# Markeaton Culvert Derby



## fezzyben (May 18, 2008)

This was my first underground trip. Visited with, Johno23, Timewarp, Dramaqueen, Ashless, Kaputnik, Nobodygirl and her friend (I'm useless with names) Heres my pics


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## NobodyGirl (May 18, 2008)

Awesome trip! thanks for the invite! Nice pics there Fezzyben!

Heres a couple of mine! 

The team! (Ill send the actual one through to those who want it)





































Another team photograph! (again let me know if you want the real copy  )

Lovely day! Great to see you all!


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## ashless (May 18, 2008)

Nicely done you pair! 

Here's one of the bus station where you can pop out halfway along the culvert and have a look around, though there's not much to see anymore.


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## fezzyben (May 18, 2008)

I'm seriously going to have to start shaving my hair off looks like i'm going bald


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## Sabtr (May 18, 2008)

Nice one.  Does it go far? The bats are something I have never come across.


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## fezzyben (May 18, 2008)

its about a kilometre long


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## Drama Queen (May 18, 2008)

*pics*

Great pics mate good one of the bats and the fly as well,nice work


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## LittleMike (May 18, 2008)

Haha quality, looks like quite a crowd


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## johno23 (May 18, 2008)

fezzyben said:


> I'm seriously going to have to start shaving my hair off looks like i'm going bald



I told you its a lot easier if you do,just wash and go like me
Great pix mate and a great day,will put some up later


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## NobodyGirl (May 18, 2008)

fezzyben said:


>


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## fezzyben (May 18, 2008)

lol is someone bored by any chance


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## NobodyGirl (May 18, 2008)

fezzyben said:


> lol is someone bored by any chance




Hahahaha, Yeah! My mind was like "secretly.. that duck is an evil chap! what with those eyes"

Hoping the lil fella got out alright tho.


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## fezzyben (May 18, 2008)

for some reason all i can think of is orange sauce mmmmmmmmm orange sauce


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## NobodyGirl (May 18, 2008)

fezzyben said:


> for some reason all i can think of is orange sauce mmmmmmmmm orange sauce



Awwwwwwwwwww!!!!! Poor thing!!! Evil you, evil!!! lol. 






hehe, Okay, no more bored sketches for NobodyGirl!! 

Im off to party! lol.


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## Kaputnik (May 18, 2008)

some good pics, and many thanks to Johno23 for the tour, and pointing out the historical bits, and what parts of derby we were standing under! top day out


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## thompski (May 18, 2008)

God I wish I didn't work on Sundays!

I like the 'Bus Station' shot, it actually looks better since they knocked down the Bus Station and plonked a big fence around the place! Pity they can't knock down the surrounding area!


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## Foxylady (May 19, 2008)

Nice tunnel and pics y'all. Love the wildlife ones (it's a mrs duck, btw.   ). Good fun stuff!


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## johno23 (May 19, 2008)

*A few of my pics from the day.*

Markeaton culvert runs right through Derby under city centre streets and according to a mini poll recently very few people know of its existence.
It is fed from the large brook which comes down from Markeaton Park and eventually feeds into the river Derwent.It is a favourite explore of mine.Anyway heres a few more pics.




Weir which feeds the culvert.




First part of culvert which is of hand built brick construction.




400 year old Ford Street bridge.




400 year old Tenant Street bridge.




Large sewer pipe which is carried within an existing victorian sewer.




Typical street drain feeding into culvert.




If you dont like spiders,you wont like it in here




Fezzyben inspects WW2 fire brigade pumping point.




Above ground marker at same point as previous photo.




Two of the team inspecting the outfall.


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## thompski (May 19, 2008)

Ahh that last picture answers my question of where it runs out too, and there was me thinking it ran into the Derwent by the River Gardens!

The culvert was open until the 19th century, the new street formed was called Victoria and Albert Street, if you look on a map you'll notice its distinctive curve through the city centre.

A couple of years back the City Council was repaving Victoria Street as part of the 'Connecting Derby' scheme, when resurfacing at the main crossroads between the street and St Peters Street the road caved into a water way - Markeaton Culvert. It was fenced off for a few months while essential repair works took place.

It wasn't the first time it'd happened, in the 1930s (I think) a steamroller fell through into the culvert elsewhere in the city (there's a photo somewhere).
It's somewhat well known, largely due to the incident in 2005, as well as its more obvious entrance being in the student quarter (where a lovely mill was demolished last year).

One person had the idea of reopening the culvert, making Victoria and Albert Street resemble something out of Amsterdam, however by this point the Council had turned it into a bus, taxi and cycle lane.


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## krela (May 20, 2008)

As far as Bats are concerned I would appreciate it if people could read the following PDF about Bats and the law. It is illegal to disturb roosting Bats and in Scotland it is actually illegal to photograph them without a license. Using a flash gun around them in particular isn't a great idea as it can disturb their roosting and can wake them out of hibernation which may kill them.

http://www.bats.org.uk/publications_download.php/250/batsunderground.pdf

Noise isn't too much of a problem around roosting bats, but light and changes in temperature are. Even a rise in temperature caused by your own body heat nearby could cause a hibernating bat to wake up early.


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## Kaputnik (May 20, 2008)

thats a good point, Krela, and thanks for the link, we didn't bother the bats for long, and kept torchlight to a minimum near them. it's their home after all, we're just visitors!


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## King Al (May 21, 2008)

Great pics guys, like the wild life and the Weir


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