Exploring Penstock 37
The entrance was close to Smedley Road as the inlet part of Moss brook was 800 yards of slippy rocks, storm debris....half way down is the disused brick portal, which was a sewer overflow.
Known as ‘The Works’ is an essential overflow culvert, constructed with sturdy 10-foot bricks, designed to channel the Moston Brook into the River Irk. This impressive outfall structure.Within the culvert, the interior features a unique blue brick base with a red brick upper section, although the red brick portion is beginning to display signs of ageing over time.
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| Entrance near Smedley Road |
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| Section of disued sewer overflow |
The chamber is a sizeable brick arch featuring an elevated channel that serves as a conduit for the Moston Brook.Suspended from an iron framework within this chamber is the P37 Penstock...
The control rod extending upward through the apex. An adjoining shaft, serving as both an access point and a corridor, leads to a compact room housing the winding gear directly positioned above Penstock 37...
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Access point to winding gear
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These structures were built around 1907, the purpose was to safeguard the thriving local industries, which included bleach works and engineering facilities, that were downstream of what was known as Moston Brook, a tributary to the River Irk
Close to the Penstock was a series of 'steps' these were the overflow structures..are called flights...used to dissipate the force of the flows to reduce scouring of the infrastructure. Because there is a fair amount of grit in both sanitary and storm water.
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| One of the permanent residents |
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| Tunnel outflow that leads to Bridge Mill Collyhurst |
Martin Zero did a full explore of this site in October 2023...
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