Restoration of the Ridd Inclined Plane
After many months of planning, the Rolle Canal Society has started work on its latest project to restore the inclined plane at Ridd. In heritage terms, this is an important part of the Rolle Canal and the Society is keen to conserve what remains of the structure. The plane is a superb example of Victorian engineering and innovation. Rather than constructing traditional (and expensive) locks, the incline enabled the small tub boats to negotiate a 40 foot variation in the level of the canal. This was achieved by hauling the tub boats on iron rails up a 1 in 6 slope from the base of the incline to a pound at the top from where the canal ran at the same level all the way to its source at Darkham Weir.
The site before clearing
The proposed restoration will involve excavating a small section of the canal bed, repairs to the old stable building, delineating the original docking bays at the base and top of the incline, clearing vegetation on the incline itself and improving access to the viewing chamber of the wheel pit. We also hope to carry out some limited archaeological work to better understand the precise layout and dimensions of the docking bays and the canal infrastructure at the base of the incline.
The Society has been involved in detailed negotiations with the Environment Agency and Devon County Council who own land around the incline. Both agencies have been very supportive of the project and we are grateful for their assistance in helping us to take this initiative forward. The project has also been supported by the south west branch of the Inland Waterways Authority which has awarded a generous grant of just over £12,000 to the Society for the proposed conservation works. We have also been fortunate to receive grant funding from the Co-op which has chosen the Society as one of the charities to be supported through its Community Fund.
On 13th March 2024 an enthusiastic team of volunteers gathered at Ridd to start preliminary work on clearing the area at the base of the incline and around the stable building. This had become seriously overgrown in recent months and the site looked badly neglected. However, after several hours’ determined effort, we had successfully cleared most of the invasive vegetation, opened up the access and burned up a huge amount of brash and brambles. The ‘before and after’ photos give a good indication of the progress made. The project timescale is approximately two years. When complete, the restoration will give the public a much better understanding of the working of the incline and preserve this fascinating feature of the canal.
If you are interested in learning more about the project, please come along to the Ridd guided walk which will take place at 2.30pm on Sunday 12th May starting from the car park at Annery Kiln.
The Society has been involved in detailed negotiations with the Environment Agency and Devon County Council who own land around the incline. Both agencies have been very supportive of the project and we are grateful for their assistance in helping us to take this initiative forward. The project has also been supported by the south west branch of the Inland Waterways Authority which has awarded a generous grant of just over £12,000 to the Society for the proposed conservation works. We have also been fortunate to receive grant funding from the Co-op which has chosen the Society as one of the charities to be supported through its Community Fund.
On 13th March 2024 an enthusiastic team of volunteers gathered at Ridd to start preliminary work on clearing the area at the base of the incline and around the stable building. This had become seriously overgrown in recent months and the site looked badly neglected. However, after several hours’ determined effort, we had successfully cleared most of the invasive vegetation, opened up the access and burned up a huge amount of brash and brambles. The ‘before and after’ photos give a good indication of the progress made. The project timescale is approximately two years. When complete, the restoration will give the public a much better understanding of the working of the incline and preserve this fascinating feature of the canal.
If you are interested in learning more about the project, please come along to the Ridd guided walk which will take place at 2.30pm on Sunday 12th May starting from the car park at Annery Kiln.
