgies..? :lol:

KingElvis
02-03-2010, 09:58 AM
That's a great report there, loved it.

Killer budgies? feral budgies?

doozer
02-03-2010, 11:56 AM
The killer budgies are Dippers (I think - black on top, white underneath, look a bit like a blackbird?) and I get monstered by them at Boardwalk in County Durham. They nest inside culverts and get really p*ssed when they think you're threatening their nest... Cute little beasties really, as long as you stay out of their space, whereupon they become spiky, angry, pecky little sods with a death wish. :lol:

That bridgey bit's cool. Would like to have a go down that one day!

georgie
02-03-2010, 12:58 PM
bloody good report m8 like this lots

crippletron 3000
02-03-2010, 01:08 PM
bloody good report m8 like this lots

Thanks Mate :)

crippletron 3000
02-03-2010, 01:09 PM
The killer budgies are Dippers (I think - black on top, white underneath, look a bit like a blackbird?) and I get monstered by them at Boardwalk in County Durham. They nest inside culverts and get really p*ssed when they think you're threatening their nest... Cute little beasties really, as long as you stay out of their space, whereupon they become spiky, angry, pecky little sods with a death wish. :lol:

That bridgey bit's cool. Would like to have a go down that one day!

Thanks for sharing that info dude! As for a look, give me a shout some time

SilentHill
02-03-2010, 10:56 PM
I find it quite amazing how people just go about their busy little lives and have no idea what goes on below them :)

That looks a cool explore. Nice work :thumb