December News
RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 18th December 2024
A stalwart group of volunteers gathered at Ridd this week for the final working party of the year. We are continuing to work on the next phase of the restoration project to open up the canal bed from the flood embankment to the base of the incline. To our knowledge, this section of the canal – which is badly overgrown - has never been properly exposed. We are having to deal with decades of bramble growth which has inflicted some painful injuries as work has progressed! We have, however, made very good progress so far with some 50 metres of the canal bed cleared. In places, the raw rock on the west side of the canal where it was cut into the hillside is plainly visible and we think we may have found traces of original masonry at one point.
A stalwart group of volunteers gathered at Ridd this week for the final working party of the year. We are continuing to work on the next phase of the restoration project to open up the canal bed from the flood embankment to the base of the incline. To our knowledge, this section of the canal – which is badly overgrown - has never been properly exposed. We are having to deal with decades of bramble growth which has inflicted some painful injuries as work has progressed! We have, however, made very good progress so far with some 50 metres of the canal bed cleared. In places, the raw rock on the west side of the canal where it was cut into the hillside is plainly visible and we think we may have found traces of original masonry at one point.
Tackling the brambles
Clearing the canal bed
Burning the waste
Cleared stretch of canal bed
At the end of a satisfying session, the team repaired to The Cavalier pub in Torrington for a well-earned Christmas lunch – a good way to end another productive year on the canal.
SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 17th December 2024
Laying two more coping stones and moving the scaffolding along were the tasks of the final session of 2024 at Sea Lock, along with mixing mortar and concrete and casting two more copers. Unfortunately I had arrived at Sea Lock without my wellies and was told I would be working in the mud, but don’t worry, there was a pair of wellies in the big shed. Sure enough there was, and not too big for my small feet. Tony, Jeremy and I then set about the scaffolding while Colin and Nick mixed and Steve laid the copers.
By the end of the morning the scaffolding was well along, the copers laid and more wall cleared and built up ready for the new year. The track continued to look like the Somme, despite the rock thrown in the ruts. Meanwhile, the heel had fallen off my left boot, and there was a big slit at the toe of the right. When I took the boots off to put my shoes back on after lunch I had to scrape the mud off my right sock. I don’t think I’ll forget my boots again.
Laying two more coping stones and moving the scaffolding along were the tasks of the final session of 2024 at Sea Lock, along with mixing mortar and concrete and casting two more copers. Unfortunately I had arrived at Sea Lock without my wellies and was told I would be working in the mud, but don’t worry, there was a pair of wellies in the big shed. Sure enough there was, and not too big for my small feet. Tony, Jeremy and I then set about the scaffolding while Colin and Nick mixed and Steve laid the copers.
By the end of the morning the scaffolding was well along, the copers laid and more wall cleared and built up ready for the new year. The track continued to look like the Somme, despite the rock thrown in the ruts. Meanwhile, the heel had fallen off my left boot, and there was a big slit at the toe of the right. When I took the boots off to put my shoes back on after lunch I had to scrape the mud off my right sock. I don’t think I’ll forget my boots again.
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SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 10th December 2024
The weather was again bright but even colder than the previous two weeks and the work followed the usual pattern: Tony and I finished splitting the two fractured stone copers into manageable pieces, with some ending on the increasingly muddy track. The usual two coping stones were laid. Mortar and concrete were mixed by Nick and Colin, and a section of wharf wall dismantled, cleaned and rebuilt by Jeremy and Steve ready for next week’s coping stones. Soon we will have to move the scaffolding along...
The weather was again bright but even colder than the previous two weeks and the work followed the usual pattern: Tony and I finished splitting the two fractured stone copers into manageable pieces, with some ending on the increasingly muddy track. The usual two coping stones were laid. Mortar and concrete were mixed by Nick and Colin, and a section of wharf wall dismantled, cleaned and rebuilt by Jeremy and Steve ready for next week’s coping stones. Soon we will have to move the scaffolding along...
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RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 4th December 2024
Our team was somewhat depleted this week so we decided to have another session at Ridd. Our aim was to burn the small mountain of brash produced from last week’s clearance of the lower canal bed. Our good intentions were, however, thwarted by the dampness of the material and, despite the best efforts of ‘Two Matches Michael’, we weren’t able to get a blaze going. We did succeed in cutting back some of the scrubby elders which revealed more of the canal bed in surprisingly good condition. The western bank adjacent to the field shows some signs of old masonry where the bank may have been strengthened although we can’t be certain about this.
Our team was somewhat depleted this week so we decided to have another session at Ridd. Our aim was to burn the small mountain of brash produced from last week’s clearance of the lower canal bed. Our good intentions were, however, thwarted by the dampness of the material and, despite the best efforts of ‘Two Matches Michael’, we weren’t able to get a blaze going. We did succeed in cutting back some of the scrubby elders which revealed more of the canal bed in surprisingly good condition. The western bank adjacent to the field shows some signs of old masonry where the bank may have been strengthened although we can’t be certain about this.
Clearing lower canal bed
Exposed canal bed
A promising start!
During the week our tree surgeons removed four trees growing out of the bank at the boundary of the access lane to Ridd. This work has really opened up the site and now permits a clear sight line to the lower incline. This will enable visitors to get a much clearer impression of the scale of the original incline and how it operated.
Upper incline after tree felling
View to lower incline
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.01237-475707) for more information.
SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 3rd December 2024
This week the weather was again cold and bright. The strut on the cement mixer remained broken, but the Kubota started first time. Tony and I continued tackling the two fractured stone copers, splitting them with chisels and hammers. The splinters of rock were used to try and improve the very muddy track along the edge of the wharf. As usual Nick mixed prodigious quantities of mortar assisted by Colin. Jeremy pointed stonework and Steve laid the two coping stones cast the previous week. The work has already come a long way, and the end of the wall creeps closer...
This week the weather was again cold and bright. The strut on the cement mixer remained broken, but the Kubota started first time. Tony and I continued tackling the two fractured stone copers, splitting them with chisels and hammers. The splinters of rock were used to try and improve the very muddy track along the edge of the wharf. As usual Nick mixed prodigious quantities of mortar assisted by Colin. Jeremy pointed stonework and Steve laid the two coping stones cast the previous week. The work has already come a long way, and the end of the wall creeps closer...
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