The Big Humpty. A River Medlock story

The Big Humpty is a large culvert on Manchester's River Medlock. Its actually called the Bank Bridge Culvert. It is situated to the east of Manchester near Clayton Vale. This is a video that tells a story about a section of the river Medlock and goes into the History of Manchester. We look at the remnants of old factories and the possible mine drainage sough of the Old Bradford colliery a Mine in Manchester. A large flood along the section of the river washed away parts of a graveyard . This History documentary and urban explore goes through a large culvert telling the story of the river as we go. Underground Manchester at its finest.

[@MartinZero]

Music; Forgotten by Aurora B. Polaris Also Simulacra by Aurora B.Polaris. Marcus's Channel and his video of the day kzbin.info/www/bejne/qaG1go2el52oi5Y

[@David-hi9rp]

Are you sure tour name isn't Tony as our neighbour looks like you here in Failsworth Manchester ?!

[@markthackray3185]

Playing the tunes on KZbin , they are outstanding. I love boards of Canada so can appreciate this kind of tunes.

[@goldwing537]

@@markthackray3185 I`ve got a lot of their stuff

[@eddyhenningsson3121]

You picked good music for this, the Medlock series is a lot of episod and this is perfect for this. 🙂

[@wibblywobblyidiotvision]

Hello Martin. Excellent video, as usual. The engineers "back in t' day" weren't as daft as it might seem. The idea of bricking the riverbed is exactly to provide a fast, smooth route for the river, not to slow it down at all. When you've got a lot of water coming in, you need to get a lot of water through, and fast. A natural riverbed will snag trees, rocks, and lord knows what else, and in a flood situation it will start eroding the banks. This happens fast - in 1872, it took an hour from the start of the flood to taking out the cemetery - around here in 2015 we had major flood, from the time where the river started to leave its bed due to natural damming with a few trees, it took under 10 minutes to utterly and absolutely remove a quarter of a mile of road, which took 2 years to put back in....

[@stebates7757]

Was going to comment the exact same thing 😂 smooth fast running river prevents snagging of debris. That was their reasoning anyway 👍

[@rachelmurr1466]

You know your sunday gets better when Martin Zero post a video, kick back, make a coffee and enjoy 😁

[@paulwilson7234]

Say no more your words enough 👌

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

Well said, I'm gonna go make my coffee now lol that sounds fantastic

[@bobjackson6524]

Fully agree

[@jaredmehrlich6683]

I've got my morning Pepsi

[@rachelmurr1466]

@@jaredmehrlich6683 fair play but you can't dunk biscuits in Pepsi like you can with coffee! Enjoy anyway 👍

[@markthomas6045]

Another great episode Martin! It's nice to see the younger folk taking an interest in historical things. The old photos of the arches and the men working in what look like miserable conditions contrasted with the modern filming of the area really brings history to life. This is what makes your channel so great. Keep up the good work!

[@weyayemanjoe3082]

I agree 👍

[@whiskeycook3323]

I absolutely love martins work

[@antl82]

Brilliant video, brought a tear to my eye when you mentioned and showed photos of Bradford pit. My uncle worked there for donkeys years till it closed. Have a few pictures somewhere. If I find them, I'll send them over to your Facebook page!

[@thomasdieckmann5711]

Hi Martin, great work once again. I really love the way you give context with old maps and add old historic photographs. There is only one thing I missed: brew time 🙂

[@brianartillery]

You had Brewboy with you, too! Glaring oversight.

[@keithsquawk]

and was it biscuits or cakes?

[@dwarftoad]

I would guess the curved trough and shape of the culvert is intended to keep the river moving fairly fast, both to drain quickly and keep it clean (from trash like coats) ?

[@robertschmitz8036]

I am so hooked on these amazing videos about the city I love. Faithful viewers look for critical things like who made the tea, and did James buy biscuits on clearance again! Lol Joshing aside, you all are doing something I love, honoring our past.

[@zeberdee1972]

I have to agree and yet disagree i think idea of making the Medlock in this area with the red brick was to make the river more free flowing . An idea which would only work if you made this part more capacity flow . Example i did a test of a semi treated sewage fire main on an Island that's on an Island just south of the equator . At the top the flow and was higher but pressure less ( head pressure would play a part here ) but and the end of the main way down hill it was high pressure but less flow . A Royal Engineer Officer called me to his office as he couldn't understand my readings i found . And this isn't any reflection on the Royal Engineers who i know are switched on . How ever if you imagine there is going to be silt ....from yes you got it . It will settle in the lower areas of the main ( pipe ) and collect . tuberculation yes i know that sounds like some thing you get on your lungs but not in this case . So as i tried to explain and this took some time but finally the penny dropped , if you imagine the main was your arteries and the bottom is where it gets clogged , hence higher pressure but less flow . Rivers or any flow of water is the same you want the capacity for that water to flow and not get hung up and build up as that's when you get surges . Much like the town in Cornwall that got wiped out by a surge of water , also that's why dredging river etc helps with capacity . The Burst dike in Lincolnshire where they brought Chinooks in to plug the breach . As long as you maintain the flow the danger is less and if you can increase the capacity of the volume of water passing all the better . Now it may have been that the idea was to make sure that any surge passed this red bricked area and then maybe built up in an area that was a designed flood plane where a flood would cause less hassle . Just my take but much like we do , you take care of the arteries and the flow is never a problem .

[@daviddearden6372]

The trouble is downstream the river meanders through a number of smaller culverts (see Martins early Medlock videos) and a narrow channel in the built up city centre. Finally it has to pass through the syphon under Castlefield Basin before reaching the Irwell. It would be interesting to see if there are any records of flooding in the Castlefield area.

[@allangibson8494]

Narrow channels keep the velocity high enough to prevent sedimentation. Sediment blocks river channels and causes overflows when the river floods. It also causes deaerated stagnant pools to form which is a real problem with sewage and industrial effluent contaminated water causing health and odour issues to boot.

[@evertonshorts9376]

Bradford Pit? Isn't he an actor?🤣

[@ianbishop247]

14:40 Once as field service engineer I was told I had a call at a firm in Bradford. SO I headed up the M62 from my home in Denton. As I got to Hartshead services I rang my company who then gave me the full address. It was at British Vita (now Vitafoam) in Bradford, Manchester. I had lived in East Manchester all my life an never knew there was a Bradford in Manchester - Doh!

[@David_Owsnett]

Very interesting Martin and the lads! I wonder if the red river was made like that to get the water away as fast as possible under flood conditions. Glad you got your coat back.

[@shenanigan87]

Another greatly improved Sunday thanks to a Martin Zero video! I probably know more about the Medlock by now than about many rivers that are actually near me... Loved seeing that storm drain in action, always neat to witness such structures when things are actually in flood, helping to get rid of excess water. The coat going on adventures without you was of course the icing on the cake! :)

[@dh2032]

coat going on adventures without you was of course the icing on the cake, yes

[@jennythescouser]

Because of the coat incident, you should rename this video "The Big Numpty Does The Big Humpty" - LOL

[@jetsons101]

"That's a sewer overflow and you can almost taste it" UGH---to much info. (15:54) Martin, how could YOU lose the Medlock???? Just thinking: Maybe the Victorians bricked the Medlock to move the sewage, chemicals, trash and anything else dumped in it so the water would flow along quicker to the River Irwell? Your side by side maps are great, they really help tell the story. Thanks to the team for helping with the video.....

[@simonholliday9874]

Beat me to it. Martin lose the Medlock? Not in a million years.

[@jetsons101]

@@simonholliday9874 Still can't believe he said that. lol

[@KonaFocus]

I say leave the bricks. Not everything needs to go "back to nature". Been there 100+ years and isnt causing any harm and has its own history. Seems like just an excuse to give money to construction companies.

[@TheFlyingBusman]

Take a decent walking pole or staff with you. Great for steadying yourself with on uneven surfaces and for testing depth. Interesting little wander.

[@paulmurphy2567]

No gloves evident! What about measures to protect yourselves from Weil’s disease? A gas monitor might have been a good idea too, when entering confined spaces. But an interesting video

[@christineburns5246]

Do you think it might be called the ‘Big Humpty’ because the culvert cross section is egg shaped?

[@jamienoonan1186]

I bet a lot of people remember Timmy mallet and his giant hammer. Surprised we haven't heard about it.

[@danielbarrows7144]

The further adventures of Martin’s coat, can’t wait for episode #2 lol One of your funniest lines “does your coat go off on adventures without you?”😂

[@MrYfrank14]

One reason for the brick trough is , it prevents trees and debris snagging on things and creating a dam which eventually breaks and you get more damage from the sudden rush of water. The sides prevent erosion and also give the water more places to go without causing damage. The shape of the big humpty is common with hand dug tunnels that don't have any support. The shape supports itself. I dont know why they would use that design in a brick tunnel. Maybe they felt the earth wasn't strong enough and it needed more support.

[@WailuaMark]

Interesting video. I enjoy exploring places like this one, especially if they're old. New subscriber here. I currently reside in East Tennessee. I move house every few years around these 50 states. I'm fortunate to have an employer who allows this nomadic lifestyle. I'm from Oahu. When I retire, I'll most likely head over to the UK, exhaust the American maximum 6 month stay limit, and explore your country for that 6 months. Love your videos! Thanks!!

[@MartinZero]

Thanks Mark hope you get to visit

[@Stan_o7]

Perhaps the red brick was ment to stop soil erosion or maybe keep the river free flowing?

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Wow bricks galore 🧱🧱🤩🤩. Not very practical but looks smart . That culvert is amazing ! Built the same as the egg shaped sewers so as the water rises the capacity increases , old engineering is so cool 😍😍🧱👍🏼

[@taztaz6539]

This ought to be called the adventures of a gortex jacket - put a go pro on it 😊

[@Junk_World_Templar]

Watching you on here and following you on insta for the last few years has given me an unnatural interest in waterways of Manchester haha, for a Middlesbrough born bloke I have a pretty comprehensive knowledge of the Rivers of Manchester thanks to you haha. Excellent vid.

[@AlisonBryen]

Same, I live near Wolverhampton, but know a surprising amount about the rivers and culverts of Manchester!

[@missmerrily4830]

Always a happy moment when I see your latest video is up. They're always unfailingly interesting and of course this one's no exception. Your combined knowledge is awesome and that footage of the sewage outflow was a stark warning about straying into dangerous places! That was some force of water. The big Humpty itself is pretty impressive too. Martin what a tale of woe with your coat! Life's so unkind sometimes..... but at least you got it back and the giant squirrel of doom was defeated! Thanks everyone, that was a really entertaining video.

[@simonross8218]

Hi Martin, re: your waders. Dry the waders out, and hang them up! Fill the right leg up with water to locate where the hole is, then mark it. Then get yourself a tube of aquasure, most good tackle shops sell it or go online. Then follow the instructions (once they have dried out again) I have used waders for fishing for 30+yrs, and have had an extra 4yrs just from one repair of this stuff!!! Really interesting vid as always, thanks!

[@davidmunro1469]

Thank you Martin. Digging the river deeper would have been a smarter option?

[@TheWacoKid1963]

That's a first, NO BREW!! 😁😁😁

[@lilchris26]

Nice video has usual, no brews though this time, James is losing it...lol That's one to remember The Coat, you will never want to get rid of that now.......its got a hold on you......

[@MartinZero]

That coat has been down the big Humpty....alone 😄

[@raybeaumont7670]

Hiya Marin and crew. Another super video of a culvert I didn't know existed. No jackets lost, but I lost an SLR (film) camera in Llyn Padarn, Snowdonia, a few years ago. I was taking snaps of the surrounding landscapes from my kayak when I managed to overturn it. It turned turtle, I turned turtle and the camera sunk to the depths. About 40 yards out from the "Lone Tree" if you know the spot. It should be OK if anybody ever finds it - it was in a dry bag! Ho Hum!

[@MartinZero]

The problem with that is not only do you lose the Camera its all the footage as well 😭

[@emmajacobs5575]

At 11:00 Having seen where Marcus’ GoPro has been, I wouldn’t be holding the string in my teeth!

[@MartinZero]

Ive eaten James cooking, you think that will bother me

[@greg6172]

Almost Martin with zero coat. Thanks for another great video. All the best from Australia

[@MartinZero]

Nice one 😄

[@ruthbrierley1798]

Thanks for another great video Martin! It's always nice to hear the Medlock music. And, glad you got your coat back!!!

[@MartinZero]

I would have been gutted if it had ended up going over a weir and being lost forever Ruth 😀

[@paulbrown1022]

Another good one Martin. There is a similar set-up on the river at Stoneyholme in Burnley. It is stone rather than brick, but seems to do the same job of getting floodwater through as quickly as possible. It has a small channel for the daily flow, but a wider squared-off stone channel for higher flows. I remember seeing it in full spate as a child, bloody scary when you’re stood (or rather running as fast as poss over it, ha ha) on the bridge over it, water lapping the underside! Aaargh.

[@tardismole]

I've heard of garden gnomes going off on adventures, but this has to be the first coat making a bid for freedom. Glad you got it back.

[@MartinZero]

Yeah I think the coat peaked too soon

[@rontanser9369]

Very good Martin was your coat still waterproof after it has been for a swim in the river

[@MartinZero]

Yeah its good for a few washes, and dips in the river yet

[@andyhill242]

Loved the side story of Adventure Coat; glad it had a happy ending.

[@ivormorgan460]

Thanks for showing that Martin,I have lived in Australia for the past 55 years,the Medlock I knew was the free running part up to Daisy Nook area,green fields clean river, used to go to the Meddie as kids most weekends, about the age of 11 we discovered the Red River,and it was an amazing discovery at that age,me and my pal Geoff Davies could not figure out what was going on,pure dread and excitement,I am 83 now so this was 70 odd years ago,I can't remember the Humpty but vaguely remember at one point we had to have our backs to the wall and inch slowly forward,the whole journey along the Red River was a scary eye opener,I don't think we got much further than Bradford pit,maybe to where City stadium is now,it was just a one off, no desire to ever go there again, sad to see the Meddie harnessed like that,a very dangerous playground for kids in those days.

[@thehouseholder5468]

Love a walk and explore with Martin , hope he gets around the West Midlands for an exploration soon , I’ve worked and been around the river rea in Birmingham all my life and would love to know more about it

[@davek834]

Not a fish expert , but the fish could be juvenile trout as per the internet

[@MartinZero]

Thats interesting, there are bigger ones downstream

[@LeslieGilpinRailways]

That tunnel profile looks like they'd use for a railway tunnel, except the rail ones have ballast etc on the bottom hiding the invert. That coat needs its own show. Imagine if it had a go pro attached to it!

[@MartinZero]

That would of been cool actually

[@stevenmacdonald9619]

Martin Zero, you truly are a character, my friend. You epitomise a Mancunian, and you really do have the Soul of the Bee. Also, is this how Ancoats got it's name, do you think? 🤣

[@LancashireLarks]

Am I first !! 😂 ☕️

[@goldenaxe1986]

Fantastic Video Martin. Great Group of Guys, Great Pictures of the Past, Well informative & Very enjoyable to watch, I've Watch quite a few Videos of yours but After this one i Subscribed, Great Work, Excellent !!!

[@jetsons101]

I must be second

[@whitecompany18]

If this was on Merseyside they'd call it "rubber dingy rapids" and everyone would play in it 😄

[@navigator902]

Adventure coat Saga, was a thrill, and now a coat of adventure has stared in it's own Big Humpty Red River rafting adventure, get that coat a camera, Go Pro, something quickly.

[@glawrencea6009]

I'm from California, I find your show absolutely fascinating. Thank you.

[@JemTheWire]

Amazing. I am Manchester born and bred, but never knew that all this was under my feet. Strangely enough, I found your channel from a collaboration you did with Darren of AdventureMe. Two fantastic channels I really enjoy watching. A great laugh when you get together. Very educational too. I can just imagine you and you mates in the pub after one of your adventures. Great stuff.

[@grizcuz]

Hi Martin. I'm a (Yorks) Bradfordian with Mancunian (Urmston, Moston, Hulme) heritage on my dad's side of the family. Have you any idea how/why that area of Manchester got the name Bradford? I know the Yorkshire one comes from a broad ford across a river, will that be the same in Manchester, do you reckon? Before I knew that there was an area of Manchester called Bradford, a road sign near Victoria station with the name and direction on it used to baffle me as a kid. I've always thought a good question for a pub quiz would be: 'name the 2 professional football clubs that play in Bradford' because I bet not that many people outside of Manchester know that the Etihad (or Council House if you're a Red) is located in an area called Bradford.

[@roytabberer7427]

The following was copied from Wikipedia. The name of the area is ancient and in 1196 the village was recorded as Bradeford, meaning the broad ford.

[@grizcuz]

@@roytabberer7427 Thanks, feel a bit stupid not looking on Wikipedia, didn't think it would be large enough or significant enough to warrant an entry of its own.

[@roytabberer7427]

@@grizcuz That is OK, don't feel stupid though, I have done things like this in the past.

[@Pytchblend]

This was a fun video, thanks Martin :)

[@garywyse3904]

Top marks for whoever flushed the IUD packaging @8:29

[@2011thekaj]

True , I get excited when a new post comes up. I'm like.. Hell yeah. Lay back because this Is going to be a Interesting video. Thanks Martin

[@michaelbright9162]

That outflow at 12.14 show the grid almost fully blocked, akin to a beaver dam. In the following shots the water seemed to becoming out over the top of the blockage and a view of the river illustrated that while the outflow looked spectacular the view of the river showed that less water that illustrated by the outflow was coming out. It could have resulted in flooding upstream of the outflow. Another example of the lack of maintenance in keeping that grid clear.

[@wideyxyz2271]

New series. The Adventures of Martins Coat! I had a republic of Mancunia tee shirt I got from the Red Issue. Wore it out lol.....

[@peterkilvert2712]

Another great adventure. Hope your coat washed OK. I always thought that the flood prevention in the red brick river was the width of the overall channel. Whereas the central channel was created for when the flow is light, so it would not meander and always have a focussed water channel to keep any debris on the move. Thanks again, Pete

[@porkscratchings5428]

Result getting your jacket back lol. Amazing how Man City is built on an old colliery, thanks for sharing, another fab vid. 👍🥂

[@wesgregg6451]

Re: 16m 15s - it appears that there is still a rather large amount of high quality coal there, and it was still a productive mine when it closed. Apparently, the people living and working in the town above just didn't appreciate their buildings collapsing, lol. (The miners purposely allowed the tunnels to collapse after they'd exhausted the deposits in the section serviced by the tunnel.)

[@weyayemanjoe3082]

Another awesome educational explore, The Golden stream 😂 Shit for Luck Nice one m8 👍

[@mutantryeff]

A quote of mine: "Can we just blame squirrels? I do believe most of our politicians are squirrel hybrids, but they just don't play in the road enough."

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

I live in Southern California USA. When we go fishing and we get our trainers wet in the river we do this # 1 ) let then dry out completely. #2 ) yut each shoe in a good quality large Ziploc Freezer Bag. Its best to double bag. Do the same for the other shoe. #3 ) place both bagged shoes in a freezer for at least 24 hours. Keep in mind that some expensive shoes or leather might be harmed by the freezer. Decide before you start down this path if freezing is safe for your shoes the glue might also be an issue. #4 )remove from freezer and bags and let sit for at least 24 hours or untill completely warm and no dampness. Then i like to wash them and let them completely dry. It's a lot of steps but between the freezing, washing and drying a lot of germs and odors are gone

[@carlbentley80]

Fantastic, I am looking forward to subscribing to your coats YT channel.

[@Me..D.S]

There's something about the Medlock series music that brings back some great memories of watching your series from the beginning all those years ago. 😀 Thank you for putting a smile on my face with a lil bump of excitement through my veins. 😊🙌🏼

[@dmaifred]

What is a Stopper Works factory? Googled but only get maps. What did they make? I assume not sink plugs :)

[@kathyoneal2478]

Blast that cheeky jacket. You can't trust your own clothes today. LOL Nice video.

[@AnonAnonAnon]

I wonder if there was a planning meeting for the building of this? Discussions on how much to spend, how to build it etc? Who came up with the idea for the shape and size? Amazing construction! And if so, would there have been minutes kept of each meeting? Central Library has so much historical stuff, and probably not enough time to find it!

[@stevemarshall3481]

My 4.0 Jag drinks fuel ⛽️ like it was coming out that overflow drain 🤣

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

A coat that goes on adventures without you...that's funny Martin! Glad you got it back.

[@douglasthompson296]

Well that MartinZ out with his 2 apprentices and crew up to there wader tops in a culvert, all well with the world now 😎 Apprentice 1 James showing off his Tommy labels too 😜

[@MartinDHayes]

Another excellent adventure Martin! The Big Humpty is HUGE! And I'm so glad you got your rain coat back, what a story. And what a good friend Roy is for retrieving it. Keep up the outstanding work. I always look forward to your videos! Cheers from USA!

[@elizabethannferrario7113]

Hi Martin , well i think you need some new waders ! hope your jacker wash ok ! but thanks for your adventure! regards liz x

[@zeberdee1972]

And you coat is a case in point , if that part of the river was maintained .....your coat could have been way down river !!! Glad you got it back nice one .

[@DonWon4725]

Leaves me wondering would people of the time back then consider floods to be part of climate change ??

[@stebishopnomad1838]

Brew boy you need to get tunics tea cakes for your brew time. Lovin the videos why don't you investigate the Bacup railway tunnels very interesting.

[@timwaywell]

another great video..... but no tea break???

[@MartinZero]

James is striking

[@Goldie644]

"Shit, Shite, and confetti" made me burst out laughing 🤣🤣

[@Haerleif]

another fantastic video, thanks for sharing, love the old pictures!

[@smokeysteve8851]

If you travel by car, why don't you take some kind of boat with you that way you could get to travel all the way into tunnels if there flooded and explore a lot more.

[@well-knownun-known2699]

If the ionised water was not from the shafts, it could have been from the WireWorks 👍

[@shirleylynch7529]

So glad you caught your coat, what a super explore. Love the intro filming. Great time was had by all. So informative as well. Thank you for an amazing trip.

[@reubenlongworth3586]

I tell you what you wouldn't have bothered fishing that coat out 30 years ago 🤣

[@mickd6942]

Martin does the coat have it's own KZbin channel for its adventures lol , glad you got it back

[@Mantakev]

I love these videos.

[@ocsrc]

So many gates keep you out Need a battery powered grinder with cut off wheel

[@Davethehedgehog]

Frank Sidebottom cameo there at the end!

[@MartinZero]

Oh yes 👌

[@kenkirby928]

Somebody is amazing what man will do to control something even ourselves and got a shame

[@earlt.7573]

Don't you know Martin that some pesky ghostie spook tossed your coat into the river for fun ?

[@petenikolic5244]

About time all that brick trough was stripped out and the river was allowed to run its path

[@navigator902]

A Sundays delight, another Martin Zero production, some of the best historical documentations of the inter workings history of the Area... giving a taste of the surrounding area.... Great to see the team and the man James, brew master par excel-lance.... Cheers.

[@MrSprocket2u]

Martin ... can you pls do a insite to deb dale park res .. and there is flow from the canel ?

[@Hairnicks]

Bloody wonderful, not just the explore but the amazing coat adventure! I got an email from you Martin but couldn't work out how to reply.

[@prof.heinous191]

The Big Humpty, Humpty Doo, NT, surely?

[@jeffjones6107]

That brick laying for that culvert was amazing done by proper tradesmen and it's rarely seen. Another informative video Martin a great watch 👍

[@ROBERTSCOIN]

I'm glad you got your coat back in the end next time put it in your back

[@jonnybluegiant7764]

That brickwork in the overflow looked beautiful

[@Calum_S]

Pity the poor soul that had to go and unclog the sewer overflow after the rain!

[@jackbarnes8037]

You're lucky that tree was there Martin innit or it would of been bye bye coat