Inside Manchester's spectacular sewers and drains most people will never see

Deep below the streets lies a vital part of Manchester's infrastructure that most people will never see. The city's drains and sewers ensure Manchester remains sanitary by managing wastewater and stormwater to prevent flooding and contamination.

During the Industrial Revolution, Manchester's population exploded thanks to the boom in the textile trade, which transformed the small market town into an industrial powerhouse. Migrants arrived in huge numbers to work in the cotton mills and factories.

However, the unchecked growth of Manchester's population placed a huge burden on its infrastructure - making it one of the country's most overcrowded and unhealthiest places. The filthy conditions meant death rates soared and life expectancy crashed.

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By the mid-1830s, the average life expectancy of Manchester's labouring population was just 17 (according to the Science and Industry Museum). In the 19th century, sewerage systems in the rapidly industrialising Manchester were so bad that water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid were rampant.

In response, more sewers were constructed to accommodate Manchester's urban expansion from 1830 to 1860. Purpose-built sewers were built underneath streets to carry polluted water over distances to river outfalls. The rapid population growth meant brick-constructed sewage systems were later supplanted by moulded clay pipes.

Yet the rise in domestic sewage and industrial waste led to a decline in Manchester's river quality, especially near outfalls. To compensate, a series of 21 deeper and larger interceptor sewers were constructed, leading out to the newly built treatment works at Davyhulme on the outskirts of Manchester.

While many of these sewers and overflows that make up Manchester's drainage system will never be seen by most members of the public, urban explorers continue to be fascinated by these hidden chambers and miles of tunnel running under our feet.

Many of these subterranean spaces have been nicknamed, such as The Hulme Flume and Hyde Falls. But one particularly striking example, thanks to its incredible brickwork, is known in the community as Slim Pickings.

Slim Pickings is an overflow for one of Manchester's interceptor sewers with an outlet in the nearby River Medlock. The name is said to be inspired by its narrow access point, but the brick space is impressively spacious once inside.

One urban explorer who accessed Slim Pickings in October 2022 runs The Abandoned & Forgotten UK page on Facebook. Alongside a fellow urban explorer, they took a stunning set of pictures in what many regard as Manchester's most impressive underground sewers.

Click below for a gallery of stunning Manchester sewer pics

Incredible photos of Manchester's rarely seen underground tunnels and chambers

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