September News
RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 11th September 2024
A small team (even navvies are allowed to take holidays!) assembled at Ridd this week to continue work on our restoration project on the inclined plane.
We focussed on the re-build of the western boundary wall at the top of the incline. Finding suitable stone for this has not been easy but, fortunately, we discovered the remains of a collapsed wall near the entrance to the inspection chamber which has yielded a good quantity of dressed stone. This enabled us to make good progress with the reconstruction. This work, together with the clearance carried out, will really help to define the line of the canal south from the top of the incline and has already made a big difference to this previously neglected site.
A small team (even navvies are allowed to take holidays!) assembled at Ridd this week to continue work on our restoration project on the inclined plane.
We focussed on the re-build of the western boundary wall at the top of the incline. Finding suitable stone for this has not been easy but, fortunately, we discovered the remains of a collapsed wall near the entrance to the inspection chamber which has yielded a good quantity of dressed stone. This enabled us to make good progress with the reconstruction. This work, together with the clearance carried out, will really help to define the line of the canal south from the top of the incline and has already made a big difference to this previously neglected site.
Re-build of boundary wall
Re-built boundary wall
Completed steps to inspection chamber
Route of canal beyond top of incline
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday morning at Ridd. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.01237-475707) for more information.
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 4th September 2024
We returned to Rosemoor this week for a much-needed general tidy-up of the site. A brief recce a couple of weeks ago revealed that both the upper and lower basins were becoming badly overgrown. It was quite demoralising to see the extent to which vegetation had encroached. The photo of the spillway gives an idea of the rampant weed growth. However, after psyching ourselves up, we got stuck in.
We returned to Rosemoor this week for a much-needed general tidy-up of the site. A brief recce a couple of weeks ago revealed that both the upper and lower basins were becoming badly overgrown. It was quite demoralising to see the extent to which vegetation had encroached. The photo of the spillway gives an idea of the rampant weed growth. However, after psyching ourselves up, we got stuck in.
Clearing the upper basin
Thankfully, the weather was good and, despite reduced numbers, we managed to clear the eastern verge of the upper basin, mow the ‘lawn’ in front of the lime kiln, weed the gravel path along the lower basin, strim the tow path and remove much of the weed growing in the tucking mill. It goes to show what a well-motivated and determined bunch of navvies can achieve in a relatively short space of time!
Upper basin after clearing
Lower basin after clearing
Towpath after strimming
Tucking mill after weeding
Overgrown spillway
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday morning at Ridd. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.01237-475707) for more information.