[superkev]

Spent a week in Blackpool, and decided to have a wander down to Squires Gate to see how much remained of Pontins.
Took the scenic route across the beach, few arty photo shots underneath the piers and wot not.

As I approached the central pier, a rather rude gentleman instructed me to be "quiet on set and no photographs", it appeared they were filming some comedy sketch for something, and seeing as how I didn't recognise any of the actors, I carried on my merry way.

Just past the central pier is the outflow from the Manchester square pumping station, which is a part of the Fylde coast waste water management scheme,
quote from U'U's website "Fleetwood Wastewater Treatment Works was completed in summer 1996 as part of a £150 million investment programme along the Fylde coast. This helped improve local bathing waters by ending the daily discharge of millions of litres of untreated wastewater from the Fylde coast.
As part of this work we built a large sewer, 14 kilometres long and wide enough to drive a car through. It runs under the promenade in Blackpool through Anchorsholme to Fleetwood. The pipe collects all the sewage from Blackpool, Fleetwood and the surrounding areas and brings it to Fleetwood to be treated. Previously all the waste was discharged into the sea before the Fleetwood treatment plant was constructed."..
.. " Manchester Square is an emergency overflow that discharges out to sea during storm conditions. We are permitted to do this by the Environment Agency and are very closely monitored on the frequency we discharge to sea. We only discharge in storm conditions and when the treatment works at Fleetwood is unable to cope with the capacity, and the storm tanks at Bloomfield Road are full. The sea outfall is 2.2 metres in diameter, 1km outfall to sea and can discharge at a rate of up to 12,000 litres per second."

What a surprise I got when I reached the outfall and was greeted by this....


The excitement and curiosity got the better of me and I had to investigate further (take note of the many footprints already visible in the sand for when I rounded the corner a short while later I was greeted by 2 U'U suits who appeared to be conducting some kind of incident report) and so in I ventured.......







access on the right hand side through the small hole




how do these things flap open with water pressure? they weigh an absolute ton..




There's only so far you can explore when the only light you have is your camera flash....


needless to say is that this place deserves a proper explore to link into the 14km system
was quite impressed that there were no foul smells