June News
RIDD & FURZEBEAM REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 17th June 2026
Sunday’s guided walk around Ridd was very successful. A party of 16 people took part and were greatly interested to learn about the history of the canal and to see the work undertaken by volunteers over the last year. The photo shows the group assembled at Annery Kiln.
Sunday’s guided walk around Ridd was very successful. A party of 16 people took part and were greatly interested to learn about the history of the canal and to see the work undertaken by volunteers over the last year. The photo shows the group assembled at Annery Kiln.
Having knocked the Ridd site into shape over the last two weeks, we returned to Furzebeam to carry on with more scrub bashing. This is laborious but vital work if we are to open up more of the canal to public view. The amount of young oak and ash saplings growing in the canal bed is astonishing and we take pains to uproot as many of these as possible before they get well established. Brambles, inevitably, are rampant. Fortunately, the canal bed is still fairly moist so these can be be pulled out by the roots in many cases. Other saplings – mainly sycamore – have grown too big to be uprooted so these we have to lop off at the base. By the end of the morning, we had cleared a further 30 metres of scrub and the canal is definitely starting to look more like a canal. The final photo clearly shows the scale of the challenge ahead but we are making steady progress.
The team start work
The loneliness of the long distance scrub basher
More scrub bashing
View south along the canal
End of the line
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.
RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 10th June 2026
A small but enthusiastic team returned to Ridd this week to tidy up the upper incline and the canal bed south of the wheelpit. Although we gave this area a good ‘haircut’ a few weeks ago, the rate of vegetation growth is astonishing. However, we were well armed with two hand held strimmers and our trusty motorised strimmer so soon started to make an impact. Many thanks to volunteer Colin who kindly came equipped with his own strimmer and leaf blower! We even managed to do some much needed hand weeding on the boundary wall which was festooned with thistles, Herb Robert and other unwelcome growth.
A small but enthusiastic team returned to Ridd this week to tidy up the upper incline and the canal bed south of the wheelpit. Although we gave this area a good ‘haircut’ a few weeks ago, the rate of vegetation growth is astonishing. However, we were well armed with two hand held strimmers and our trusty motorised strimmer so soon started to make an impact. Many thanks to volunteer Colin who kindly came equipped with his own strimmer and leaf blower! We even managed to do some much needed hand weeding on the boundary wall which was festooned with thistles, Herb Robert and other unwelcome growth.
Cleared area at the top of the incline
View from bottom of incline
View from top of incline
View towards upper docking bay
Viewing chamber
Weeded wall
By the end of the session the site was once again looking in much better order and ready for the Society’s guided walk on Sunday.
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.
RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 3rd June 2026
A small team gathered at Ridd this week in drizzly conditions. Thankfully, the rain soon cleared and we were able to work in dry conditions.
Our goal was to strim and clear the area around the stable block and the canal bed itself in preparation for the Ridd guided walk on 14th June. We were somewhat dismayed (but not surprised) to see how the vegetation had grown during recent weeks. In places, the nettles were nearly six foot high! Fortunately, we were well tooled up with strimming machines and quickly made an impact. Once again, our heavy duty mobile strimmer proved its worth and cleared the canal bed in an hour or so – a task that would have taken all morning with a hand-held strimmer. By the end of the session, the site was once more looking tidy. The before and after photos illustrate the dramatic transformation.
Next week we will tackle the upper incline and the area around the old Hunters Inn.
A small team gathered at Ridd this week in drizzly conditions. Thankfully, the rain soon cleared and we were able to work in dry conditions.
Our goal was to strim and clear the area around the stable block and the canal bed itself in preparation for the Ridd guided walk on 14th June. We were somewhat dismayed (but not surprised) to see how the vegetation had grown during recent weeks. In places, the nettles were nearly six foot high! Fortunately, we were well tooled up with strimming machines and quickly made an impact. Once again, our heavy duty mobile strimmer proved its worth and cleared the canal bed in an hour or so – a task that would have taken all morning with a hand-held strimmer. By the end of the session, the site was once more looking tidy. The before and after photos illustrate the dramatic transformation.
Next week we will tackle the upper incline and the area around the old Hunters Inn.
Lower incline before strimming
Lower incline after strimming
Stable block before strimming
Stable block after strimming
Cleared canal bed
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.