June News
SEA LOCK REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 30th June 2025
The team gathered at Sea Lock this week to prepare the site for the next of this year’s guided walks. We had come well equipped with mobile strimmers, hand held strimmers, loppers, shears etc. and proceeded to give the area a thorough spruce up. It was good to see our colleague and fellow volunteer, Mickey, back in action after his recent illness. By the end of the session the site was looking ship shape and ready to welcome our next group of walkers on 13th July.
The team gathered at Sea Lock this week to prepare the site for the next of this year’s guided walks. We had come well equipped with mobile strimmers, hand held strimmers, loppers, shears etc. and proceeded to give the area a thorough spruce up. It was good to see our colleague and fellow volunteer, Mickey, back in action after his recent illness. By the end of the session the site was looking ship shape and ready to welcome our next group of walkers on 13th July.
Strimming around outbuildings
Cutting back overgrowth
Weeding around the lock
More strimming
Volunteer Mickey at work
Finishing touches
FURZEBEAM REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 18th June 2025
After several weeks’ absence, we returned to Furzebeam this week to carry out some general maintenance. Unsurprisingly, our friend Mother Nature had run riot while we were engaged on other tasks and the canal was choked with vegetation. Thankfully, the brambles had not re-established themselves but, instead, a forest of umbels had sprung up in their place. The water ponding at the bottom of the canal near the roving bridge makes ideal growing conditions and the plants were growing vigorously.
After several weeks’ absence, we returned to Furzebeam this week to carry out some general maintenance. Unsurprisingly, our friend Mother Nature had run riot while we were engaged on other tasks and the canal was choked with vegetation. Thankfully, the brambles had not re-established themselves but, instead, a forest of umbels had sprung up in their place. The water ponding at the bottom of the canal near the roving bridge makes ideal growing conditions and the plants were growing vigorously.
Canal before clearing
The team set to work with the aim of uprooting as much of the vegetation as possible to prevent regrowth. Sloshing around in the bottom of the canal was not without its hazards and several times we were in danger of losing a boot in the mud. While this watery task was taking place, other members of the team concentrated on strimming the towpath and the drier parts of the canal bed all of which had become very overgrown.
Clearing the canal bed
Work in progress
Canal bed looking south
Canal bed looking north
Strimming the towpath
At the end of the session we had successfully cleared (or - to be more accurate - re-cleared!) about 400 metres of the canal from the roving bridge to the diversion footbridge – a fantastic effort in the time available. Maintenance of this sort can be tedious at times but without it the canal and its associated features would soon be completely lost.
Roving bridge after clearing
ROLLE CANAL SOCIETY GUIDED WALK - Ridd Inclined Plane - 15th June 2025
Tony Nicholls led another successful guided walk today.
Walkers were impressed by the restoration work that has been done recently at the site of the 200-year-old inclined plane.
The next walk will be 'Sea Lock and Annery Kiln' on Sunday 13th July.
Tony Nicholls led another successful guided walk today.
Walkers were impressed by the restoration work that has been done recently at the site of the 200-year-old inclined plane.
The next walk will be 'Sea Lock and Annery Kiln' on Sunday 13th July.
The start of the walk at Annery Kiln
The group at the top of the inclined plane
RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 11th June 2025
The team returned to Ridd this week to continue our marathon session of scrub bashing. Our armoury of tools was augmented by a recently purchased battery powered strimmer which proved very useful in cutting back lighter vegetation. Our wheeled strimmer – which was temporarily out of service awaiting parts – has been repaired and was brought back into action so we were able to mount a determined assault on the remaining areas to be cleared. By the end of the session we had completely cleared the canal bed from the flood embankment up to the stable block, cut back the overgrowth on the incline and removed all the ivy from the adjacent walls, opened up the access path from the Tarka Trail and tidied up the ground around the stable block itself. The site has been transformed thanks to two weeks of unstinting effort by our band of dedicated volunteers and is now ready for the next guided walk on Sunday 15th June.
The team returned to Ridd this week to continue our marathon session of scrub bashing. Our armoury of tools was augmented by a recently purchased battery powered strimmer which proved very useful in cutting back lighter vegetation. Our wheeled strimmer – which was temporarily out of service awaiting parts – has been repaired and was brought back into action so we were able to mount a determined assault on the remaining areas to be cleared. By the end of the session we had completely cleared the canal bed from the flood embankment up to the stable block, cut back the overgrowth on the incline and removed all the ivy from the adjacent walls, opened up the access path from the Tarka Trail and tidied up the ground around the stable block itself. The site has been transformed thanks to two weeks of unstinting effort by our band of dedicated volunteers and is now ready for the next guided walk on Sunday 15th June.
Canal bed looking north
Canal bed looking south
Cleared path from stables
Stable block
Lower incline
RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 4th June 2025
Having spent several weeks working at the top of the incline we turned our attention to the lower incline and canal bed this week. On arrival we were greeted with a demoralising sight. One again we witnessed the spectacle of nature reclaiming her own. Admittedly, May is peak growing season but we were amazed at the speed and extent of the growth. Some of the nettles growing in the canal bed were almost six feet high!
Armed with two strimmers, a wheeled strimmer and other implements, the team set to work. Our main focus was to strim the area around the former stable block, the lower incline, the canal bed and the access path from the Tarka Trail which had also become very overgrown. After a fairly exhausting session, we achieved most of these objectives and we left the site looking much tidier than when we arrived. We have one more working party on site before the Ridd guided walk on the 15th June.
Having spent several weeks working at the top of the incline we turned our attention to the lower incline and canal bed this week. On arrival we were greeted with a demoralising sight. One again we witnessed the spectacle of nature reclaiming her own. Admittedly, May is peak growing season but we were amazed at the speed and extent of the growth. Some of the nettles growing in the canal bed were almost six feet high!
Armed with two strimmers, a wheeled strimmer and other implements, the team set to work. Our main focus was to strim the area around the former stable block, the lower incline, the canal bed and the access path from the Tarka Trail which had also become very overgrown. After a fairly exhausting session, we achieved most of these objectives and we left the site looking much tidier than when we arrived. We have one more working party on site before the Ridd guided walk on the 15th June.
Site before clearance
The team at work
Site after clearance
Canal bed after clearance