Sirenity exists to channel the Bilston Brook under various housing and industrial estates in Wolverhampton,
as well as being an overflow outlet for a number of sanitary sewers. When I originally researched the drain it
would have had a considerably lengthy stretch of century old brick tunnel, but that has sadly
been replaced by concrete box sections during development work over the past year, that'll
teach me to drag my heels. The name derives from the drain luring us ever onwards with seemingly ill intent,
but at the same time having a very relaxed atmosphere. With the older
sections now renewed the entire length of the drain (just over two miles/more accurately 3.5Km)
is entirely modern, of various pre-cast concrete forms with brick built junctions.
We started out near the upstream end, where an overflow from a local fishing pond(flooded quarry)
falls into the drain via a vertical drop of approx ten foot, four foot being an enclosed 3x6 slot
with the remaining six foot open to the drain channel. Heading downstream first, we chatted, joked,
rescued frogs, considered unblocking debris build up in a Guardian Draingels styley, and eventually
reached the outfall where Sirenity's flow conjoins with a much smaller culvert and a sewer overflow
outfall which was literally coughing out golden nuggets into an open watercourse that runs through
a leafy valley alongside the new Black Country Road, nice.
The downstream walk is long, but interesting, there are no real boring stretches, the drain twists
and takes a lot of corners which are all brick built with access ladders, manhole shafts and small
adjoining side pipes. Although it is predominantly concrete box, varying in size from 4ft at the
furthest upstream point we reached, to 8ft around centre and 6ft at the outfall, there are a couple
of instances where pre-cast quarter pipe sections take the brook under railway lines in a circular
pipe. In many spots the land above the drain is still under development which places the access
manholes on building sites and as such many do not have a cover in place, allowing natural
in.
We took all our downstream pictures whilst re-tracing our route back to our entry point.
The downstream two thirds were cool, quite small with no jaw dropping wow moments, but super
chilled, enjoyable and photo friendly. From the pond overflow heading upstream was slightly
more varied and I'd say more fun! As we walked the echo of the overflows crashing waters
travelled with us, as it faded a new crashing noise took its place reaching our ears from
some point up ahead of us. Excited we upped our pace a little in anticipation, we reached
a corner where a drop of five brick steps turned out to be the source of the sound.
Close by were another smaller set of steps that had helped to dupe us into expecting
a rather more grand single feature.
By now the concrete box had narrowed to about four and a half foot in width as it entered
a junction chamber where it met a circular pipe. Much mineral encrustment on the walls
and step irons here. The circular pipe had an enclosed sewer running along one side, à la
Bunker, causing the main water channel to deepen and the resulting narrowed channel was
an ankle crunching debris fest of a walk. Past this section the sound of crashing water
once again entices you onwards and you're rewarded with a tall chamber housing a considerably
larger set of steps.
In this chamber an overflow on a sanitary sewer joins and poking your head through
reveals the beginnings of potentially a whole new place to explore, after hours of
wandering through relatively clean,
clean culvert I wasn't in the mood to get all poop covered. At the top of the stairs
the main tunnel suddenly shrinks to a considerable stoop. We went on further, two
corners further, in the hope that we'd again be lured onwards by the sounds of
booming water or the glimmer of something of interest in the distance, but alas
the siren had ceased calling and we headed back to our exit. I loved this drain!
