August News
ROLLE CANAL SOCIETY GUIDED WALK
Saturday 3rd September - SEA LOCK AND THE CANAL MUSEUM, ANNERY KILN. Walk Leader: Adrian Wills
No booking is required - all are welcome, although dogs are not permitted! Distance less than 2 miles. Meet at 2.30pm on Saturday 3rd September at Annery Kiln. Parking space is limited so please double-up if possible. The site is uneven and possibly slippery in places so stout footwear is strongly advised.
From the temporary car park next to the Annery Lime Kilns the walk goes along the canal to Sea Lock. There is an opportunity to see the restoration work on the lock where in the nineteenth century river barges entered the canal basin from the tidal Torridge estuary. A specially constructed traditional canal-side building houses an archive of photographs and canal artefacts.
The income from the small charge of £2 per person makes a valuable contribution to the Society's work in improving access along the canal and providing interpretation of the major features.
Saturday 3rd September - SEA LOCK AND THE CANAL MUSEUM, ANNERY KILN. Walk Leader: Adrian Wills
No booking is required - all are welcome, although dogs are not permitted! Distance less than 2 miles. Meet at 2.30pm on Saturday 3rd September at Annery Kiln. Parking space is limited so please double-up if possible. The site is uneven and possibly slippery in places so stout footwear is strongly advised.
From the temporary car park next to the Annery Lime Kilns the walk goes along the canal to Sea Lock. There is an opportunity to see the restoration work on the lock where in the nineteenth century river barges entered the canal basin from the tidal Torridge estuary. A specially constructed traditional canal-side building houses an archive of photographs and canal artefacts.
The income from the small charge of £2 per person makes a valuable contribution to the Society's work in improving access along the canal and providing interpretation of the major features.
BUS MEN'S HOLIDAY or LATE SPRING CLEAN! - Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 31st August 2022
Taking a break from working on the Rosemoor or incline plane sites, the Wednesday morning crew of the RC&NDWS volunteers turned up at Sea Lock (31.08.22) with the intention of helping my wife and me prepare the site for guided walks on Saturday 3rd of September and Sunday 4th. A third walk is booked for Thursday 8th so it going to be busy for the next few days.
The first task of the day was to strim an area where two 3 x 9 metre gazebos were going to be erected. These will be used for displaying Rolle Canal images and for the provision of teas and coffees.
Taking a break from working on the Rosemoor or incline plane sites, the Wednesday morning crew of the RC&NDWS volunteers turned up at Sea Lock (31.08.22) with the intention of helping my wife and me prepare the site for guided walks on Saturday 3rd of September and Sunday 4th. A third walk is booked for Thursday 8th so it going to be busy for the next few days.
The first task of the day was to strim an area where two 3 x 9 metre gazebos were going to be erected. These will be used for displaying Rolle Canal images and for the provision of teas and coffees.
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Fortunately, it soon dropped off and the day became calm, bright and sunny. Some of the crew then set to strimming along the edges of the canal lock chamber and the wharf. Others, with brushes in hand, gave the balance beams and paddle winding gear a fresh coat of paint. Picnic tables were moved around.
By lunch time most of the tasks had been successfully completed and the site was looking considerably tidier but still workman like.
One last task was to move the reed cutting launch out from under the interpretation loft to a temporary shelter so that some work to the ground floor of the loft can be undertaken. There is a measure of settlement of the ground which needs to be addressed although this won’t happen for a while.
Apart from a few small things still to do everything is now about done. All we want now is for the weather to be kind on the days of the planned walks.
A big ‘Thank you’ to all those people who gave up their time and energy to help us.
One last task was to move the reed cutting launch out from under the interpretation loft to a temporary shelter so that some work to the ground floor of the loft can be undertaken. There is a measure of settlement of the ground which needs to be addressed although this won’t happen for a while.
Apart from a few small things still to do everything is now about done. All we want now is for the weather to be kind on the days of the planned walks.
A big ‘Thank you’ to all those people who gave up their time and energy to help us.
RUBY TUESDAY and yet more Stones! - Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 30th August 2022
Only 3 of us working at Sea Lock on Tuesday (30.08.22) but never-the-less Steve, Nick and I achieved a great deal. Following our usual pattern Nick kept the cement mixer busy, supplying Steve and me with mortar. Initially we cast yet another coper, (the hundred and ninety oneth!) as well as selecting suitable stones from our rapidly disappearing pile, for us to lay. Steve had fun keep banging his head on the plastic drainage pipe he was working below but still managed to keep Nick and me entertained in dulcet song!
Only 3 of us working at Sea Lock on Tuesday (30.08.22) but never-the-less Steve, Nick and I achieved a great deal. Following our usual pattern Nick kept the cement mixer busy, supplying Steve and me with mortar. Initially we cast yet another coper, (the hundred and ninety oneth!) as well as selecting suitable stones from our rapidly disappearing pile, for us to lay. Steve had fun keep banging his head on the plastic drainage pipe he was working below but still managed to keep Nick and me entertained in dulcet song!
As always, by the end of the day it was clear to see how much we had progressed the build and we were well pleased with our efforts.
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STONES LAID, NOT ROLLING - Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 29th August 2022
Being the sad person that I am, over the Bank Holiday weekend (Friday 26.08.22 – Monday 29.08.22) I bought more grit sand and cement, cast 2 more coping ‘stones’, got down into the gloop again and raised the scaffold platform to its second level, all in preparation for the arrival on Tuesday for my wonderful volunteer workers.
I am hoping that this will be the last time I have to alter the scaffolding before finally taking this section down.
Being the sad person that I am, over the Bank Holiday weekend (Friday 26.08.22 – Monday 29.08.22) I bought more grit sand and cement, cast 2 more coping ‘stones’, got down into the gloop again and raised the scaffold platform to its second level, all in preparation for the arrival on Tuesday for my wonderful volunteer workers.
I am hoping that this will be the last time I have to alter the scaffolding before finally taking this section down.
Readers of my articles for the Rolle Canal & Northern Devon Waterways Society updates on its Facebook Page will know that I like to find a title for each which seems appropriate to the activities undertaken at Sea Lock. So it’s hardly surprising that the following chorus has running been through my head:
Well this could be the last time
This could be the last time
Maybe the last time
I don't know, oh no, oh no With apologies to the Rolling Stones.
Well this could be the last time
This could be the last time
Maybe the last time
I don't know, oh no, oh no With apologies to the Rolling Stones.
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 24th August 2022
Further work on the upper basin and the tucking mill resulted in good progress on a number of fronts.
Having completed the base layer of concrete in the bed of the mill race last week, we started on the task of laying slate flags to provide a permanent and durable floor to the spillway. This involved selecting suitable stone from our dwindling stone pile and, in some cases, cutting it to size to fit the exact confines of the channel. By the end of the morning, we had completed about two thirds of the spillway which looked very impressive indeed.
Further work on the upper basin and the tucking mill resulted in good progress on a number of fronts.
Having completed the base layer of concrete in the bed of the mill race last week, we started on the task of laying slate flags to provide a permanent and durable floor to the spillway. This involved selecting suitable stone from our dwindling stone pile and, in some cases, cutting it to size to fit the exact confines of the channel. By the end of the morning, we had completed about two thirds of the spillway which looked very impressive indeed.
Laying the first stone in the spillway
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Further progress on the spillway
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At the top of the upper basin, we removed a lot of loose stone from the bridge pier and cleaned up the remainder prior to re-building. We also did some exploratory digging beyond the pier to see if the wall continued. There was no real evidence of this although we did uncover, some ten metres further on, the clear remains of a stone pillar. On the face of it this does not seem to be connected in any way to the rest of the canal wall so we are puzzled about its purpose. According to old photos, it seems there may have been a building on the other side of the canal opposite the tucking mill (in what would have been the drying fields) so the pillar may have something to do with this. We hope to bring an old photo onto site to see if we can throw any further light on this.
Cleaning off bridge pier
General view of upper basin
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Isolated stone pillar
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(Footnote: It was good to see the return of a friendly robin, enticed by lots of newly dug earth. The bird is on the small side so we think this is probably the offspring of our old friend, Rolle Robin).
Working parties are 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.
STORMING AHEAD! - Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 24th August 2022
It’s extraordinary and quite fascinating to see what gets washed up into the lock chamber at Sea Lock. This morning (Wednesday 24.08.22) a marrow was stranded there, unless it was a miniature submarine in disguise. Yesterday it was a single yellow wellie! Baker’s trays appear quite often.
It’s extraordinary and quite fascinating to see what gets washed up into the lock chamber at Sea Lock. This morning (Wednesday 24.08.22) a marrow was stranded there, unless it was a miniature submarine in disguise. Yesterday it was a single yellow wellie! Baker’s trays appear quite often.
We had a brilliant day at Sea Lock yesterday with our regular compliment of 5 volunteers beavering away on a variety of tasks. Steve and I were working from my newly rearranged scaffolding to rebuild more wall facing. Nick was keeping us supplied with mortar and sorting out good facing stones as well as infill to keep us busy. Michael and Tony were clearing a pile of stones and subsoil and barrowing it to be dumped behind the wall to level the towpath.
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After lunch Nick knocked up one last load of mortar and then used the Kubota tractor to flatten the subsoil deposited by Michael and Tony.
By the end of the afternoon great progress had been made and as a result I now need to rearrange the scaffolding again to raise the platform. Hopefully this will be for the last time on this section of wall.
More coping stones still need to be cast and I will therefore have to acquire more grit sand and cement which is being consumed at an amazing rate. The stock of hydraulic lime and facing stone is also running low again so I shall have to visit the aggregates suppliers and quarry again very soon.
By the end of the afternoon great progress had been made and as a result I now need to rearrange the scaffolding again to raise the platform. Hopefully this will be for the last time on this section of wall.
More coping stones still need to be cast and I will therefore have to acquire more grit sand and cement which is being consumed at an amazing rate. The stock of hydraulic lime and facing stone is also running low again so I shall have to visit the aggregates suppliers and quarry again very soon.
WALKING THE PLANK(S) - Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 23rd August 2022
It was not a particularly auspicious start to the working week on Monday (22.08.22) being grey and wet. I had intended to extend the scaffolding along the middle wharf wall so that the Tuesday team could continue rebuilding it.
Fortunately, by midday the rain had stopped and everything was beginning to dry, so I decided to continue with my original plan.
It was not a particularly auspicious start to the working week on Monday (22.08.22) being grey and wet. I had intended to extend the scaffolding along the middle wharf wall so that the Tuesday team could continue rebuilding it.
Fortunately, by midday the rain had stopped and everything was beginning to dry, so I decided to continue with my original plan.
Donning my wellies, I once again got down into the mud and began the process of erecting standards (the upright poles) and connecting them to transoms (the long horizontal poles) and putlocks (short, transverse horizontal poles).
Having used the various connecting clips many times previously on different scaffold arrangements and in places where they were often under water, I had to spray their threads with releasing agents since some of them had become a little rusty and difficult to turn. This was rather a tedious and laborious exercise and wading around in the mud when attaching them didn’t help matters either. Eventually however I managed to complete the task with the scaffold platform boarded out and now reaching the end of this section of wall.
Having used the various connecting clips many times previously on different scaffold arrangements and in places where they were often under water, I had to spray their threads with releasing agents since some of them had become a little rusty and difficult to turn. This was rather a tedious and laborious exercise and wading around in the mud when attaching them didn’t help matters either. Eventually however I managed to complete the task with the scaffold platform boarded out and now reaching the end of this section of wall.
I then spent time tidying up lengths of scaffold poles lying on the top of the wall which were no longer required, as well as gathering together scaffold boards and clips.
By now my wrists were getting tired from loosening off and tightening up all the clips I had had to use and my shoulders were aching from lifting and moving the poles around. I had forgotten how heavy they are, especially the 21feet (6.4 metres) long ones!
Hopefully rebuilding can now continue with a measure of comfort.
Hopefully rebuilding can now continue with a measure of comfort.
UNSCHEDULED SITE INSPECTION AT SEA LOCK
Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills
It has been part of my early morning daily routine to walk from my house down to the site of Sea Lock, which is a throw-back to when we had a dog. This morning (07.08.22) off I went as usual but was surprised to see that the work which volunteers and I have been undertaking on the middle section of the wharf wall was being inspected. Perched on the anti-roll bar of the Kubota tractor which I had left parked alongside the wall was a Kingfisher which seemed to be taking particular interest in what was in front of it. Unfortunately it didn’t stay long so I wasn’t able to extract any comments from it and it was just about on the limit of my camera’s magnification. It is extraordinary how these beautiful but exotically coloured little birds can vanish in an instant!
Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills
It has been part of my early morning daily routine to walk from my house down to the site of Sea Lock, which is a throw-back to when we had a dog. This morning (07.08.22) off I went as usual but was surprised to see that the work which volunteers and I have been undertaking on the middle section of the wharf wall was being inspected. Perched on the anti-roll bar of the Kubota tractor which I had left parked alongside the wall was a Kingfisher which seemed to be taking particular interest in what was in front of it. Unfortunately it didn’t stay long so I wasn’t able to extract any comments from it and it was just about on the limit of my camera’s magnification. It is extraordinary how these beautiful but exotically coloured little birds can vanish in an instant!
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 17th August 2022
We concentrated our efforts on the upper basin and the tucking mill this week. Before starting work we had to clear a lot of vegetation from the canal bed. The soil here is nutrient-rich so many of the plants have grown to at least eight feet in height and the canal has virtually disappeared from view.
Two members of the team spent the morning removing earth from around the stonework at the top of the upper basin which we believe is an old bridge pier. This involved some fairly strenuous work digging out a couple of huge stones which had fallen into the canal bed. The pier – which is considerably wider than we first thought - has now been fully exposed. It remains to be seen if the wall of the basin continues any further beyond this.
We concentrated our efforts on the upper basin and the tucking mill this week. Before starting work we had to clear a lot of vegetation from the canal bed. The soil here is nutrient-rich so many of the plants have grown to at least eight feet in height and the canal has virtually disappeared from view.
Two members of the team spent the morning removing earth from around the stonework at the top of the upper basin which we believe is an old bridge pier. This involved some fairly strenuous work digging out a couple of huge stones which had fallen into the canal bed. The pier – which is considerably wider than we first thought - has now been fully exposed. It remains to be seen if the wall of the basin continues any further beyond this.
View of end of upper basin
Exposing bridge pier
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Exposed bridge pier
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Work continued on a number of fronts in the tucking mill. In the mill race, we are gradually re-building the stonework below the lip of the race. This will stabilise the structure and largely complete the repairs to this section of the mill. Elsewhere, we continued to excavate the area around what we think may have been a smelting pit to see if this provided any clues as to how it might have been used. We also spent some time scraping away earth from the tow path adjacent to the second flight of steps from the upper chamber and this revealed a very rough cobbled floor. This might be the original surface of the tow path itself or possibly part of a perimeter path around the tucking mill. Every week we continue to explore and clean up the internal structure of the mill in the hope that this will give us further insight into its operation – a laborious task but one which will be of great benefit when the site is opened to the public.
Excavating smelting pit
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Cleaning up cobbled floor
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Cobbled floor on towpath
Work on floor of tucking mill
Working parties are 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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RAIN STOPS PLAY! Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 17th August 2022 On Monday (15.08.22) the long period of very hot and dry weather finally came to an end at Sea Lock. Continuous rumblings in the sky advertised the approach of a storm and before long rain began to fall very heavily. Whilst farmers, gardeners and reservoirs were desperate for more water this did not bode well for the volunteers due to arrive the following day. Tuesday morning (16.08.22) broke dry but overcast when Nick turned up, bright-eyed, bushy tailed and newly shaved. Or was it his twin brother? Either way he got the cover off the mixer and began preparing a load of mortar. He and I were soon joined by Michael and then Tony but no Steve. He arrived later in the morning having had an early morning commitment elsewhere. Loss of Christmas bonus, methinks! (What Christmas bonus?) Helped by Nick and Tony, I began the process of back-filling the 4 copers which I had dry-laid and levelled earlier. Michael had taken charge of mixing and supplying mortar to Nick and me as well as to Steve who was busy laying more facing stones. |
Having mortared the copers into place, Nick and Michael helped me dismantle the section of scaffolding that we had finished using. Tony meanwhile was expending energy moving piles of stones from the top of the wall to further along to where they were going to be needed, as well as sorting facing stones from infills into separate plies.
Once again rumblings in the sky could be heard and it was not long before it was followed by more rainfall. This soon became very heavy resulting in Steve and me desperately covering all the new work with plastic sheeting. We retreated to cover and had lunch while the rain continued. Rather amusing from the point of view that a ban on the use of hoses was about to come into force in a few days’ time especially as a considerable amount of water was now pouring out of various gutters into the canal basin and flowing away unused out to sea! At least our rain water tanks which were getting low were replenished.
Once again rumblings in the sky could be heard and it was not long before it was followed by more rainfall. This soon became very heavy resulting in Steve and me desperately covering all the new work with plastic sheeting. We retreated to cover and had lunch while the rain continued. Rather amusing from the point of view that a ban on the use of hoses was about to come into force in a few days’ time especially as a considerable amount of water was now pouring out of various gutters into the canal basin and flowing away unused out to sea! At least our rain water tanks which were getting low were replenished.
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By now everything including us, was sopping wet so we abandoned the idea of continuing to work after lunch and subsequently called it a day. However, despite it being a very short working day progress is clear to see and the end of this section of wall is nearer still!
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ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY! (PLUS 8)
Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - August 2022 No, not a score at a darts match, but the total number of concrete copers including quoin ‘stones’ which have now been cast at Sea Lock. Yesterday (Friday 12.08.22) I finally filled the mould that I had set up the day before with concrete. This was not such a clever move because the air temperature was even higher than the day before. Anyway, as soon as I had finished the task and cleaned my tools, I beat a hasty retreat home and a nice long cooling shower. Some while ago I contacted the Stone Masons Guild to see if I could get some idea as to what the cost of real stone copers about the same size as I had been casting would be. I was told that a squared piece of granite was likely to be in the region of £400 collected! I don’t know of any local quarries which could supply me with the same, but transport costs would raise that figure considerably one way or another, so despite the effort involved in casting my own, I have saved an enormous amount of money. One day, maybe, some wealthy entrepreneur may want to throw a few million pounds towards replacing all my cast copers with real stone. And replace the gates as well. Dream on! Hopefully over this coming weekend I will be able to crane this latest block on to the wall and then by the time the Tuesday crew arrive there will be 4 copers ready to be mortared in permanently. |
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ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHTH LAID!
(Sunday 14.08.22)
There are now 4 copers dry laid on the wharf wall waiting patiently to be mortared into place, but a lack of grit sand is preventing this and the casting of the last few block required to complete this section is holding up the process.
Will take my trailer to the aggregates supplier nearby on Monday and replenish my stockpile. Once again have run out!
(Sunday 14.08.22)
There are now 4 copers dry laid on the wharf wall waiting patiently to be mortared into place, but a lack of grit sand is preventing this and the casting of the last few block required to complete this section is holding up the process.
Will take my trailer to the aggregates supplier nearby on Monday and replenish my stockpile. Once again have run out!
ROLLE CANAL SOCIETY GUIDED WALK - Sunday 14th August
TADDIPORT AND TORRINGTON COMMON. Walk Leader: Tony Barnes.
The headquarters of the Rolle Canal Company was at Taddiport and several associated buildings and structures can be seen here. From the entrance of the old milk factory, the route proceeds along the "Rolle Road", a bridleway which is actually the fairly intact bed of the Rolle Canal, through Torrington Commons. Then, via the back street "ginnels" off Mill Street, down to the beautiful Torridge-side meadows and back to Taddiport Bridge. A fascinating mixture of nature, past industrial sites, proposed developments and efforts to safeguard ecology.
Length about 2 miles. Meet at 2:30pm on Sunday 14th August at the entrance to the old milk factory at Taddiport. No booking is required - all welcome.
The income from the small charge of £2 per person on our guided walks makes a valuable contribution to the Society's work in improving access along the canal and providing interpretation of the major features.
TADDIPORT AND TORRINGTON COMMON. Walk Leader: Tony Barnes.
The headquarters of the Rolle Canal Company was at Taddiport and several associated buildings and structures can be seen here. From the entrance of the old milk factory, the route proceeds along the "Rolle Road", a bridleway which is actually the fairly intact bed of the Rolle Canal, through Torrington Commons. Then, via the back street "ginnels" off Mill Street, down to the beautiful Torridge-side meadows and back to Taddiport Bridge. A fascinating mixture of nature, past industrial sites, proposed developments and efforts to safeguard ecology.
Length about 2 miles. Meet at 2:30pm on Sunday 14th August at the entrance to the old milk factory at Taddiport. No booking is required - all welcome.
The income from the small charge of £2 per person on our guided walks makes a valuable contribution to the Society's work in improving access along the canal and providing interpretation of the major features.
LAID DRY (and parched!) Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 12th August 2022
Yesterday (Wednesday 10.08.22) working on my own yet again I decided to cast another coping stone so I setup the shuttering and then thought twice about it. Hot, hot, hot! This in total would be the 188th block cast to date.
Wednesday was another clear-skied and sunny day with the temperature soaring around the mid 30ºC. Much too hot for shovelling sand and cement about so I put that idea aside and thought I’d start up the Priestman crane to see whether it was steering any better having received some attention to its tracks. I picked up a previously cast block and transported it across to the wall where it was to reside. As always, the engine was running sweetly but manoeuvring the crane was still a bit of a struggle. Having lowered the block onto the wall I drove the crane back to where it was parked and then spent time levelling the block in preparation to final mortaring it into place. The crane obviously still needs some more adjustments.
Yesterday (Wednesday 10.08.22) working on my own yet again I decided to cast another coping stone so I setup the shuttering and then thought twice about it. Hot, hot, hot! This in total would be the 188th block cast to date.
Wednesday was another clear-skied and sunny day with the temperature soaring around the mid 30ºC. Much too hot for shovelling sand and cement about so I put that idea aside and thought I’d start up the Priestman crane to see whether it was steering any better having received some attention to its tracks. I picked up a previously cast block and transported it across to the wall where it was to reside. As always, the engine was running sweetly but manoeuvring the crane was still a bit of a struggle. Having lowered the block onto the wall I drove the crane back to where it was parked and then spent time levelling the block in preparation to final mortaring it into place. The crane obviously still needs some more adjustments.
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Today, (Thursday 11.08.22) still very hot, casting concrete was not going to happen. So once again. I got the little crane going and within a couple of hours had 3 coping stones dry laid and levelled on the wall. That’s another 3 metres (10 feet) of wall rebuilt to its finished height. Only 8 metres (26 feet) to go to complete the rebuild of the middle section of the wharf wall.
Too hot to continue. Even the crow bar and pinch bar I used to move the blocks into place were almost too hot to hold without wearing gloves! |
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Since being joined by Steve and Nick not so very long ago, between us including Michael and Tony, we have rebuilt 22 metres (nearly 72 feet) of wall, some sections from its very base up (3 metres high) and in places filling voids of over a metre deep. The quantity of building materials this has consumed is phenomenal but yet still more is required. Hopefully though, at this rate this whole section of wall will be finished very soon.
What next?
What next?
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 10th August 2022
With the continuing heatwave, we had a sweltering day at Rosemoor this week and the team was keen to work in the shade wherever possible. Sun hats and sun cream were very much the order of the day! The canal is looking rather sad with the water level so low but the advantage of this is that it provides excellent working conditions underfoot.
With the continuing heatwave, we had a sweltering day at Rosemoor this week and the team was keen to work in the shade wherever possible. Sun hats and sun cream were very much the order of the day! The canal is looking rather sad with the water level so low but the advantage of this is that it provides excellent working conditions underfoot.
Depleted lower basin
In the upper basin we continued to re-build the eastern wall and have curved this back to join the old stonework which we think might be the pier of the former access bridge from the tucking mill to the drying fields. Keying the new stonework into the old makes for a nice neat finish. Next week we intend to clear some of the vegetation from around the pier to see if we can discover the full extent of this. We also did some further excavation of the curious arched drain at the side of the canal which revealed more deposits of clinker-like material. We have revised our ideas about this feature and we now think that it may have been designed as an outflow rather than as an inflow the function of which was to flush out waste material from the smelting pit above into the leat. Of course, all this is pure speculation but it seems to fit the evidence – at least until someone can come up with a more convincing theory!
Wall of upper basin
Possible pier of access bridge
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Drain below towpath
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In the mill race, the final section of concrete screed was laid which will provide a sound foundation for the finishing layer of flagstones. A little more of the stonework at the sides of the channel needs to be re-built but this has to a large extent been defined and stabilised.
Further work was also carried out in the tucking mill where we found further evidence of human habitation in the form of old pottery shards and a broken spoon. We are puzzled by the structure of the south west corner of the rear wall where the cobbled floor extends over the wall itself. The wall is about a foot thinner here and then returns to it full width some six feet further. The reason for this is unclear. We are also gradually clearing away a lot of soil from the inner chambers and trying to define the layout of the internal walls with bricks which seem to have been used in the original construction.
After a productive morning, we were glad to retire to the welcome shade of the lime kiln for lunch.
Further work was also carried out in the tucking mill where we found further evidence of human habitation in the form of old pottery shards and a broken spoon. We are puzzled by the structure of the south west corner of the rear wall where the cobbled floor extends over the wall itself. The wall is about a foot thinner here and then returns to it full width some six feet further. The reason for this is unclear. We are also gradually clearing away a lot of soil from the inner chambers and trying to define the layout of the internal walls with bricks which seem to have been used in the original construction.
After a productive morning, we were glad to retire to the welcome shade of the lime kiln for lunch.
Evidence of habitation
Concrete screed in bed of mill race
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Corner of rear wall of tucking mill
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Cleaning off floor of tucking mill
Rear wall of tucking mill
Working parties are 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.
NEVER MIND THE QUALITY, FEEL THE WIDTH! - Alternate title 'Confused and bewildered'
Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 6th August 2022
Life has always been something of an enigma to me but since retiring from full time employment I have a great deal of difficulty in knowing what the day or date is. For quite some time I was working at Sea Lock with my friend Trevor on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays which enabled me to work out what the other days of the week were.
For various reasons Trevor has not been available to help me for a while now but having other volunteers coming on a Tuesday has been good. This last Tuesday (02.08.22) Steve was unavailable but offered to work with me on Friday (05.08.22) instead.
Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 6th August 2022
Life has always been something of an enigma to me but since retiring from full time employment I have a great deal of difficulty in knowing what the day or date is. For quite some time I was working at Sea Lock with my friend Trevor on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays which enabled me to work out what the other days of the week were.
For various reasons Trevor has not been available to help me for a while now but having other volunteers coming on a Tuesday has been good. This last Tuesday (02.08.22) Steve was unavailable but offered to work with me on Friday (05.08.22) instead.
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Without the other usual Tuesday crew to help I was in charge of mixing and supplying Steve and myself with mortar. On trundling my first mix across to where we were about to start laying stone, Steve remarked that it looked different to what we regularly used. I had to trundle it all the way back to the mixer and add the hydraulic lime which I had forgotten, as well as more grit sand. I had prepared a mix for casting coping stones by mistake.
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Having corrected the mix it was now a much larger and heavier load in the wheelbarrow. One drawback of the good progress we have made with rebuilding the wall is that we now have much further to go to transport mortar from the mixer to where we are working.
Despite another senior citizen moment on my part, the two of us made very good progress on the wall. Steve overcame the problem of rebuilding a very awkward section where quite a few facing stones had ‘flaked’ off leaving very long and narrow ledges on which to build. However he successfully brought it up several courses. I only brought my bit up by a couple of courses but managed to lay several very large stones and use up a big quantity of infill behind. It won’t be long before we have to visit the quarry again for more stone and also replenish the stock of grit sand which is rapidly disappearing.
Steve has promised to return next Tuesday but by that time I won’t know what day it is!
Steve has promised to return next Tuesday but by that time I won’t know what day it is!
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 3rd August 2022
Although we are in the midst of the holiday season, we continue to get a good turnout of volunteers and this is enabling the team to work on several different areas of the Rosemoor site.
Although we are in the midst of the holiday season, we continue to get a good turnout of volunteers and this is enabling the team to work on several different areas of the Rosemoor site.
Rebuilding upper basin wall
Over the last two weeks we have extended the re-build of the upper basin wall with another couple of metres or so to complete. We have done some exploratory excavation just beyond the end of the wall which revealed a section of rough stonework which we think may be the remains of an old bridge which provided access from the tucking mill to the drying fields on the other side of the canal. Tony Barnes has consulted an old map of the site which suggests that the bridge was situated in line with the first set of steps in the upper chamber of the tucking mill. This would make sense as it would have provided an easy route from the mill with the processed fleeces.
Possible remains of bridge
With a certain amount of brute force, we finally succeeded in removing the tree stump from the towpath side of the tucking mill. In the hole beneath the root ball we found further remains of oxidised clinker-like material which suggests that this may have been some sort of fire pit for smelting metal. We also exposed more of the entrance to the drain or sluice on the west side of the canal wall which sits just under the fire pit. There are the definite remains of a stone arch here although the purpose of this feature and its relationship with the fire pit (if any) is unclear.
Further work was carried out on the tucking mill itself to prepare the bed of the mill race and to remove the remaining earth from the rear wall to provide a sound base for the eventual re-build of the foundations.
Further work was carried out on the tucking mill itself to prepare the bed of the mill race and to remove the remaining earth from the rear wall to provide a sound base for the eventual re-build of the foundations.
Possible smelting pit
Working parties are 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.
GETTING CLOSER ALL THE TIME - Sea Lock report by Adrian Wills - 3rd August 2022
I’ve been quite busy at Sea Lock since last Tuesday (26.07.22), taking advantage of the continuing dry but cooler weather. I finished off rearranging the scaffolding and then went to get more grit sand. Having replenished my stock of sand, cement and hydraulic lime, I have cast 3 more coping stones and craned one of them over to the wall where I lowered it into position.
The Priestman crane has not been working very smoothly recently so I power-washed the undercarriage (I have my own borehole water supply, so I wasn’t depleting local reservoirs) and then greased all the track bearings. I also filled various sumps on the machine with fresh engine oil. Although I have an operator’s manual for the crane, which tells me which oils and greases I should use it does not give any quantities which is not very useful.
I’ve been quite busy at Sea Lock since last Tuesday (26.07.22), taking advantage of the continuing dry but cooler weather. I finished off rearranging the scaffolding and then went to get more grit sand. Having replenished my stock of sand, cement and hydraulic lime, I have cast 3 more coping stones and craned one of them over to the wall where I lowered it into position.
The Priestman crane has not been working very smoothly recently so I power-washed the undercarriage (I have my own borehole water supply, so I wasn’t depleting local reservoirs) and then greased all the track bearings. I also filled various sumps on the machine with fresh engine oil. Although I have an operator’s manual for the crane, which tells me which oils and greases I should use it does not give any quantities which is not very useful.
The engine runs very sweetly but it is not driving very well. I suspect the drive chains and tracks need adjusting but all the adjusters are seized solid. Mike Chambers and I had already had a go at loosening off various adjusting bolts last week with no success, so I drenched them all with penetrating oil and left it to soak in.
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This Tuesday (02.08.22) the work force at Sea Lock was once again reduced to 3 of us. Steve was otherwise engaged and Michael Elliot was away, but Nick still arrived and later we were joined by Tony who sadly was suffering miserably from hay fever. Despite this he set about resolutely keeping Nick and me supplied with mortar and fortunately was soon feeling much better. While Nick bedded down the last laid coper, I gave my attention to rebuilding part of the wall which was quite tricky because there was only a very thin layer of facing to be rebuilt and that meant trying to precariously balance thin slivers of stone on top of each other until the mortar set and held them in place. Having achieved this, I was able to move back to a section which was completely opposite. Here a very large and deep hole had to be rebuilt which consumed a considerable amount of mortar, stone and infill. Between the 2 of us, Nick and I were working Tony hard! Eventually I had finished the bit I was working on, as had Nick and by that time we had created a long and wide, level course of stone work. As a result of this Nick started up the Kubota tractor and we used its back-hoe to lower onto this platform 3 very large and heavy stones. We duly mortared them into place and back-filled them which again used up a load more material but raised the wall significantly. |
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While we were doing this, Mike Chambers had arrived and started attacking the tracking on the crane. Initially with little success despite using a great deal of energy, he eventually managed to disconnect one of the tracks which gave him slightly better access to the offending parts, By the end of the afternoon the rebuilt section of the wall had progressed considerably and Mike finally managed to get bits moving which up until then had refused to budge.
The tracking still has to be properly adjusted but never-the-less it was another very satisfying day’s results.
The tracking still has to be properly adjusted but never-the-less it was another very satisfying day’s results.
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