AN ENGINEER has revealed a ‘hidden city’ after digging deep into the history of Accrington’s water and sewerage system. The network of underground water sytems and tunnels is said to reveal architectural gems. Engineers from United Utilities say that beneath the town are tunnels carved out of sheer rock, as well as ‘Roman’-style arches built from world-famous Nori Accrington brick. They date back to the Victorian era. Some of the waterways are even said to be large enough for a car to drive through them. Now engineer Ahmed Esat, 42, from Blackburn, and artist John Flanagan hope people can provide further pictures and memories of work carried out in the town for an arts project. Mr Esat said his time underground had shown him some amazing sights. He said: “The system is essentially a hidden underground city, with tunnels that stretch from Accrington out to the Lake District. "It has been built up over a few hundred years which doesn’t sound like a long period of time but, from an engineering point of view, it’s like uncovering Roman artefacts.” The tunnels are part of the Thirlmere Aqueduct which conveys water from the Lakes to Manchester, and supplies some areas of Hyndburn on the way. Related links Mappingaccy.co.uk Mr Flanagan has been commissioned to produce a rare map of Accrington town centre, which will include more than just roads and car parks, but some of the architectural structures beneath the the town.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Aug 2013 11:02:10 +0000
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