The secret underground pipeline across Britain

tomscott.com - / tomscott - On a windy day in Gloucestershire, I find one of the few parts of the once top-secret GPSS aviation fuel pipeline (now called CLH-PS after privatisation) that pokes above ground, and explore the balance between secrecy and safety.

[@PropaneWP]

Local cows have quietly kept this secret for several generations.

[@jetison333]

+PropaneWP how do you loudly keep a secret?

[@Regolith86]

+jetison333 "NOPE. NO SECRETS HERE, I CAN TELL YOU! NONE WHATSOEVER. NEVER MIND THAT BIT OF PIPE STICKING OUT OF THE GROUND THERE, IT'S SWAMP GAS."

[@PropaneWP]

jetison333 Exclusively mooing into bullhorns? I have no idea :)

[@XCILE625]

+PropaneWP Those rabbits on the other hand

[@Ampera_]

+Önümüzdeki 4 kapı Loud squeaking of Morse code.

[@stumbling]

Be honest Tom, it's not jet fuel flowing through those pipes, it's the internet. The pipes are that wide so there's enough room for the little paper boats containing data to pass each other.

[@KiwiPowerNZ]

+CowLunch That's good because half duplex would be incredibly slow for realtime applications.

[@raykent3211]

+KiwiPowerNZ But the little paper boats need to be individually powered, whereas a half duplex system can use the current to carry them. I think Tom was threatened with death if he breathed a word about the system that brings the paper boats back, and we're being duped here.

[@mikechurvis9995]

What's that connection like, 256kbpy?

[@SlenderScrub]

Mike Churvis naa 6pb/s

[@tomysshadow]

[sic] The internet is a series of tubes.

[@TrimeshSZ]

I always loved the fact that the Post Office Tower was "secret". There is something so British about declaring the existence a structure that was visible for miles around and was for some time the tallest building in the UK as an official secret.

[@qwertyTRiG]

And also had a publicly accessible restaurant at the top.

[@1bert719]

Reminds me of delivering to a major US banks storage in Berkshire. I asked the security guard if I had the correct address. His reply? "I'm not allowed to say." 😋

[@matthewgaunt4358]

​@@qwertyTRiGI dined at that restaurant in '74! I didn't know it was secret...

[@whi5tler_1337]

_I AM FROM RUSSIA, THANK YOU TOM, THIS WILL COME IN HANDY. YOU ARE A TRUE COMRADE AND THE MOTHERLAND THANKS YOU_

[@Sir_Bucket]

Ohno

[@Techno.Belgium]

Отлучно, комрад

[@thescreemregular5168]

Do you mean *we* are from Russia *we* are all from Russia

[@apollo1694]

@Rosida Andriyana ok "andryiana"

[@bjm6275]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@PikarinePlays]

And that is something you might have to pretend you don't know

[@PikarinePlays]

elucidate XD

[@TomScottGo]

+Pikarine Plays Did you just XD your own comment?

[@PikarinePlays]

***** No, I XD'd the fact he was going to make a similar comment. I don't like myself that much, I like you better.

[@PikarinePlays]

...... XD

[@FajorMuckup]

+Tom Scott see the +eclucidate in front

[@dan79600]

That section of the pipe doesn't look like its in use. At least I hope it's not in use..

[@HughAtkinUK]

+Daniel Saunders I think this pipe is probably in perfect working order. It looks a little shabby because the outermost layer, probably some sort of insulation material, has been exposed to the elements.

[@VicvicW]

I think You've got it! ^^^^

[@TomScottGo]

+PvtCrutch I actually had a good look at it, and I've got no idea. It's on a major route for the network, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's still in use. The cladding's in a bit of disrepair, but the inside seemed solid!

[@FateBoost]

+KEEP CALM and PLAY SOCCER IN YOUR PAJAMAS : Even Sewage pipes don't accept general waste, don't feed the troll :/

[@vincentdeguard4726]

+Daniel Saunders part of the "decoy" plan...looks like some old waste pipe and nothing of "national importance"

[@tonyfrewin4822]

A few years ago some locals were prosecuted for digging up the pipe and tapping into the fuel near Salisbury. What people don’t realise is that multiple fuels are sent down the line so aviation fuel can be sent from Fawley to Heathrow and pushed through with diesel that will get diverted to another destination at the point it changes. All very cleverly controlled to avoid contamination. Some fuels are used to clean the pipe after other fuels, then the contaminated fuel is blended into lower grade fuels where purity is less important.

[@eopoep]

"Locals" rhyming with mypsy

[@jamesalexander4203]

I think some other locals drilled a hole in the pipe next to the A1 up north… made a dreadful mess.

[@eopoep]

@@jamesalexander4203 Buncefield will be the world record. Every sunday night the cordless drills came out

[@90vanman]

We had the same thing in Essex, half a mile from the M25. That pipe was trepanned by some ne'er do wells a couple of years ago, they discovered that petrol engines don't run well on what is effectively paraffin. We also have the Secret Nuclear Bunker nearby, hahaha!

[@hoodyk7342]

How terrible

[@carrma3831]

2:24 Tom just filmed a cow taking a dump

[@guy_th18]

ScorpontGamerZ Official Oh the beauty of life

[@Skwertydogs]

Nice catch!

[@user-wz3eu6us9k]

Which cow?

[@johnvarley4561]

@@user-wz3eu6us9k your mum

[@ky5666]

Unless you were watching on a massive screen how did you even spot that. Where you actively looking for it?

[@TomScottGo]

Sorry about the wind noise that's in this one: this was with a wind-muffler on the microphone, and the microphone tucked inside my t-shirt! And if anyone wants a copy of that £250 private map, it's called the "Energy Infrastructure Map of the United Kingdom and Ireland"...

[@Maxime_K-G]

I didn't even notice the wind. A tiny bit of background wind fits perfectly with your surroundings!

[@ArchOwl]

Quick question: was the entire network privatized, or just the bits connecting civilian areas? You mentioned in passing that the network goes between Air Force bases as well, and I can’t imagine they’d have sold the fuel links between their own bases to a private business.

[@therespectedlex9794]

Are you flogging the maps?

[@gazmj1400]

I used to work on them pipe lines up in the North West and North Wales, its amazing how many pumping stations there are , under ground long with massive oil tanks ,

[@oceanic8424]

A wealthy subscriber should buy one, have it scanned and post it all over the net. Especially in countries that don't recognize UK copyright laws, so it cannot be taken down. 😁

[@razielhamalakh9813]

I'm willing to bet that there are some random "No digging" signs here and there, just to throw people off-track of where the pipeline actually is.

[@AndySmallbone]

Raziel Qwazar no digging signs all over UK due to gas pipes etc.. normally the signs are painted bright orange instead of the colour shown in the video

[@Milamberinx]

That's top notch conspiring that is.

[@57thorns]

@@AndySmallbone More this I think, there are a lot more pipes that should not be dug into that these, as well as power lines and optic fibre cable. Some of these have different signs of course,

[@Darkhalo314]

Tom: "These pipes are secret" Also Tom: Let me tell everyone about this "secret"

[@acmenipponair]

the existance is not a secret, just where they are

[@Inkyminkyzizwoz]

​@@acmenipponair *existence

[@spamhead]

Hi Tom. Really enjoy your videos. I've known about this pipeline all my life, as it ran through our garden. When it was renewed in 1972, it was moved to just 3 feet from the house. We occasionally had private, not airforce helicopters come over low checking it. On one occasion, the downdraft scattered garden waste etc., that my dad was trying to put on the bonfire on the other side of the garden, much to the amusement of the pilot!(we weren't allowed a bonfire over the top of it for some strange reason) Back in those days, it's route was marked by stiles, which made it very easy to get over our back fence to get in the fields behind our house. It was tapped by locals during WWII. A childhood neighbour, (who was merely watching!🤣) said that those involved got drenched in fuel, and it was a miracle they didn't go up in flames. The fuel which was presumably high octane aviation spirit, was used to supplement the meagre petrol ration of the time. Apparently the vehicles ran very well for a time, but soon had problems, possibly due to burnt out valve seats if the fuel was unleaded. A spur was taken to the Isle of Wight, to feed PLUTO for the invasion of Europe in 1944.

[@DIYPerks]

There's a pipe that looks like that near where I live... just pokes above the ground to go over a canal (near Leven). Does that mean it's part of the network, or might it be some pipe for another use? There are no industries near it, only a small airfield.

[@magnushmann]

+DIY Perks Dun dun duuun!!!

[@magnushmann]

Muahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa!!!

[@TomScottGo]

+DIY Perks There are a lot of different pipes! See if you can find one of the markers near it, and search online for the abbreviations on it. That should sort it out!

[@jwenting]

+Tom Scott of course if I were the UK government I'd place fake sections all over the place, markers that don't point to real sections, things like that, so as to confuse potential saboteurs as to what are actual strategic targets.

[@BloodyHazessr]

+UNITiSGames all joking aside whats stopping some one welding a nozzle and valve on to the pipe and running a hot tap on it. im sure some brits have done this.

[@missionDan]

i have a groundwork business, we started digging about 30m from one of these pipes, a helicopter turned up about 20 mins later, landed in the field and three people got out and checked what we were doing and where... how did they know?

[@jakethadley]

+Mission Dan You forgot to wear tin-foil hats :-p Seriously though, could be cables laid along the lagging of the pipe that can pick up the vibration from your equipment - sure I've seen something similar somewhere

[@RC-1290]

+Mission Dan Perhaps 1:06 had something to do with that.

[@agate_jcg]

+RC-1290 It'd cost way too much to do aerial surveillance of the entire network all the time. I suspect the local police are given a number to call if they see anything suspicious; many pipelines also have dig-detection sensors.

[@GamesFromSpace]

+Mission Dan Probably just seismometers accompanying the pipe. Extremely cheap, and they'd easily be able to distinguish between digging within several hundred feet (and further if they wanted to), or a truck driving by.

[@stueightfish1216]

+Jason Goodman They do do aerial surveillance on a regular basis (hence the marker posts shown on the vid) and quality testing of the pipe itself. There are repair crews working on the network every day due to the its age. They can also carry different fuels when needed. Avgas and diesel. the wastage when changing from one to the other is surprisingly small. All the works vehicles are not sign written and they get very shitty if they catch you using an excavator near it. As for theft it would be suicidal to try and tap into it. There have been several well documented disasters in Africa attributed to people trying to steal from fuel pipes.

[@JamesHarveyDavies]

I worked on upgrading the remote telemetry units at each block valve station along a pipeline that comes from Mid-Scotland to Mid-England, with various spurs across the country as well. Commercially, working on these pipelines is a nightmare as there are so many different companies involved, infrastructure owners, product feeders, users, maintenance contractors, land owners, environmental bodies.

[@ZorroVulpes]

So basically you're saying England beat America to having a jet fuel related government conspiracy?

[@moooooooooo11]

+введите бросок investigate 3/11

[@user-by1kw1ix4p]

Taha Ragheed thats probably why the us goverment tried to hide the fact they knew terrorists were planning 9/11

[@tahaistheboss98]

введите бросок I hate to break it to you, but i wasn't serious

[@fletchrfc2063]

ZorroVulpes Britain, not England.

[@elijahwatson8119]

If you'll notice, the Jet fuel didn't melt those steel pipes.

[@tomlloyd2603]

I find it amazing how Tom Scott is the only person, where the subtitles actually come out correctly.

[@massoir]

Having worked on these pipelines myself, they are no longer secret and alot of them run through small towns and peoples gardens and are surveyed regularly.

[@Kore_YT]

Is that your wallet in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

[@ethanluu4592]

😳

[@andredejonge5255]

Kore ,😀😂👍

[@scottsewell4144]

Probably a mic pack

[@NthnLikeCodeine]

😳😳😳 Tom packin some heat

[@notyouroperatingjohndoe1656]

Oh dear...

[@DrB81]

Legend has it Andy Dufresne is still crawling through that to freedom.

[@SimonB198207]

Kind of makes you proud - imagine the work that went in to laying those pipes, the secrecy that it originally involved. 70 - odd years ago the people of these islands were so dedicated, so driven and so united.

[@taowroland8697]

Something about a country having a unified culture, ethnicity, and faith being more stable, united, and safe than the modern multicultural abominations.

[@BiTurbo228]

@@taowroland8697 Something about a country being united against a common enemy more like.

[@Alex_-oc4bt]

@@taowroland8697 watch out, the pokemons, cartoonist haters and neighbourhood abortionists wont take too kindly to that fact

[@madrockon7357]

The UK is nothing to be proud of anymore. It's a craphole.

[@Vakito227]

Is the pipe made from steel beams to stop the pipeline being accidentally melted by the jet fuel inside?

[@FajorMuckup]

+Pope-Eye I award you the Medal for comment of the day.

[@jwenting]

+Pope-Eye hmm, why would it melt from the jet fuel in it? It's not as if that fuel's particularly hot... It's somewhat corrosive at worst, but not nearly enough to melt the pipe, just means sections need to be replaced every decade or so.

[@AndreiSmolnikov]

+CaptainDuckman It's a 9/11 reference

[@lulem400]

I officially slow clapped this comment.

[@michealdrake3421]

Chemtrails can't steal melted beams

[@TheVideoVolcano]

Location (lots of googling): www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Whitminster+Inn/@51.7678681,-2.3370162,124m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x487109d9815c924d:0xd35d625718edd189!8m2!3d51.7707348!4d-2.3245182

[@auz8d9wij2ks9d]

You rock man

[@lauradotwav3123]

Thank you

[@ijulesy]

thanks :)

[@TheVideoVolcano]

Cameron Bell you're welcome :)

[@MrFallout95]

hmm i drove passed this by complete accident once then :P amazing what boredum driving can do

[@colindavis1466]

Whilst working for the government (DCLG), I used to receive the business rate payment for these pipelines. LA’s couldn’t really collect the rates because the pipes cross too many LA’s and it was too complex to go down that route

[@adamlang7361]

What's really quite dodgy about these pipelines is that they were put through under war directives and the land owners didn't receive compensation. Maybe fine during a war but they've been sold off privately now and have been used commercial for a very long time. Quite unfair really.

[@theniggot]

looks like it needs some repairing, though

[@fabianschaible3490]

+niggot yeah cant imagine that being in use still

[@purewaterruler]

+SAV AGE well it is implied that it is.

[@smokingsamosa]

as long as it is structurally sound, it dosent matter if it's ugly. I did my work experience at one of Europe's largest oil refinery (which is in the UK) it is ugly and rusty, but it supplies over 15% of the UK's fuel.

[@diablo0073]

+Sam Mason It's not the rust. The pipe looks ruptured.

[@LZachy]

+Sam Mason We went to a steel mill once with my school. It look like the whole building was going to fall at any moment, completely rusted from the inside and out. And the guide had to warn us about the molten iron flowing across the floor so that we did not accidentally step in it.

[@Larry]

This was on TV the other week, Britain's Hidden Underground.

[@Mega_Umbreon]

+Larry Bundy Jr That's where Tom gets his stuff!

[@FajorMuckup]

+Larry Bundy Jr Link Tom copied from another Channel? Link?

[@Larry]

lnternet RB TV channel. Plus I didn't say copied, i said it's the same information.

[@FajorMuckup]

+Larry Bundy Jr On tv.com? Link?

[@Ampera_]

Hi Larry. Nice to see you on KZbin comments for the 3.534212335324E323332nd time.

[@ThomasTrue]

Likewise there is a pipeline across the far north of Scotland, complete with parallel railway for maintenance, which appears on no map. I believe it carries crude oil from the North Sea.

[@Tairneanach]

It's not the one on the map at 1:19, is it? Runs between Inverness and some military air base to the east.

[@alexbowman7582]

There's an underground tunnel here in Glasgow which has heavy goods lift access on Cathedral Street. It runs east to the Royal Hospital west to a MOD building at Charing Cross and south to another MOD building which has slanted blast resistant walls on Argyll Street. You can actually go on a tour of the tunnel where they tell visitors that the tunnel is to carry telephone cables. I reckon it's for a potential post apocalyptic event.

[@TartanFerret]

Just watched with my 4yr old and of everything in the video, she shouts at 2:25 "look mummy, the cow is pooing!" *facepalm*

[@Anonymous-376]

You watch Tom Scott vids with your kid?

[@trabuquena]

Thank you for your subtitles! Great for teaching English listening skills and vocabulary.

[@CymruEmergencyResponder]

I'm so bloody glad I found this channel!

[@LeightonGill]

This just popped up in my recommended. Fascinating. I did not know that. Thanks for sharing. Subscribed.

[@joeb-]

I thought you were talking about a pipe where you could crawl from like Manchester to London :(

[@joeb-]

***** No, not at all lol. I just had a picture in my head looking at the title

[@vincentdeguard4726]

+Joe Ball don't need a pipeline to crawl from London to Manchester...that is what the motorway network is for ;)

[@jdraper12]

+Vincent de Guard underrated comment haha

[@whatyousaidbud]

Joe Ball I that's called the rail network.

[@tlowry6338]

Lmao same I was so disappointed

[@DarthSoda]

Very interesting as usual Tom, you should check out the sound mirrors at dungeness, would make for a good informative video

[@andrewturner8755]

Hi Tom i worked at Blackmoor Terminal at Oxspring near penistone until it closed in 1998 and that was on the pipeline network , fuel ( aviation , petrol and diesel ) still goes through the pipeline at Blackmoor but bypasses the storage tanks on it's way to Bramhall Manchester .

[@mrfoodcart16]

If anyone was wondering, this is were Tom was standing: 51.767904, -2.336560

[@Youchubeswindon]

Bit odd, only 11 miles away from the Esso one (not sure if they get closer, might be something to investigate further). I became interested after a walk through Cotswold Water park, and no one who I spoke to knew what it was for. The CLH pipe is military and the Esso one is for civilian. www.linewatch.co.uk/map-PDF/map-CLH-ps.pdf www.linewatch.co.uk/map-PDF/map-ESSO.pdf In terms of pressures, recentley peeps where arrested for tapping the pipes and stealing oil www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-27108291

[@asmallphd9648]

www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Whitminster+Inn/@51.7678681,-2.3370162,124m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x487109d9815c924d:0xd35d625718edd189!8m2!3d51.7707348!4d-2.3245182 location

[@mwnciboo]

Not true NATO has a huge network that is connected across europe, carrying AVCAT.

[@s1lenttoad422]

That is in my village, I know where exactly that is...

[@s1lenttoad422]

You’re not far off...

[@callumclarke3458]

There is one of these pipes close to where I live and it wasn't listed on that map along with the oil depot that is less then 3 miles away from my house. Anyone who lives in the Midlands ever goes to Kingsbury water park, follow the trail for the old brick bridge going into Kingsbury and you'll find one of these pipes going along side the bridge.

[@o0prince]

So you are saying such an important infrastructure of national security is now privatised? Thanks Dave.

[@SuperFunkmachine]

+o0prince Bet they built a new line.

[@aslate]

+James jimjimjim of course it's still critical, it keeps fuel moving round the nation to power basically everything. Doesn't mean it can't be handled privately, I imagine this stuff is pretty routine work.

[@Brian3989]

+DPRK Travel Videos There is more than one network, operated by different companies and still in use carrying fuel under high pressure!

[@Eddiecurrent2000]

Well electricity is, and gas, and telecommunications, and water, and fuel stations... Makes not a jot of difference to the national security.

[@integr8er66]

Why not, militaries outsource their food to the enemies now, why not fuel. In Afghanistan the kitchen on base was all run by Hodgie

[@lyndondowling2733]

From a feild somwear in Glocestershire. Thank you ! you have solved a long time mystery of what those little yelow markers are !!

[@willowere]

Since watching this a few weeks ago, I see those signs scattered all over on my way to work. Prior to this I never had a clue what they where for. But thanks for clearing it up for me.

[@kevyelyod1211]

@1:52 aviation fuel isn’t flammable. It has to atomised and subject to immense heat.

[@jamessharp2012]

There's a long section of this pipe that sits above ground near where I live. Never knew what it was for. Thanks for the vid

[@davem5308]

In 2020, the better research, the better story, would be, how it was constructed on the sly, perhaps "at night". Perhaps again mates, similar tactics might be in play for 5g roll out, and other nefarious "goings on"? Cheers from a yank in bloody NH, bloody damn USA. Bolluks! I like using British slang! Living in the tyranny across the pond! Scamdemic!

[@seanwilliams3634]

I remember my grandad telling about the pipe line, also the little triangle in high viz colours on top of the posts are for aircraft so they can spot them from the air.

[@MercMajorGosnell]

Only found your channel recently,very informative thank you.

[@hoofie2002]

When the Buncefield depot went up in flames it severely cut the fuel supplies to Heathrow. Aircraft had to land elsewhere in the UK to uplift enough fuel or fly in with their tanks as full as possible.

[@brianartillery]

When Buncefield blew up, it made the windows in the gatehouse I was manning, rattle. I got a phonecall from the dock control Tower, asking if someone was letting off fireworks. They weren't. And the point of this? I was in Ipswich, at the time. A loooooong way from Buncefield. That must have been a fearful bang close up.

[@rogerbarton497]

They had a pipeline under the channel called PLUTO (Pipe Line Under The Ocean) to get fuel across to France after the invasion.

[@davidtaylor2412]

Roger Barton the pipe line was across the Atlantic not the English Channel hence the name Ocean

[@charlesbarnett2724]

Love your videos. Fascinating.

[@Toms_Aviation]

Around the areas of Stansted these pipes and there signs are very common, we often get aircraft, helicopters and sometimes military flit overs to check up on them!!

[@AutodidacticPhd]

So, was the janky, rusted, falling apart jacketing just camouflage? ;) or has the UK started training their infrastructure maintenance crews in the US? :P or (more seriously this time) is that a disused section of the network?

[@Ryubosj]

+AutodidacticPhd most likely the current owners, as Tom said it was sold off, are just typical lazy buggers

[@AutodidacticPhd]

Yeah, I figure it is something like that... was mostly just teasing, thus the winking smileies and such.

[@jakethadley]

+AutodidacticPhd Pretty standard looking pipe in an industrial setting tbh..! As long as the underlying pipe is okay there's no issue, it's jsut there to hold the thermal lagging in place. Of course, I am sure that there is an "ongoing commitment to maintenance, upgrade and replacement as deemed appropriate" (or something else similarly corporate..!) in place

[@AutodidacticPhd]

+Jake Hadley Hehe, I agree, it's quite typical of industry... ever heard of West, Texas? Famous not for one chemical plant explosion, but multiple. Very typical indeed ;)

[@devicemodder]

+AutodidacticPhd > ever heard of West, Texas? Famous not for one chemical plant explosion, but multiple. Ever heard of china? there was one a few weeks ago.

[@AgentPothead]

So the freedom of information act request was denied on security grounds, but you can literally buy the map for cash money? That's kind of the opposite of secure.

[@amlecciones]

Good job. High quality work!

[@waysidecarvaleting]

I live close to the Fawley refinery to Heathrow pipeline. Markers all over the place. Amazing to think how and when they dug to put it in place. So much woodland on top of it now.

[@JontyLevine]

Oh, I just saw my hometown on the map! And if my hunch is correct, I may have climbed on this pipe a few times as a child.

[@alunjones3860]

Yes, if I'd lived nearby, I certainly would have walked along that pipe to cross that river, when I was a child.

[@markg6860]

With the frequent water shortages in parts of Britain, I'm surprised they don't run PVC pipes on the inside and create a national water grid. It would not be an inexpensive undertaking, but the benefits would be enormous.

[@yesamster]

There is infrastructure already to do this if essential. I work in the water industry and different companies have certain trunk main pipes which join onto other water networks. They are rarely used, but the option is usually there in a complete emergency.

[@ALWResearchTeam]

An interesting video. Thanks Tom.

[@leedesigner1977]

Good bit of info that, thanks Tom.

[@crashfaff]

Has anyone made a zoomable map of the known pipelines? Would be cool to visit one of the sites like Tom did one day

[@joewoodchuck3824]

With points of the pipe above ground at regular intervals it wouldn't be hard to connect the dots on a map.

[@craighennessey]

Tom, I've watched a lot of your videos now, and I love them all. All I want is a full TV series. An hour on each thing. Do have to write to Santa? Do I have to petition parliament? Please, make it happen!

[@pieterveenders9793]

We have the exact same thing in the Netherlands, and it also spans the entire country and was build and still owned by the government. It's officially maintained and exploited by the Dutch Royal Airforce, but available for use by the privatised airports such as Schiphol and Rotterdam-The Hague airport.

[@Captain__Obvious]

Those pipes would be perfect for running fibre optic cables inside and getting decent internet to the countryside

[@TheChipmunk2008]

+rallfo99 And they'd be well protected from Digging!

[@benhainesuk]

B4RN use fibre that's available along the gas pipeline for backhaul. Dark fibre from Zayo (ex Geo networks) to anybody who'll pay ;)

[@TheChipmunk2008]

+Ben Haines Never knew that, awesome! I knew there was fibre on the national grid (you can see it 'wrapped' round the earth/static lines at the very top of pylons) but I am not sure if they use that in house for comms, or rent it out? (or a mix)

[@hendrikdependrik1891]

It's also great the cable is rinsed clean constantly.

[@Eddiecurrent2000]

Grid used to rent out some of the dark fibre to anyone who wanted it, nowadays it's mostly in house stuff and the commercial stuff has been moved to other providers.

[@junovzla]

title: secret underground pipeline tom: *shows publicly available pipeline that sits above the grass*

[@stuartronald9785]

Yes but could be any pipe or sewer. Hiding in plain sight.

[@flybobbie1449]

When there is a slight dusting of snow, pipes can bee seen because the snow melts above them. And the water pipe from Wales to Birmingham can also be seen as it emerges above ground in a few places.

[@adrianlambert7130]

I always wondered what these were. There was/is a huge part of this above ground running parallel to the river in 'Newbridge Fields' in Bridgend - South Wales.

[@ridekernow]

It’s not just government pipelines, there’s a whole network run by Mainline Pipelines (which is essentially Esso) between Haverfordwest and Birmingham, Fawley (Southampton) and Birmingham, fawley and London, Birmingham and East Midlands, Birmingham and Manchester and a few other lesser places (like Plymouth Cattedown and St Mawgan to Falmouth) but largely its the airports. The helicopter is contracted from Stirling Air based at Silverstone race track. MLP pipelines are openly available data (through an enterprise called Linewatch) but the government ones are managed privately and you have to tell them where you’re working and they’ll tell you if you shouldn’t! They work at up to 100 bar (1600psi) so don’t tap into them or you’ll be brown bread (like many Nigerians before you) and they pump all sorts of fuel, one after the other, and the few hundreds of litres where they mix just go back to the refinery east of Birmingham (Kingsbury) to get turned back into car-food! Interesting stuff and I greatly enjoyed working for (and flying with) them!

[@jackmclane1826]

Naming your places irrecognizable to their spoken names helps in keeping the secret. "There is a pipeline in (spoken) Gloster?" Who would guess that this place is written Gloucestershire? ^^

[@alta9dena]

Our property deeds show that one of the fuel pipelines passes under our front garden. We are compelled to allow free access for any maintenance. A few years ago a building contractor accidentally ruptured part of the pipeline nearby. The cleanup operation took several months.

[@MsBNoodle]

😮

[@elsewho]

Great Scott!!

[@gavinward5448]

Really interesting - I've seen one just like that and wondered what it was but presumed it to be water. Knowing something of that location's wartime history, it makes sense that it "could" have been a fuel line (probably long since obsolete in the case of the one I'm thinking of).

[@Dasmaster1]

If I know England correctly they have probably slammed up a bunch of "danger dont dig here" signs for shits and giggles and to confuse matters.

[@raykent3211]

Yes, that would be needed, otherwise the locations of the don't-dig-here signs are a giveaway for a spy, they tell them exactly where the pipe is routed.

[@foamer443]

@@raykent3211 And on the other hand keep the true location secret, so when Bob the Builder fires up the excavator and puts the bucket right through the pipe and levels some small town, that's the smart choice.....Right?

[@nopenope6050]

Yeh there's no fuel in those pipes anymore...let us think what we want and keep us on our toes, job done your majesty

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

In England The routes are marked conspicuously because they are checked by helicopter and drones.

[@Locost59]

Or just put in the wrong place by administrative cockup. They closed a railway line near here by accident (King's Lynn to Hunstanton)! Same as another was closed, bridges dynamited only to need reopening a couple of years later for a gas terminal (Bacton, Norfolk) that had been planned years before the closure. But British Rail was to our railways what British Leyland was to our car industry...

[@thetessellater9163]

I know of one twin pipeline which skirts the Western edge of Milton Keynes, running along the back of HMP Woodhill - MK's prison - and a long section of it was dug out and encased in thick concrete. It is clearly marked with those same orange signs, but just nailed to wooden posts.

[@boudicawasnotreallyallthat1020]

I have walked past that spot several times. Thanks for the context

[@carrma3831]

Now I know what that pipe over the river in my town is.. I'm near RAF Leuchars so it makes sense.

[@Maxime_K-G]

Thanks to your comment I know why there are probably so many markers in my area. I also live near a military airbase, Beauvechain.

[@9000fail]

So it's secret til you spend 250?

[@Dong_Harvey]

+ethan schreiber membership in the US Republican party is a secret until you spend about that much (in dollars)

[@9000fail]

Dong Harvey Voting is free...Not sure what your comment is.

[@Dong_Harvey]

ethan schreiber joining the Republican party is a thing which requires an 'active' membership, the parties are private organizations and don't even have to publish their finances. they both cost money to join, its just always been notable that the Republicans where happy to let in known persons who behave counter to the party's agenda as long as they pay $250/

[@9000fail]

Dong Harvey Interesting, can you link me somewhere i can read more? I can't seem to find anything.

[@Dong_Harvey]

ethan schreiber sry but no, it was an old tv news show covering porn stars (around 2002), i have forgotten its name, but they went on to document further occurrences of unsavory members of party. not that the Democrats don't do the same thing, they just cost less..

[@lukegriffiths6569]

The pipeline and fuel dump outside arthingworth are still very much in use 80 years after they were installed, most likely to supply Harrington airfield amongst others

[@timsytanker]

I drive past the large pumping station at Thetford quite regularly. There is a mini pumping station about a mile from my house feeding Honington.

[@frustbox]

To be honest: that pipe (if still operational) looks like an environmental, health and safety hazard waiting to happen all at once.

[@acmefixer1]

frustbox The pipes underground are covered by an asphalt coating to prevent corrosion. This may be covered by a thin sheet of tin to prevent the asphalt from being damaged. I think that's what you saw in the video. It may get dented without damage to what's inside.

[@vinceking7878]

Yea, some jippo comes with an sds drill...

[@thetessellater9163]

I knew a chap who worked as a welder on pipelines in Northumberland. They were made of 22mm thick medium carbon steel, and the joint between two pipes is V-shaped, and the welders go round and round repeatedly to fill up the V.

[@Ponyreiter]

@@acmefixer1 Such a pipeline needs regular maintenance. These measures can only slow down the deterioration, but not stop it.

[@kylenetherwood8734]

Did you buy the map?

[@Alex_Plante]

We have a similar system in Canada that sends petroleum products from Montreal to Toronto. It is used to delivers various petroleum products in batches by putting the oil between two pigs.

[@kerrygibbs8198]

Good story. Thank you for a great presentation. You didn’t use hype. You presented information clearly.

[@NILoaNtFaCkBa]

Back in the day, drill a hole install a valve, free fuel.

[@Poop-nu1so]

"It's not secret and it's not underground!"

[@frankblack1185]

I did not know that. Well I guess you learn something new every day.

[@jako1234567890jako]

Where I live, is right beside Royal Portbury docks, where the fuel comes in, then it gets pumped to these massive underground tanks only a half mile from my house, at Redcliffe bay. Always wondered where they went and what they were for. Assumed they were for Filton airport during the war, didn't know they were part of this massive network

[@mrsqueakthecat.8061]

Years ago the US military put in communications cabling all over the upper midwest to tie their ICBM missile silos into the national control systems then decided to 'lose the maps' so no one could figure out where they are to mess with them. Well, it seems every earth moving contractor and farmer and general guy who just needed a high spot on their property taken off did a really good job of helping them "make a new map the hard way" by digging up those 'lost lines' for them! Most every person who ever worked for a earth moving contractor or was a farmer in the last 50 years has a story about them or someone they know digging up a mystery cable out in the middle of nowhere and having the US military show up in force 10 - 20 minutes later! :D

[@fartmuffin3254]

Not a secret anymore

[@JustinKoenigSilica]

+Slothyn it still is technically a secret because exact locations are NOT known.

[@guy_th18]

Fartmuffin Not this part

[@dantee3944]

Great video sir

[@hairycoo56]

I'm positive this is what I used to see crossing a river near Troon in Ayrshire when I used the train a lot. Would make sense with Prestwick airport nearby.

[@armandovanhaaren8663]

looks old and broken needs maintenance

[@beeurd]

Interesting, I remember when I was younger that once I came across a large exposed pipe similar to that one. I just checked on the map and there's no reference to it in the area I remember it being. Might have to go out there one day and see if I imagined it 😂

[@davidellis1202]

The United Kingdom Oil Pipeline was only secret during WW2 as far as I know. It was used to enable ships from the US to dock at Liverpool and send fuel to the South and South East without endangering shipping. Nowadays it's been extended and it's used to send various fuels/oils to airports and oil terminals all over England.

[@redsinsaneurbex7691]

Oh! One of them pipes are outside a Pillbox near me! Now that makes sense, thanks👍🏻

[@charliebrigden6930]

What is there to stop someone just drilling a hole in the part of the pipe that's exposed?

[@Eddiecurrent2000]

Usually death stops them.

[@romanvereb7144]

"But this actually is a secret" Well, not so secret anymore, is it then, Tom?

[@thetessellater9163]

It is secret in that the government do not verify any details ever.

[@simonchilli2088]

There's one that crosses Kent north to south thru Marden. It has an information plaque in the village. Possibly connects across the channel but not sure from memory.

[@gavinnorthants]

I noticed Anglea water near where I used to live, laying some pipes. They were huge and went for miles, but no planning notices and nothing in the local news. I guess the same reason, as is infrastructure and don't want them getting damaged in a war. On a side note if you pass water works, is often under ground with turf on the roof!

[@kingpin6989]

My thought process during this video "Wow, this pipe looks really run down... oh? They privatized it? That's why."

[@alunjones3860]

Yes, the government always want to save money in the short term, even if it costs more in the long run.

[@omarzeroual]

I guess the above ground pipline in the video isn't used anymore, right? Looks pretty beaten up.

[@jaredliv]

Agreed. Anyone can confirm this?

[@johndoyle4723]

There was a pipeline from the Heysham oil refinery to Stanlow. The refinery which made war time aviation fuel was de-commissioned from 1970 onwards, and the pipeline sealed.

[@danielsmith7105]

Out of boredom i started looking on streetview for it, its pretty easy to follow.