February News
FURZEBEAM REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 26th February 2025
A somewhat depleted team assembled at Furzebeam this week for our final session on this section of the canal. Our objective was to clear the final stretch of the canal from the point we reached last week to the wooden diversion bridge which skirts the collapsed section of the embankment.
At first glance, the task didn’t seem too formidable but we soon found that the vegetation in the canal bed concealed a number of substantial tree sections which had been (in)conveniently left from previous fellings. With a great deal of effort we managed to lift these out of the canal and position them along the edge of the towpath. This not only protects the towpath itself, it also helps to define the path for walkers. (It should be noted that the embankment is quite high in places with a thirty foot drop to the river below). We have also been trying to dig out bramble and sedge roots wherever we can. This is a laborious task but it will help to prevent regrowth during the summer months.
A somewhat depleted team assembled at Furzebeam this week for our final session on this section of the canal. Our objective was to clear the final stretch of the canal from the point we reached last week to the wooden diversion bridge which skirts the collapsed section of the embankment.
At first glance, the task didn’t seem too formidable but we soon found that the vegetation in the canal bed concealed a number of substantial tree sections which had been (in)conveniently left from previous fellings. With a great deal of effort we managed to lift these out of the canal and position them along the edge of the towpath. This not only protects the towpath itself, it also helps to define the path for walkers. (It should be noted that the embankment is quite high in places with a thirty foot drop to the river below). We have also been trying to dig out bramble and sedge roots wherever we can. This is a laborious task but it will help to prevent regrowth during the summer months.
The team starts work
At first glance, the task didn’t seem too formidable but we soon found that the vegetation in the canal bed concealed a number of substantial tree sections which had been (in)conveniently left from previous fellings. With a great deal of effort we managed to lift these out of the canal and position them along the edge of the towpath. This not only protects the towpath itself, it also helps to define the path for walkers. (It should be noted that the embankment is quite high in places with a thirty foot drop to the river below). We have also been trying to dig out bramble and sedge roots wherever we can. This is a laborious task but it will help to prevent regrowth during the summer months.
Tree sections on towpath
View from roving bridge
View from towpath to roving bridge
View south to diversion bridge
One interesting feature which we have tried to reveal is a small sluice chamber below the roving bridge. This was used to drain the canal when maintenance was required. Stop boards would have been inserted to dam the canal and the sluice opened to drain water away into the River Torridge. This allowed work to take place in relatively dry conditions. The drainage channel below the canal is still visible although very overgrown.
Drainage sluice
By the end of the morning we had successfully cleared this last section of the bed and there is now a 500 metre stretch of canal from the roving bridge to the diversion bridge which has been completely opened up – quite an achievement in three weeks! This section has probably never looked so good and we certainly hope to maintain it in this condition in the future.
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.
SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 25th February 2025
Once again the working party’s efforts were dictated by the weather. Heavy rain the day before meant it was not possible to drive the Kubota along the track to lift coping stones into place. The team therefore continued to build up the wharf wall ready for laying coping stones next week. The forecast is for a period of cold and dry weather so hopefully next week it should be possible to make an inroad into the backlog of coping stones. With seven copers in stock, plus two more cast on the day, there will be plenty for next week. A good section of wall is now ready to receive them. A lot of soil was removed from the last section of wall, and a further section dismantled down to a firm foundation. Surplus scaffolding was also taken down ready for storage.
Once again the working party’s efforts were dictated by the weather. Heavy rain the day before meant it was not possible to drive the Kubota along the track to lift coping stones into place. The team therefore continued to build up the wharf wall ready for laying coping stones next week. The forecast is for a period of cold and dry weather so hopefully next week it should be possible to make an inroad into the backlog of coping stones. With seven copers in stock, plus two more cast on the day, there will be plenty for next week. A good section of wall is now ready to receive them. A lot of soil was removed from the last section of wall, and a further section dismantled down to a firm foundation. Surplus scaffolding was also taken down ready for storage.
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FURZEBEAM REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 19th February 2025
We returned to Furzebeam this week to continue our clearance work.
We split the team in two – one to carry on battling with the brambles growing in the canal bed, the other to tackle the rather larger problem of the fallen tree just below the roving bridge. The tree is quite large so we were well aware of the scale of the challenge which confronted us. Fortunately, one of our team is an experienced chain saw operator and he tackled the obstacle by severing the upper branch of the tree at its base. With some persuasion, this came down quite quickly and was sawn up into manageable lengths. The lower limb could then be safely tackled and was also dismantled. This work has made a huge difference to the appearance of the canal as the tree had lain across the canal for many years and was a visual eyesore.
We returned to Furzebeam this week to continue our clearance work.
We split the team in two – one to carry on battling with the brambles growing in the canal bed, the other to tackle the rather larger problem of the fallen tree just below the roving bridge. The tree is quite large so we were well aware of the scale of the challenge which confronted us. Fortunately, one of our team is an experienced chain saw operator and he tackled the obstacle by severing the upper branch of the tree at its base. With some persuasion, this came down quite quickly and was sawn up into manageable lengths. The lower limb could then be safely tackled and was also dismantled. This work has made a huge difference to the appearance of the canal as the tree had lain across the canal for many years and was a visual eyesore.
Tackling the upper branch
The branch comes down
Sawing up the fallen tree
The rest of the team carried on scrub bashing building on the excellent progress made last week. After another marathon effort we opened up the next stretch of the canal bed and have now cleared some 400 metres south from the roving bridge.
Canal before start of work
The effect of all this hard work has been to really open up the canal and clearly define the bed which had virtually disappeared under a blanket of vegetation. All in all, this section of the canal is now looking in better shape than it has for many years.
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.
Canal looking north
Canal looking south
The team meets in the middle
SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 18th February 2025
This week, the dryer weather meant the track along the wharf wall was just about passable, although the Kubota still needed to keep well away from the edge to avoid skidding about alarmingly. It was finally possible to make a start on the backlog of 12 coping stones, with five laid in the morning. More wall was exposed, revealing some micro fungi growing between the stones, and more wall built up ready for coping stones next week. Given the backlog, no coping stones were cast this week, with the concrete used instead to reinforce the back of the coping stones.
This week, the dryer weather meant the track along the wharf wall was just about passable, although the Kubota still needed to keep well away from the edge to avoid skidding about alarmingly. It was finally possible to make a start on the backlog of 12 coping stones, with five laid in the morning. More wall was exposed, revealing some micro fungi growing between the stones, and more wall built up ready for coping stones next week. Given the backlog, no coping stones were cast this week, with the concrete used instead to reinforce the back of the coping stones.
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FURZEBEAM REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 12th February 2025
The team assembled at Furzebeam this week to continue with the much-needed clearance of the canal bed which we started a few weeks ago.
The team assembled at Furzebeam this week to continue with the much-needed clearance of the canal bed which we started a few weeks ago.
The canal before the start of work
The team starts work
It was pleasing to see that the vegetation had not grown significantly since our last visit but there remained a substantial section of the canal bed to get stuck into. Fortunately, it was a fine morning with some welcome pale winter sunshine – ideal working conditions for our band of trusty volunteers. Our main objective was to remove the invasive rushes and brambles from the next section of the canal bed south of the roving bridge. To underline the water-retaining qualities of the canal, there is a 10 metre stretch here which is extremely boggy. There were a number of occasions when volunteers were in serious danger of losing a wellington boot in the sludge! The work was also hampered by the presence of a huge fallen tree lying over the canal. This had been partially cut up several years ago to maintain public access to the permissive path along the towpath but several massive limbs remain. We had to work around these to lop off some of the smaller branches and also managed to lift out a few tree trunks which had languished in the canal bed for some time. We placed these along the towpath to better define the edge of the embankment.
Clearing the canal bed
Cleared section of canal
Canal looking north
View from beneath the roving bridge
By the end of the morning we had successfully cleared a further 50 metres of the canal and the result has been astonishing: the bed has really been opened up and the canal is actually starting to look like a canal again.
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.
SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 28th January 2025
Last week the working party was cancelled due to sickness, the weather being very wet later in the morning. However, the message had not reached Nick, who made good use of his time by casting a further two coping stones. As a result, with a further two cast this week, there is now a backlog of 12 copers to lay.
Returning volunteer Rob wheelbarrowed endless quantities of friable stone onto the track with little effect. Despite this effort, the track along the wharf wall was only just passable by the Kubota, although it slid around quite alarmingly when loaded with any weight. Six brand new scaffolding planks were brought into use, falling just short of the last section of wall, while the usual pointing, dismantling and relaying of the wall continued. We just need a spell of cold, dry and windy weather to dry the track out so we move the coping stones nearer and start to tackle the backlog.
Last week the working party was cancelled due to sickness, the weather being very wet later in the morning. However, the message had not reached Nick, who made good use of his time by casting a further two coping stones. As a result, with a further two cast this week, there is now a backlog of 12 copers to lay.
Returning volunteer Rob wheelbarrowed endless quantities of friable stone onto the track with little effect. Despite this effort, the track along the wharf wall was only just passable by the Kubota, although it slid around quite alarmingly when loaded with any weight. Six brand new scaffolding planks were brought into use, falling just short of the last section of wall, while the usual pointing, dismantling and relaying of the wall continued. We just need a spell of cold, dry and windy weather to dry the track out so we move the coping stones nearer and start to tackle the backlog.
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ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 5th February 2025
Having gone as far as we can for the time being with the Ridd restoration project, the team returned to Rosemoor this week to carry out some routine maintenance.
We were slightly apprehensive about what we would find as our focus has been very much on Ridd for the last three months. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find the site in good condition with very little evidence of weed growth. Over the winter most of the reeds in the canal basin have died back leaving the canal looking fairly clean. We were also delighted to see that RHS Rosemoor had given the lime kiln its annual ‘haircut’ which makes a huge difference to the appearance of the structure. This would be further enhanced if the vegetation growing on top of the kilns could be completely removed but this is probably not feasible or practicable. With the scaffolding removed, we were able to see the full extent of our substantial reconstruction of the west wall of the lime kiln. Hopefully, this has now been preserved for many years to come.
Having gone as far as we can for the time being with the Ridd restoration project, the team returned to Rosemoor this week to carry out some routine maintenance.
We were slightly apprehensive about what we would find as our focus has been very much on Ridd for the last three months. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find the site in good condition with very little evidence of weed growth. Over the winter most of the reeds in the canal basin have died back leaving the canal looking fairly clean. We were also delighted to see that RHS Rosemoor had given the lime kiln its annual ‘haircut’ which makes a huge difference to the appearance of the structure. This would be further enhanced if the vegetation growing on top of the kilns could be completely removed but this is probably not feasible or practicable. With the scaffolding removed, we were able to see the full extent of our substantial reconstruction of the west wall of the lime kiln. Hopefully, this has now been preserved for many years to come.
Lower basin
Upper basin
We spent the morning weeding around the lime kiln, cleaning out the cobbled chamber on the corner of the lime kiln (purpose still unclear) and giving the site a general ‘tidy up’. Next week we will be at Furzebeam to continue clearing the canal bed and the area around the roving bridge.
North wall of lime kiln
View of lime kiln from south
Weeding outside lime kiln
Cleaning the chamber
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.