December News
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 20th December 2023
A small group of dedicated navvies arrived at Rosemoor for the final session of 2023. The weather was not too damp so we tidied the area where the trailer had stood until last week, much to the delight of the robin, and mixed concrete for more coping stones. Six loads later we were done for the year. The next Rosemoor working party will be on Wednesday the 3rd of January 2024, when the re-sited scaffolding, more casting and a very green canal await our attention.
A small group of dedicated navvies arrived at Rosemoor for the final session of 2023. The weather was not too damp so we tidied the area where the trailer had stood until last week, much to the delight of the robin, and mixed concrete for more coping stones. Six loads later we were done for the year. The next Rosemoor working party will be on Wednesday the 3rd of January 2024, when the re-sited scaffolding, more casting and a very green canal await our attention.
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Working parties are generally held every Wednesday morning, meeting in the main car park at RHS Rosemoor, Torrington at 9.30am. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.01237- 475707) for more information.
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MUCKY UNDERFOOT, MURKY OVERHEAD! Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 19th December 2023 It was a rather grey and sullen start to Monday, 18th December 2023 when I was joined by Steve and Nick. Rain was forecast to fall around midday, but we set off to Sea Lock with good intentions. On arriving at the site, Steve gathered a selection of tools while Nick and I loaded the Kubota tractor with some scaffold boards, and we then moved over to where we had previously been working. Steve started preparing where he was going to do some more stonework. Nick passed boards down to me whilst I (Once again into the gloop, dear friends!) completed boarding out the section of scaffolding that I had erected earlier. Having completed that task, I actually managed to get out of the gloop and began cleaning debris just along from where Steve was building. Nick, by this time, had mixed another load of mortar and then turned his attention to clearing the top of the wall and towpath from the accumulation of soil and other debris, using the backhoe of the tractor. Unfortunately, between him and me, we were demolishing walling faster that Steve could rebuild it. As has been stated before, this is unavoidable since so much of the masonry is very loose and falling out anyway. |
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The morning weather had not improved much and we experienced the occasional very light drizzle. At least this had the advantage of keeping ‘Mozzies’ at bay which had previously been feasting happily on Steve, despite his use of insect repellent. He is obviously much tastier than Nick and me, (but then he is younger after all)!
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When we stopped for lunch, it was relatively dry but that didn’t last for long so having finished our sandwiches we used up the small amount of mortar still remaining, covered up the new masonry with plastic sheeting, cleaned the tools and finished early for the day.
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Once again, however, we were pleased with the progress that we had actually made. We will not get together on site now until after Christmas during which time I hope to have cast some more coping blocks.
Either way, Christmas is now nearly upon us and we will soon be starting a New Year so I wish you all good health and happiness over the holidays and for the future.
With especial thanks to Steve and Nick, not forgetting others who have also voluntarily given their time and effort to help at Sea Lock.
Either way, Christmas is now nearly upon us and we will soon be starting a New Year so I wish you all good health and happiness over the holidays and for the future.
With especial thanks to Steve and Nick, not forgetting others who have also voluntarily given their time and effort to help at Sea Lock.
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 13th December 2023
The Rosemoor working party focussed on the coping stones that were cast last week. Once again the spacers between the blocks refused to come out and had to be removed by chiselling with a long-handled screwdriver. More staging was then built ready for casting next week. Meanwhile part of the team inspected the planned lower woodland walk extension. This will run beside the canal/leat and Rosemoor are cracking on with the work.
The Rosemoor working party focussed on the coping stones that were cast last week. Once again the spacers between the blocks refused to come out and had to be removed by chiselling with a long-handled screwdriver. More staging was then built ready for casting next week. Meanwhile part of the team inspected the planned lower woodland walk extension. This will run beside the canal/leat and Rosemoor are cracking on with the work.
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We then decided it was time to rescue the trailer from several years worth of undergrowth. This was surprisingly easy with a Landrover in low-ratio four-wheel drive. Finally, a week late, the scaffolder arrived. We need the scaffolding moved so we can build up the corner of the lime-kiln wall. After a quick discussion, the scaffolder got straight down to work! Hopefully this will be in place next week.
ANOTHER DAY! - Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 12th December 2023
For a variety of reasons, the usual working team at Sea Lock have had to change the planned days’ work for the fore-see-able future, from Tuesdays to Mondays. So, on Monday 11th December 2023, Steve and Nick arrived at my house, raring to go.
We drove down to the site in my Landrover since I had collected three bags of hydraulic lime which needed to be unloaded there. We sorted out the unloading and then I drove the vehicle back home, parked it and walked back to the site. By this time Steve and Nick had got themselves organised, falling into their usual routine of Steve rebuilding facing and Nick mixing, supplying him with mortar and cleaning out loose masonry. Having arrived at the site on foot I realised that I had placed my camera, flask and sandwiches on the back seat of the Landrover and inadvertently left them there. Another walk home and back resulted. Each of these walks is around half a mile but it’s a good way of keeping fit! Having arrived at the site for the second time, I realised that because we needed the use of two wheelbarrows during the day, I had to inflate the tyre of one which was flat. Where was the tyre pump? At home, of course so off I went again!
For a variety of reasons, the usual working team at Sea Lock have had to change the planned days’ work for the fore-see-able future, from Tuesdays to Mondays. So, on Monday 11th December 2023, Steve and Nick arrived at my house, raring to go.
We drove down to the site in my Landrover since I had collected three bags of hydraulic lime which needed to be unloaded there. We sorted out the unloading and then I drove the vehicle back home, parked it and walked back to the site. By this time Steve and Nick had got themselves organised, falling into their usual routine of Steve rebuilding facing and Nick mixing, supplying him with mortar and cleaning out loose masonry. Having arrived at the site on foot I realised that I had placed my camera, flask and sandwiches on the back seat of the Landrover and inadvertently left them there. Another walk home and back resulted. Each of these walks is around half a mile but it’s a good way of keeping fit! Having arrived at the site for the second time, I realised that because we needed the use of two wheelbarrows during the day, I had to inflate the tyre of one which was flat. Where was the tyre pump? At home, of course so off I went again!
It occurred to me that at this rate it would be time to knock off for the day by the time I had actually got myself organised. Another rather worrying matter was that Steve was getting all technical, talking about datum points, builders’ lines and was waving a spirit level around with gay abandon. While he and Nick were working on rebuilding the face of the wall, I got down into the gloop (yet again!) to continue erecting the section of scaffolding that I had started last week.
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Trying to maintain one’s balance whilst carrying a heavy scaffold pole and extricating wellies from gloopy mud, which really doesn’t want to let go, was really hard work and very frustrating but progress was slowly made.
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By the time that it was to knock off for the day, Steve had repaired and extended the face of the wall quite considerably whilst Nick followed along infilling the back of it. Unfortunately, our assessment of the quality of build on the upper section of wharf wall was proving to be correct. It was very poor! Where Steve and Nick had been working, the facing stonework is very loose and unstable. Much of the mortared pointing has vanished and large voids are clearly visible behind the face skin.
A few days before, following some heavy rainfall, I noticed a steady flow of water at one point draining through the wall. This and the obviously very weak mortar mix initially used to construct the wall is the reason for its deterioration, exacerbated by the fact that the wharf is not kept full of water for which it was designed.
Having water held inside the wharf basin would keep the pointing saturated but would help prevent it washing out through the stonework. Using hydraulic lime (which sets under water) in our mortar mix should reduce this in the future.
Never-the-less we are moving on but once again are now short of good facing stone.
Never-the-less we are moving on but once again are now short of good facing stone.
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CO-OP LOCAL COMMUNITY FUND We have been successful in being selected as a good cause by the Co-op Local Community Fund. This means all Co-op members can choose us as their good cause. Then for every £1 you spend you'll earn 2p for yourself and 2p for the local community. We intend to put the money raised towards the new project at the Ridd Inclined Plane. To participate is easy:
Many thanks Ian Harrison - Chairman |
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ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 6th December 2023
This week we started work on capping off the east wall of the upper basin. This involved the rather messy work of pouring concrete into the wooden formwork we put in place last week to create the individual capping ‘blocks’. RHS Rosemoor have kindly created a new access to the upper basin which makes it much easier to get material to site. The alternative would have been to transport material across the bund, around to the tucking mill, up on to the tow path and then carry it across the canal in buckets – a very laborious process.
This week we started work on capping off the east wall of the upper basin. This involved the rather messy work of pouring concrete into the wooden formwork we put in place last week to create the individual capping ‘blocks’. RHS Rosemoor have kindly created a new access to the upper basin which makes it much easier to get material to site. The alternative would have been to transport material across the bund, around to the tucking mill, up on to the tow path and then carry it across the canal in buckets – a very laborious process.
Formwork in place
Final capping, west wall of upper basin
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Filling the moulds
By the end of the morning we had successfully formed the first four capping blocks. We then turned our attention to the west wall of the upper basin to complete a last section of capping adjacent to the bund. The capping will help to protect the underlying stonework and create a consistent finish to the walls of the entire basin. We were amused to see the arrival of our friendly Rolle Robin as soon as we set foot on site – clearly hungry and looking forward to breakfast! 
Access way to upper basin
Working parties are generally held every Wednesday morning, meeting in the main car park at RHS Rosemoor, Torrington at 9.30am. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.01237- 475707) for more information. |
Expectant Rolle Robin
There's something afoot!
JUMPING JACK FLASH! Alternate title FLAT AS A PANCAKE! - Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 6th December 2023
Following a night of heavy rainfall, I was concerned that the weather and condition of the site at Sea Lock was not going to be conducive for working out of doors, on Tuesday 5th December 2023. I tried to contact Steve to ask for his opinion only to discover that he had already left his home and was on his way to me. He and Nick arrived at the same time. Since we were very low on cement (10 bags were to be delivered mid-afternoon) and with only half a bag of hydraulic lime left we planned to spend time back-filling the ditch behind the wall we had finished coping, level the ground behind it and rearrange the scaffolding.
Following a night of heavy rainfall, I was concerned that the weather and condition of the site at Sea Lock was not going to be conducive for working out of doors, on Tuesday 5th December 2023. I tried to contact Steve to ask for his opinion only to discover that he had already left his home and was on his way to me. He and Nick arrived at the same time. Since we were very low on cement (10 bags were to be delivered mid-afternoon) and with only half a bag of hydraulic lime left we planned to spend time back-filling the ditch behind the wall we had finished coping, level the ground behind it and rearrange the scaffolding.
Before we could use the Kubota tractor to do any scraping it needed its back tyres inflating since they were looking rather soft. Moving the tractor to where it was near the air-compressor proved to be a problem since the cold weather had flattened its battery and we couldn’t get it started.
I had to go home, collect my Landrover and bring it to the Kubota so that we could jump-start it from the Landrover’s battery.
I had to go home, collect my Landrover and bring it to the Kubota so that we could jump-start it from the Landrover’s battery.
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We decided that there was sufficient ingredients to produce a small mix of mortar so Steve got down on the scaffolding to prepare the section he was going to work. In the meantime, Nick had taken the tractor to the compressor where he raised the back wheels as high off the ground as its hydraulic jacks would go. The valves on the back wheels are on the inside of the rims, which means crawling underneath the vehicle in order to get at them. With the compressor making quite a “racket” he finally inflated the tyres to the required pressure. By now, I had left him to it and joined Steve. Whilst Steve had already mixed a small load of mortar and laboriously transported it from mixer to the far end of the site, I began dismantling the section of scaffolding lift where we had completed the rebuild and began putting it up again at the other end. 
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To add one further complication to the equation, Steve discovered that the wheelbarrow he had loaded with mortar also had a flat tyre. Pushing it across the site was not easy! He had considered mixing a double batch but since the Kubota was temporarily out of use, he luckily decided a single one would do for the time being.
Eventually everything started to work in our favour. Steve’s walling was coming along well, Nick was doing a sterling job of levelling the ditch at the back of the wall and the towpath, and I was having a wonderful time once again slathering about in mud and water whilst wrestling with heavy scaffold poles. Despite my concerns about the weather, it gave us no trouble and all in all we managed to achieve a very productive and satisfying day’s work. The scaffold lift continues to work its way alongside the wall, somewhat reminiscent of a caterpillar, the wall is like a Phoenix rising renewed from the ashes and the towpath is becoming a wide and safe surface on which to walk and drive. |
