January News
RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 29th January 2025
This week marked a significant milestone in the progress of the Ridd restoration project. After two months of determined effort the team finally broke through the last stretch of jungle on the lower canal bed and emerged at the old stable block. When we started work on this section of the canal in early December the scale of the task looked overwhelming. We were confronted by decades’ worth of thick vegetation which looked impenetrable. However, it is amazing what an enthusiastic team of volunteers – armed only with hand tools – can achieve.
Rather like the engineers constructing the Channel Tunnel, we approached the last barrier of brambles from both ends meeting in the middle just before lunch. (Sadly, no one had the foresight to bring a bottle of champagne to celebrate the occasion!). The line of the canal is now clearly visible from the flood embankment right through to the lower incline and creates a dramatic new perspective. There are a few fallen decaying trees which need to be sawn up and removed but once this is done the entire route of this section of the canal will be cleared. We have been at pains to only remove as much vegetation as is consistent with the aims of the project and have left a substantial area of brambles as a wildlife habitat. We are also using some of the larger branches to create ‘bug hotels’ for insects and invertebrates.
This has been a most rewarding phase of the project and, when complete, will certainly enhance the public’s understanding of the history of the canal.
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.
This week marked a significant milestone in the progress of the Ridd restoration project. After two months of determined effort the team finally broke through the last stretch of jungle on the lower canal bed and emerged at the old stable block. When we started work on this section of the canal in early December the scale of the task looked overwhelming. We were confronted by decades’ worth of thick vegetation which looked impenetrable. However, it is amazing what an enthusiastic team of volunteers – armed only with hand tools – can achieve.
Rather like the engineers constructing the Channel Tunnel, we approached the last barrier of brambles from both ends meeting in the middle just before lunch. (Sadly, no one had the foresight to bring a bottle of champagne to celebrate the occasion!). The line of the canal is now clearly visible from the flood embankment right through to the lower incline and creates a dramatic new perspective. There are a few fallen decaying trees which need to be sawn up and removed but once this is done the entire route of this section of the canal will be cleared. We have been at pains to only remove as much vegetation as is consistent with the aims of the project and have left a substantial area of brambles as a wildlife habitat. We are also using some of the larger branches to create ‘bug hotels’ for insects and invertebrates.
This has been a most rewarding phase of the project and, when complete, will certainly enhance the public’s understanding of the history of the canal.
Working parties are currently being held at 9.30am every Wednesday. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.07557 478371) for more information.
The breakthrough is made
Burning the brash
View to lower incline
View of canal bed looking north
SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 28th January 2025
Recent rain had once again rendered the track along the wharf wall impassable for the Kubota. Eight coping stones were already cast, and further rain threatened, so no mortar was mixed and the whole team set about dismantling the next section of wall down to a firm base. This included a large and a smaller tree stump. Several friable original coping stones were split apart and removed, with yours truly dumping the splinters into the deep puddles on the track. The result was a good length of wall readied for rebuilding although the odd embedded tree stop remains to be removed.
Recent rain had once again rendered the track along the wharf wall impassable for the Kubota. Eight coping stones were already cast, and further rain threatened, so no mortar was mixed and the whole team set about dismantling the next section of wall down to a firm base. This included a large and a smaller tree stump. Several friable original coping stones were split apart and removed, with yours truly dumping the splinters into the deep puddles on the track. The result was a good length of wall readied for rebuilding although the odd embedded tree stop remains to be removed.
RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 22nd January 2025
A full team of volunteers assembled at Ridd this week in cold, foggy conditions. The scene down by the river was very atmospheric as we witnessed the sun trying to break through the mist lingering in the valley.
A full team of volunteers assembled at Ridd this week in cold, foggy conditions. The scene down by the river was very atmospheric as we witnessed the sun trying to break through the mist lingering in the valley.
An eerie Ridd
Our main priority was to burn up the remaining brash from last week plus the fresh material produced by our energetic team of scrub bashers. This had the added benefit of warming everyone up! By the end of the session we had successfully reduced the various piles of brushwood to ash which has further opened up the line of the canal. There are a few large trees which have fallen across the canal bed which we want to remove and we hope to tackle these next week. Remarkable progress has been made over the last few weeks and we are now close to punching through the last few metres of undergrowth before we emerge close to the former stable building.
Clearing in progress
Deep in the jungle
Canal bed looking south
Canal bed looking north
After disposing of some of the brash at the northern end of the canal bed we found a few scattered stones which may be evidence of the old tow path. They certainly fall within the approximate line of the canal so some further investigation here may be merited.
All in all, another excellent morning’s work!
All in all, another excellent morning’s work!
Possible evidence of the towpath
Navvies' coffee break
SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 21st January 2025
After another week of relatively dry weather, the track along the wharf wall was finally just about passable for the Kubota, once we got it to start! This allowed delivery to the work area of two of the already-cast coping stones. However, rather than laying the stones, work concentrated on rebuilding the section of wall cleared over the previous two weeks. In addition, another two coping stones were cast, giving quite a backlog to lay. We also started moving the scaffolding along, and breaking apart the next original coping stone. This was too heavy to remove in one piece. While still rubbish quality, it proved much harder to split than those tackled before Christmas.
After another week of relatively dry weather, the track along the wharf wall was finally just about passable for the Kubota, once we got it to start! This allowed delivery to the work area of two of the already-cast coping stones. However, rather than laying the stones, work concentrated on rebuilding the section of wall cleared over the previous two weeks. In addition, another two coping stones were cast, giving quite a backlog to lay. We also started moving the scaffolding along, and breaking apart the next original coping stone. This was too heavy to remove in one piece. While still rubbish quality, it proved much harder to split than those tackled before Christmas.
SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 14th January 2025
After a week of relatively dry weather, the track along the wharf wall was still impassable for the Kubota so the coping stones cast the previous week were added to the two cast before Christmas. More wall was cleared of earth and part dismantled down to firmer stones. Next week the old, poor quality coping stones will have to be chiseled apart so we can move them out of the way to prepare the next section for re-building. Preparations were also made to move the scaffolding along. By the end of the morning the wall was ready to take the four coping stones already cast, plus the two cast on the day, muddy track permitting.
After a week of relatively dry weather, the track along the wharf wall was still impassable for the Kubota so the coping stones cast the previous week were added to the two cast before Christmas. More wall was cleared of earth and part dismantled down to firmer stones. Next week the old, poor quality coping stones will have to be chiseled apart so we can move them out of the way to prepare the next section for re-building. Preparations were also made to move the scaffolding along. By the end of the morning the wall was ready to take the four coping stones already cast, plus the two cast on the day, muddy track permitting.
RIDD RESTORATION REPORT by Tony Nicholls - 6th & 13th January 2025
We started the New Year where we left off with further working parties at Ridd building on the excellent progress we have made to date clearing the lower canal bed. This section of the canal has been concealed under decades of bramble growth and our clearance work has generated a mountain of brash – so much that this week we decided to spend the session burning it up before it overwhelms us. Thanks to the efforts of ‘Blowtorch’ Tanner, we soon had two good blazes going and, by the end of the morning, had significantly reduced the brash pile.
We started the New Year where we left off with further working parties at Ridd building on the excellent progress we have made to date clearing the lower canal bed. This section of the canal has been concealed under decades of bramble growth and our clearance work has generated a mountain of brash – so much that this week we decided to spend the session burning it up before it overwhelms us. Thanks to the efforts of ‘Blowtorch’ Tanner, we soon had two good blazes going and, by the end of the morning, had significantly reduced the brash pile.
North edge of cleared area
Cleared canal bed
Canal bed looking north
Canal bed looking south
We have now cleared about 100 metres of the canal bed and the results are quite spectacular with the line of the canal clearly visible where it was cut through the side of the valley.
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.
The burn begins
Warm work
SEA LOCK RESTORATION REPORT by Michael Elliott - 7th January 2025
The first working session of the new year started damp and cold, but brightened up later. The track was impassable for the Kubota so the coping stones cast before Christmas were stacked at the end waiting for better weather to dry out the track. The cement mixer team cast two more copers for next week and the wallers built up another section ready to take them. The middle/upper wharf wall now stretches an impressive distance. More wall was cleared of earth and dismantled down to firmer stones. Next week this team will have to speed up before the backlog of coping stones catches up with them.
The first working session of the new year started damp and cold, but brightened up later. The track was impassable for the Kubota so the coping stones cast before Christmas were stacked at the end waiting for better weather to dry out the track. The cement mixer team cast two more copers for next week and the wallers built up another section ready to take them. The middle/upper wharf wall now stretches an impressive distance. More wall was cleared of earth and dismantled down to firmer stones. Next week this team will have to speed up before the backlog of coping stones catches up with them.