March News
WORKING PARTY REPORT BY MICHAEL ELLIOTT - 18th March 2020
A damp day saw a small working party at Ridd aiming to tidy up the area at the top of the inclined plane. Numbers were down due to the self-isolation of several members. The group were faced with a pile of rather wet branches cut down last year, and mountains of thick ivy cut down by the Tarka Trail tree clearance gang. After several false starts, and despite the increasingly wet drizzle, a fire was going after about an hour, and then continually fed with ivy all morning. Fortunately, ivy is extremely dry, and the green leaves very inflammable. The opportunity was also taken to clean the information boards along the Tarka Trail, which had turned green over the winter.
A damp day saw a small working party at Ridd aiming to tidy up the area at the top of the inclined plane. Numbers were down due to the self-isolation of several members. The group were faced with a pile of rather wet branches cut down last year, and mountains of thick ivy cut down by the Tarka Trail tree clearance gang. After several false starts, and despite the increasingly wet drizzle, a fire was going after about an hour, and then continually fed with ivy all morning. Fortunately, ivy is extremely dry, and the green leaves very inflammable. The opportunity was also taken to clean the information boards along the Tarka Trail, which had turned green over the winter.
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It is not clear when regular working parties will reconvene, so this might be the last Working Party report for a while.
Sadly, due to the current coronavirus crisis, most Rolle Canal & Northern Devon Waterways Society activities have had to be postponed or cancelled. This includes:-
- The Annual General Meeting on 26th April.
- The guided walks programme.
- The day trip to the Stover Canal on 7th June.
- All restoration activity at RHS Rosemoor.
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT BY TONY NICHOLLS - 11th March 2020
One of the few benefits of the wettest February on record is that the canal basin is now full of water. The strong flow through the basin has also swept away the pondweed which was covering the surface leaving the canal looking impressively clean. The southern aspect of the basin has dramatically changed with the felling of trees along the towpath and gives a real sense of how the canal would have looked when in operation.
One of the few benefits of the wettest February on record is that the canal basin is now full of water. The strong flow through the basin has also swept away the pondweed which was covering the surface leaving the canal looking impressively clean. The southern aspect of the basin has dramatically changed with the felling of trees along the towpath and gives a real sense of how the canal would have looked when in operation.
With work on the lime kiln arch now complete, the team turned its attention to the ongoing restoration of the tucking mill. We continued to carry out repairs to the central section of the internal wall in order to ensure this is properly stabilised. The pointing of the internal steps was also completed. A brick housing has been constructed to receive the second plumbing block we unearthed last week. We have continued with the difficult work of digging out the mill leat to try to find the floor of the channel. There is still no sign of this despite having dug down a further three feet. This suggests that the base of the leat here must have been substantially lower than the top section which supports our theory that this was the location for the original mill wheel. Having studied the 1886 map (see report 4.3.2020), we now think that there may have been a third chamber on the north side of the mill leat. There are indications here of another buried wall roughly in line with one of the internal walls in the main chamber. This is entirely possible as it would have made efficient use of the power of the mill wheel to drive additional machinery. This, of course, is pure speculation but it looks as if this fascinating site has further secrets to reveal.
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Rosemoor daffodils in full bloom.
Generally, working parties are held every Wednesday morning, meeting in the main car park at RHS Rosemoor, Torrington at 9.30am. New volunteers are always welcome. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.01237- 475707) for more information.
FLOODING AT ROSEMOOR BY IAN HARRISON - 9th March 2020
Some photos of the late February floods showing the river up to the gate and the successful operation of our spillway.
Some photos of the late February floods showing the river up to the gate and the successful operation of our spillway.
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ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT FROM TONY NICHOLLS - 4th March 2020
The contractors have finished felling trees on the towpath and this area has been dramatically transformed as can be seen from the photograph.
The contractors have finished felling trees on the towpath and this area has been dramatically transformed as can be seen from the photograph.
The work on stabilising the wall of the lime kiln has been completed apart from some repointing which will be carried out over the coming weeks. RHS Rosemoor have kindly agreed to extend the hire period for the scaffolding which will now be moved to the north west corner of the lime kiln. This is in a poor state of repair and covered with ivy. This needs to be carefully removed and the stonework stabilised before further damage is caused to the structure.
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With work on the arch of the lime kiln virtually complete, we were able to turn our attention to the ongoing excavation of the tucking mill. The internal steps which had become loose were cemented into place and we started work on stabilising one of the internal walls which was in a precarious condition. In this section we found two interesting metal brackets which appear to have supported a door frame. We have also started to dig out the bottom of the mill leat in the area where we believe the mill wheel was housed to see if we can find a continuation of the stone floor which is in evidence at the top of the sluice. The wall of the mill is in good condition here and is deeper than we thought so the floor may well be buried under another foot or so of silt. Last week, our excavations unearthed two iron plumbing blocks in the section of the building adjacent to the canal. We think these may have housed a rotating shaft used to drive machinery and are bedding them into concrete in the locations where they were found.
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A map dated 1886 provided by Ian Harrison throws an interesting light on the structure of the tucking mill. This shows a long, narrow building possibly consisting of three separate rooms or chambers (one possibly on the other side of the leat). The map clearly shows the canal towpath running in an unbroken line past the mill. This suggests that the building adjacent to the canal was added at a later date (certainly after 1886) and may not have been part of the original tucking mill at all. The construction of the internal walls show a clear gap between the two parts of the structure which would seem to support this theory. It is possible that, after the decline of the woollen industry, the mill may have been used as a corn mill or even a forge. The post-1886 structure may have been needed to accommodate additional machinery or it may simply have been a small wharf to facilitate the unloading of materials. This is pure speculation at this stage but, with further excavation, we hope that the site will gradually give up more of its secrets.
Generally, working parties are held every Wednesday morning, meeting in the main car park at RHS Rosemoor, Torrington at 9.30am. New volunteers are always welcome. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.01237- 475707) for more information.