A masterclass in technical transparency that elevates routine civil engineering into a compelling study of hydraulic problem-solving. It is essential viewing for those who find beauty in the meticulous restoration of legacy infrastructure.
Deep Dive
Prerequisite Knowledge
- No data available.
Where to go next
- No data available.
Deep Dive
Whitchurch Canal Breach Update, Culvert Draining? & More! (5thMay)Added:
Hello everyone. Back down at the brereech again today. And as you can tell, it's a nice busy day once again.
So, uh I'll show you around just before they uh move this. But all of the pipes from the uh pump setup, they've all been taken away now. So, it's looking a lot well a lot neater down here in all honesty. So, tell you what, we'll go and have a look here. Now, the big news from last week, of course, that they were jetting the culvert and uh as a lot of you will know now, uh the culvert is now clear. So, we'll go and have a check on how that's looking now. Uh and then, of course, we'll get on to the uh the work that is currently going on. So, we'll take this nice and easy. And as you can tell, with it being clear, the water isn't really pooling up too much more than that. So, uh yeah, nice and ideal.
And, uh certainly a job well done from the jetting guys. And it really was a pleasure to watch them work. I'll be honest with you. That was uh some of the best footage I've got so far and certainly some of the most satisfying.
Now, we're going to have a look from the other side. We'll also check on the way.
Yeah, the drilling guys are still set up. I was thinking that maybe today would be their last day, but uh I'd guess now that that'll be tomorrow. It does take them a while to uh get all packed down. Now, before we uh get properly into it, and I do forget, uh if you haven't subscribed already, really would appreciate if you did. Certainly helps me out tremendously and uh keeps you guys informed on everything going on. And uh we've been doing great with subscribers lately. So, uh really do appreciate everyone that subscribed so far as well. And you can see here as well, the water, it's a funny one cuz it gets to that level and then it stops. It is a strange one. Now, where that water's going, I have no idea. But I tell you what, we can have a quick look in the stream cuz you'd think if it is making its way into the stream, then it would certainly color up the water. Now, I've been getting loads of comments saying uh that it [snorts] leads to somewhere else. Now, I've looked, trust me, I've looked um just all around the place, you know, under the bypass. Now, this stream also leads under the bypass.
Uh but yeah, I can't see anything. I really can't see anything and I have had a proper look, but yeah, beer eat anyway. So, I'll have a quick check and see if anything else is going on over here.
Uh little bits and bobs, but nothing too interesting. Track dumper unfortunately not over here just yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion it will be later. So, uh yeah, I'm looking forward to that.
Now, I also wanted to say that uh I just so thankful uh for everyone that supported on buying me a coffee and through super thanks. Uh last week we were all well I said that I'd uh decided to bite the bullet and uh purchase a new drone battery and uh thanks to all the support from everyone I was able to get two. Now they're not brand new cuz you know that would be what over 300 quid on batteries. Uh don't fancy that. But, uh, I've got two secondhand ones, um, from a good supplier that I get all my used camera stuff from. And, uh, yeah, I'm looking forward to them. Uh, it'll certainly help out with the videos, no doubt, because especially on the busier days. It's so easy to, uh, use three batteries. They last, you get about half an hour usable flight time out of each one. And, uh, even less if it's windy.
And uh unfortunately it was for a lot of last week. So uh yeah, but either way that won't be a problem anymore. Now you can see here they're about to move the silk buster. So they've emptied it once more and uh I'd imagine that'll lighten the load significantly.
And uh especially um they were pumping from the flood field and the culvert area uh last week straight through this.
So, I really would imagine that a lot of stuff got caught last week. So, yeah, nice to know that that's been done. Now, I'll have a quick look around it. It seems it'll be the last day that we get to properly film this, but you can see there as well. It's quite easy to tell uh how they do it. So, that hatch opens up and just allows them easy access for all the uh the silt that's collected at the bottom.
Now, I am wondering exactly where they're going to take this. Whether it'll be a case of um just taking it to the compound and then waiting for it to get picked up. That's certainly be my guess, but uh we'll wait and see. Now, one thing I have noticed in the background as well is all this silt that they uh well, it's hard to tell from the drone actually cuz it's very glary. If I come down, hopefully that gives you an idea of the color of it. Although it's still quite glary, it certainly looks like everything they sprayed over from last week's jetting, it certainly had a lot of silt in it, which isn't surprising at all. Uh we saw them when they were doing it, the water was was brown and uh it certainly didn't look like clean water. Far from it, in fact. Now, I'll wait for these boys to uh start moving this and do the usual when it's nice days down here. uh stop the stop and start the video when required uh just to uh keep it nice and short without missing anything. Now, real quick, hey, there's me. And I'll bring you right back. The track dumper is on the way. So, the best piece of machinery on site is just making its way up. So, I am hoping. I don't know how it'll work. It'd be awesome to see the uh silk buster and uh track dumper collaboration and load it into the back.
But yeah, I have me doubts. I do wonder if it's just the uh the pump or or something else that's on the way. But uh thankfully, as always, we won't have to wait too long until we're able to find out. I'm just going to move my drone slightly further away.
Or is it just the chains and everything that is holded? I would guess so, which is quite unfortunate. It is quite unfortunate. But you see now that the uh excavator is just making its way down.
So I certainly would guess that'd be the case.
I think the uh siluster might be a little too big unfortunately uh to make its way into the back of the track dumper, which is quite the shame. I'll be honest with you.
Yeah, it certainly is just the uh the chains and everything. Now we've seen this a fair few times at this point. I'd hope that we were experts, but uh yeah, we'll wait and see.
I am excited to see this uh silk buster get moved now. It's was quite the staple back in the day actually. Uh, a lot of people love the old the old silk buster and uh, yeah, its task of uh, cleaning the water that was coming out of the flood field. Uh, certainly an important one. So, uh, yeah, it's done its job now and no doubt it'll be off to possibly not as fun jobs. Well, maybe fun's the wrong word, but interesting for sure.
Get a little lower.
seems it's a good opportunity.
>> Now, once again, the uh operator of the excavator is incredible at his job.
Really is. It's always a pleasure to film the excavator. Um I've said it once or twice, but had a comment a few weeks back um saying that they could take the skin off off the rice pudding, off the top of the rice pudding. You know what I mean? And uh yeah, I love that comment. I really did.
I'll get a nicer angle here. Just trying to get the best video I can.
It's weird. Some days when the uh drone's quite close to me, it's very loud and then other days it's uh really quiet. Like it's not far from me at all now and I can barely hear it.
You'll hear the uh track dumper roar back into action there. Um, it is an incredibly loud piece of kit for what it is, and I never really understood why.
You know, it's by far the loudest piece of kit on site. It's uh very loud indeed. But hey, just makes it even cooler if you ask me.
>> Yeah.
>> Now, I'd guess that the uh tracked hose reel jetting thing uh I believe that's gone now. Uh unfortunately, that was another uh cool thing to watch. And once again, anything with tracks instantly a lot cooler.
It's actually quite fast. Here's a question for you. Does anyone know how fast top speed of a track bumper? What would it be? That certainly would be uh interesting to know.
I'll quickly focus on these guys in a second. And uh of course I'm most interested in the uh silt buster getting lifted, but we will go and check exactly where he goes to in a second.
So back to this now with them just uh hooking everything up at the minute.
I'll bring you back when they uh start attaching it. So it's only been about 20 30 seconds since I last spoke to you and uh yeah, they're already attaching it.
So, I do believe, as you can tell, uh it's just little hooks and then one attaches to each corner. Makes it nice and easy.
Now, if that was me as the operator, I would have to just move it left just just to be slightly annoying, but uh they probably wouldn't like that too much. And there's that's one of many reasons I'm not the one doing it.
>> [snorts] >> Now, we've started doing this question of the week. So, obviously I talk a lot.
Uh you guys have to listen to me talk all the time, so I like hearing what you guys have got to say. And I'm just wondering this question of the week.
When does everyone think it'll be finished by? So, put your guesses in the comments and uh it'll certainly be interesting when it all is all finished to see who got it right because I'm sure I'm sure someone's going to get it right. So, uh, month and date, uh, would certainly be the most interesting way of doing it. I think that'd be a fun little game.
I'm just going to get a cooler angle here.
So, the Silk Buster is off the ground there.
Now, I'm going to get a little further back just so it gets it all in. So, you can see there as well with that uh hatch being open, they're just closing that up now. I'd imagine that'll stop any residual silt that is left inside from uh spilling absolutely everywhere and making an incredible mess, which would not be ideal, especially with how these guys like it clean. We've seen that many a times. It's uh it's really impressive to see actually now. All sorted.
Believe so. Looks good to me anyway.
Now, thankfully, it's uh bit more relaxed on the drone side of things. At the minute, it's just me and Dave at this top spot. I like flying from here.
Uh when there's stuff happening in the floodfield, it just makes my life easier seeing everything that's going on.
And there we go.
Now, that was a lot easier than when we saw it get lifted in. That was uh Yeah, not as easy for sure.
Now I'm just going to move so this tree isn't in me way.
And he's off at a blistering pace. So like I say, I don't know if they're just going to leave this in the uh compound.
Uh that would be my guess. Uh or whether there's something ready to pick it up, which I have my doubts personally. I'd imagine it's just a case of they want this all cleaned up now so they can uh start the work. Well, probably just clearing everything else. We've seen that last week they have created them uh spoil piles. I'd imagine they'll be taken down very shortly. And uh I am hoping to some degree if they do get everything sorted on this side, they'll at least open up the uh footpath. That would be nice and it would certainly make my life easier for filming as well.
just back to how it was to some degree.
I understand that. Uh I'll show you. So on the far side there, uh if that was all closed off, but at least if they opened up from that public footpath uh down the middle here and then back up, that certainly be ideal because they're not using this side for access really anymore. The odd thing, but yeah, we've had a few people saying that might happen at some point.
Now, it uh with that being the larger excavator, this is the uh 22 to 25 ton.
Um it's a lot e easier of a task when we saw it get moved in. That was with the uh the 9 ton excavator. And let me tell you, that was a struggle. It certainly was. We got that all on video as well.
If anyone's interested, uh that's is a while ago now. I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess. probably 2 months ago, which is quite scary. Uh, nothing shows the passage of time than making a video every day and having to change the date and just realizing that it's May already.
[snorts] You know, it feels like January to me still for some reason. It's going to take some getting used to. Now, I can hear the uh track dumper in the background fired up once again. So, I'll have a look for that in a second. But most importantly right now, I'd love to Here we go.
Yeah, I'd love to uh get a shot of the uh silk buster being carried by the excavator making its way out of the brereech.
Feels quite historic almost, you know.
It's uh it's been here for so long and it's done such a a mammoth task and uh yeah, to see it leave is weirdly sad.
Now I can see there as well. I'll quickly show you what I mean. The track dumpers stopped right there behind that tree. So I'd imagine it's going to reverse into sight now. Hopefully that's a a good sign of more work to come.
Now exactly what he's waiting for there.
I'm not sure. Ah, just teasing. Just teasing.
So you'll see there as well. Trout dumper making its way in. And I will focus on that in a second, but I'm just going to wait to see where this guy takes this first.
Now, I'm hoping you guys will be uh able to hear the track dumper in the background. Uh I'd be surprised if you can't actually.
Now, the uh track dumper is actually making its way.
I can't tell if he's coming up to us or going into the other half of the flood field.
Looks like it's coming up to us, actually.
That's cool.
I'm guessing they're picking something up from this side, but you will not be able to hear me for a second. So, I do apologize about that.
So, you can see actually I'm just going to double check. I am indeed recording.
So, the uh the S bus is well off now.
So, I'd imagine they'll just take it to the compound. Uh maybe Oh, that's a good point. Actually, tell you what, I've got a spare second. I'll go nice and high here and uh just get an overview of everything on the compound side. Uh it's just holding the fuel cell, but I'm guessing that's the one for the pump. Uh so my new guest will be there uh taking that to there and then storing everything they're taking from this side over to there. That certainly be my guess ready for getting picked up. So yeah, exciting times. Now you can see there as well.
They're just making its way past the tree now. And uh the track dump is right in front of us now. Tell you what, I'll get a quick look. Sorry about the fast movement. I'll slow it down actually.
It's easily uh easy to get carried away when the track dump is right next to you. So, it really is right next to us now. And uh lovely to see that uh there's people looking around and just getting a good sense of everything that's going down here. I know that uh we get a fair few people come to say hello and uh a lot of people just having a look at what's going on and I can't say I blame them at all. It's uh there's always something to watch down here.
We'll put it that way.
Uh that little excavator is moving off now. So I'll uh give you a second.
They are indeed lifting the silk buster into that bun. Now I'll just show Dave what's going on.
But most importantly, the track dump is right next to us. So I'll come and uh do a quick video cuz it'd be rude not to.
Now hopefully once again this will give you a bit of scale for just how large of a machine it is.
So he's off.
off to do some cool jobs, no doubt.
I will uh wait and see where he goes and I'll bring you back when there's a little more progress.
The excavator's just made its way right up to the top of the brereech, and I don't know if he's going to help the drilling guys out with something, but he put his bucket on just before he left.
Uh, so I don't think it's to lift anything, unless it's uh Well, we'll wait and see. We'll wait and see. And one thing that is slightly concerning me, I'll zoom out for you now, is that it is looking a bit gloomy. I'll be honest with you. But, uh, hey, we'll do our best. We certainly will. And, uh, gives a dramatic background if nothing else.
So, I'll I won't keep you too long here.
I'm just trying to figure out exactly what's going on. Now, I am going to check as well. Make sure that the uh the drilling isn't finished. Nope. Certainly isn't. It's quite easy to tell uh when they're pretty much done. They tend to uh just focus real quick. uh cover up the hole and it doesn't take them too long to get all those outer casings out of the hole. But uh yeah, certainly something related to the drilling. Um I was hoping that they were going to do a bit of digging, but don't think that's going to happen just yet. Now I am going to check once again make sure the uh pumps are still on. Doesn't look like too much water's making its way down. So imagine they are. They certainly are. So that's all good.
I can hear an engine struggling to fire up in the background. I wonder if that is the drilling rig. But either way, I'll uh bring you back when they do something.
Now, I've just noticed that uh they're doing something with the excavator on the other side uh with the culvert. So, we'll wait and see what this is all about. Now, I'll slowly move around. I know people like the the slower movements, so I'll certainly do that.
But as you can tell, it looks quite busy there.
So, it must be a fair size job.
Now, just focus and then I'll keep moving.
So, I'm guess it's a little windier up there than it is down here. It's uh not the most stable footage just yet, but hopefully as I stop moving, it'll uh calm down somewhat. So, you see there, just starting to dig that out now. So, I think we've just caught that as it started.
Now, I don't know if they're trying to expose something or something along those lines. It looks like they're going very slow and cautious.
So, I'm just going to get my drone a little bit closer.
I can hear the track dumper once again firing up.
I was wondering if they're trying to uh find the other pipe. That wouldn't surprise me too much in all honesty because like I say, that water's got to be going somewhere. And uh I'm still confused Ernie in the background there.
Still confused exactly where that is going. It seems very bizarre to me still, but we'll find out eventually.
Now, it's just starting to spit a little bit, but it should be absolutely fine.
It's been on and off like barely uh all morning to be fair. So, I'm not concerned.
Just get my drone into a nice position.
And there we go.
Now, if anyone uh has any good guesses exactly what's going on, then do feel free to uh drop a comment cuz uh it does seem odd. It does seem odd. And that water has got to be going somewhere, but it's not going into the stream. That's the confusing bit to me.
Now, I do wonder if they'll uh dig this all out into the stream. That' certainly be uh fun to watch, but I have my doubts personally.
Now, once again, uh you'll see the guys on the back side of the bucket there.
They always need a banksman. And uh that's just in case they like dig into a cable or a main of some kind. Uh of course the actual operator of the machine can't see on the back side of the bucket when he's digging. Uh so you always need someone there just double checking things like that. I do believe uh well it's not just that as well. So you'll have one guy doing that, one guy checking what's actually going on, the depth they need and all sorts like that.
But uh yeah, it's a bit bit complicated to be fair.
And you'll see there the one guy with the shovel as well. No doubt he's got a plan of some variety.
I'm going to go down a little lower again. Now I am fully zoomed in 13 times at the minute. So a fair amount of zoom on the go.
If I can stay away from uh from the workers as much as I can, then I certainly will.
And he's off as well. I see him running down the canal.
It looks like they're going very tentatively. You see them just taking an inch at a time, if that. So, uh yeah, I do believe they're looking for something.
Not terribly sure what though, but I'll let them talk a bit more and I'll bring you back when they start digging again.
So, they're digging again. It's probably only been a minute or so since I last saw you.
Now, hopefully you'll get an idea of how much they've dug so far by that little pile. It hasn't been too much. Like I say, it's just taking off the tiniest amount at a time. Uh, which is unlike what we usually see with the digging where it's uh, you know, big works and not having to worry so much about being uh, super careful. Well, you know what I mean. You know what I mean. Of course, they're always careful, but uh, yeah, you get what I'm saying.
Now, thankfully that uh big rain cloud has just passed off the back side of us.
So, we've done all right there.
Now, real quick, I've just seen uh we saw that pipe that was uh leaking a small amount of water into the actual culvert exit. That is now there. So, they've just removed that and I'd imagine uh uh that will uh I don't know where that's draining from. Whether it's just a little land drain, I wouldn't be too surprised in all honesty. It was right around there where the bucket was then.
Uh but my guess would be there looking for the uh well the pipe where the water used to go. That would certainly be my guess.
So if they do manage to find it, that will be very exciting indeed. But uh we'll have to wait and see.
Now, I haven't uh heard any other works going on just yet. I can still see the larger excavator by the drilling rig.
So, nothing to worry about on that side of things. It hasn't uh moved in a little while.
So, it looks like they're just taking the tiniest layer off once again.
Looking the guy on the left looking out for something.
Now, I tell you what, I think I'm probably best looking where he's looking.
Almost looks like it's curved a little bit there, but I don't think that's anything uh too meaningful in all honesty.
Or is it?
I can't tell. I cannot tell.
I suppose the uh next few bucket fulls will certainly uh help answer any of these questions. Fingers crossed.
Anyway, does seem like a very odd setup. It really does.
Now, I don't know if I'd be better off coming from the other side to see what these guys are looking at.
Does seem very strange though.
Almost looks like they're trying to avoid touching that little bit there.
Can't tell if that's I don't know. It looks very bizarre, doesn't it? Looks very bizarre. I can't tell if it's uh just the mud making a certain pattern or [laughter] can I show that to the drone. One sec. I hope the the uh zoom picks this up. I will bring you back to there in a second, but [laughter] we'll have a look here. Now, you might be able to tell that Ernie is actually in Dave's pocket. [laughter] That's That is incredible. Whilst you're here, actually, I'll show you what they're doing.
No, you're good.
I can't tell if that's a structure or not.
>> It's weird, isn't it? Cuz it's Make sure I'm recording. It's had that like >> the old train head.
>> Yeah. But it just it's a weird setup, isn't it? It's a weird setup.
>> Very bizarre.
But they haven't uh dug down any further there.
>> If that's Is that brick or is that clay?
>> I don't know. That's what I'm like. It's weird.
>> Looks like clay.
>> Does. But it's got like a a texture to it almost.
And as soon as he got to that level, it was just like, "Leave it."
>> Brick. Another brick over.
>> Well, you never know. But why would it why would they have a gap?
Strange. Very strange.
But, uh, yeah, you can see there as well. Looks like they're creating a bit of a channel actually. So, they've just started work actually, uh, removing the outer casings from the drill. So yeah, that is cool to see. Now, that was our guess that it would be done today. So yeah, it certainly makes sense.
Now, I'll show you as well just how far they made it with this. And they're making really good progress, actually.
Now, I'm still no idea what the plan is here. It uh seems very strange work to me in all honesty. Um my guess at this point is that I don't know. It almost looks like they're trying to expose something. It really does, but uh at the same time, I don't know if it's just then making a trench uh between the culvert and the stream. So, whatever water does make its way into the flood field through the culvert, it will just be easily drained straight into the stream. That uh certainly makes sense, but we'll uh yeah, we'll have to wait and see with that one. It certainly be cool. It certainly would. Now, you'll see there as well a little bit of water pooling up. Now, there is a fair amount of water making its way through the coffer dams and the stream, especially cuz it's been raining a little bit over the last few days. [snorts] Almost looks like he's digging out an old pipe of some variety.
There's a an old pipe there for sure. Doesn't look like a plastic one, though.
I'll uh quickly show Dave this one once again.
So they've hit >> something.
>> Clay pipe.
>> Yeah.
>> Not really big looking.
>> No, it's only Oh, I wouldn't even say it's a foot.
8 in.
It's going to take him a fair while to dig this all out, but hey, it's part of the excitement.
Now I can hear the uh excavator once again moving in the background. We've got Terry here, the uh the expert on culverts. [laughter] Um yeah, they're just digging out an old clay pipe.
>> Terry knows all about pipes.
>> He does. He was an absolute expert. So uh yeah, it's always good to have uh people that know things with you.
Certainly helps us out. But uh I'll let them dig this out a little more and then we'll uh bring you back. So the excavator's taken away.
uh some oh yeah some of the stuff from the drilling guys so that makes sense.
We thought that'd be the case and it certainly is. So they are indeed uh packing away which is uh yeah good sign for the uh next steps now. I'm sure once they're gone we'll miss them but uh yeah it's feels like they've been here a fair while. It takes them roughly a week to do each hole. So uh yeah we certainly have filmed a lot of that at this point now. Just double check on the progress these guys are making with this drain.
You can see there as well that uh there's loads of bricks and all sorts that they've been pulling out.
Very strange. Very strange. Oh, they've actually exposed a lot of that clay pipe now.
It's bizarre, isn't it? It is bizarre.
I'll wait and see what this exposes.
Once again, just taking the smallest amount off the top there.
Now, that uh that pipe looks to be uh fairly damaged. And by the look of it, it's been that way for a long time. Just looks like a field drain almost, but maybe a little too big for that.
Yeah, hard to tell. Certainly is hard to tell.
So, they've switched the trenching bucket now. Looks like they're just getting a little bit lower, but I don't know if they're making a drain or or what or if they're just working on uh exposing that pipe cuz it does look like it dips there somewhat.
Yeah, very strange. No, I'm getting to the bottom of my last battery now once again, but thankfully I think uh this work will take a while and uh thankfully I'll be down early tomorrow, so I'll be able to get all this on footage and uh yeah, I just want to quickly say thank you very much for watching. Really appreciate your time. We'll be back for a full day tomorrow and uh yeah, it'll be a good day. So uh tune back tomorrow and uh enjoy yourselves. Take care everyone.
Related Videos
U.S. Military Just Flexed The Most Dangerous Aircraft Ever Built The F-47
MaxAfterburnerusa
11K viewsβ’2026-05-29
Heating Staying On On The Hottest Day Of The Year
PlumbLikeTom
507 viewsβ’2026-05-29
λ°μ ν¨μ¨μ λμ΄λ νμκ΄ μΆμ μμ€ν μ κΈ°μ μ μ리 #곡ν #곡μ #νμκ΄ #μκ³ λ¦¬μ¦ #μ¬μμλμ§
μ°νμ₯κΈ°μ
2K viewsβ’2026-05-29
Wire To Wire Connection Trick | Strong And Secure Electrical Joint #shortvideo #wireworks
ElectricianTips-b1h
5K viewsβ’2026-06-02
Peterborough to Newark Northgate Driver's Eye View aboard an InterCity 225 - East Coast Main Line
TrainsTrainsTrains
822 viewsβ’2026-05-31
AI turbine design: hypersonic cooling leap #shorts #ai #hypersonic
bobbby_rn
671 viewsβ’2026-05-31
μ§κ΄ λ° κ³‘κ΄ λ°°κ΄ κ²°ν© κ³ μ μμ #worker #process #fabrication #pipework #clamp
μλμ΄μ΄
2K viewsβ’2026-05-30
How Far Can A Tomahawk Missile Actually Travel?
WarCurious
13K viewsβ’2026-05-28











