
These extraordinary photographs show how a group of ‘urban explorers’ headed underground to visit a huge abandoned storm drain.

The six-person collective visited the Victorian system in Sheffield after one of their members overheard a man in a pub talking about it.

The 'WildBoyz' group first went to the site in 2012 but headed back for four hours recently after upgrading their camera equipment.

There is also a fast current of water flow in the tunnels, which are littered with discarded objects from Nectar cards to pornographic DVDs.

WildBoyz group members The Don, Ford Mayhem, Meek-Kune-Do, Rizla Rider, Box and The Hurricane said the visit gave them a ‘real buzz’.

One of them added: ‘You feel as though you are among an important piece of history which most people miss out on.’

Sheffield's sewer and drainage system was built by the then town council in the 1870s, with further major works carried out in 1910.

At first raw sewage was pumped into rivers but in 1886 a sewage treatment plant was constructed in Blackburn Meadows, at the eastern end of the city.

In the 1960s the city council became increasingly concerned with the condition and operation of the main sewers as Sheffield continued to grow in size.

It was agreed to build a new sewer to serve the inner part of the Sheffield drainage area and led to 26 'unsatisfactory' storm sewage overflows being abandoned.

Urban exploration: The group visited the Victorian system in Sheffield after one of their members overheard a man in a pub talking about it

Having a look: The 'WildBoyz' group first went to the site in 2012 but headed back for four hours recently after upgrading their camera

Extraordinary system: The six-person collective headed underground to visit the huge abandoned storm drain in South Yorkshire

Drain: There is a fast current of water flow in the tunnels, which are littered with discarded objects from Nectar cards to pornographic DVDs

Litter: WildBoyz members The Don, Ford Mayhem, Meek-Kune-Do, Rizla Rider, Box and The Hurricane said the visit gave them a 'real buzz'

Fascinating: One of the WildBoyz said they felt as though they were 'among an important piece of history which most people miss out on'

Tip-off: One of the members said he 'overhead an older gentleman talking about some legendary tunnels underneath Sheffield' at a pub

The man in the pub 'talked of one section in particular though that was like a cathedral - describing it as a great sweeping arch'

Going underground: One of the explorers said that the city has 'quite a few tunnels that appear, disappear and reappear again'

Taking a photo: The urban explorers say they are constantly seeking to uncover the mysteries that lie beneath the pavements

Blue is the colour: The Wildboyz group say they have a 'burning curiosity' to 'seek out myths in the hope that they will come true'

Lit up: The group returned to the sewers after a three-year absence with better photographic equipment and to test a new flash light

What an experience: The explorers say they 'get a real buzz of excitement knowing you’re somewhere everyone else isn’t'

Taking pictures of history: One of the explorers said he feels 'strongly about recording the old parts of our country using a camera'

Enjoying it now: The group have also voiced their concerns about old buildings 'disappearing around us in our various cities and towns'

Fans of old buildings: The explorers praised the 'beauty which modern architects neglect to include in their developments these days'