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Melksham
River Route Proposals.
See Route Drawings
Naish
Hill
We started in
January by clearing about 150 metres of canal at the
southern end of the Naish Hill re-watered section and thanks
are due to the Doel family for their support. This
extension has brought the canal to within a quarter mile of
the Reybridge road near Lacock. Connection to the road
would dramatically improve access to the canal. The new
pipe beneath the cycle path now carries water into the main
watered section of canal leading up to Double Bridge, and
this gives a better control of water levels at Naish Hill.
In the spring we completed the supply of puddle clay to the
culverts immediately south of Double Bridge, and with hired
plant we successfully sealed two troublesome leaking
culverts. All the signs are that these have continued to be
watertight through out the summer.
Double Bridge
works
The rebuilding
of all four wing walls, replacement and pointing of lower
level brickwork and the overhead repair of the brick arch
were all completed in a business-like and methodical way,
producing a beautiful bridge from what was once an old
ruin. Tidying up the site and landscaping the area has
produced a result we can all be proud of and this has drawn
a great deal of favourable comment.
Double Bridge
Opening Event
The bridge
was opened by our Patron, the Duchess of Cornwall on May 26th
in bright sunshine. It was a friendly and relaxed
atmosphere and the Duchess met Lord Lansdowne and other
civic dignitaries and formerly active Trust directors
including Ray Denier, Vic Miller and Peter Smith. A ribbon
was cut, releasing a dozen canoeists from the Melksham Canoe
Club, who paddled furiously into the sunlight to the delight
and relief of the photographers. The Duchess was then
escorted on to the bridge by our chairman, John Laverick to
unveil the plaque. Here she met the people who did the
work and there are a large number of photographs of Her
Royal Highness joking and laughing with the boys in blue
helmets. We are extremely fortunate to have such a
prominent Patron for our project who takes an active
interest in the work we do and who has a clear understanding
of our plans for the future.
Weinstock EstateThe Top Lease with
the Weinstock estate was signed by Ken Oliver and by the estate
and the process is now complete. The under lease between the
Trust and the users of the cycleway had also reached an advanced
stage by April but no progress has been achieved since. Ken
Oliver also submitted stage one of the bid process for the
Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the locks, dry dock and saw
pit. Unfortunately, we learned later in the year that this was
unsuccessful.
In July a Waterway Recovery Group summer
camp, supported by some of our volunteers, opened up middle
lock. This lock had been thoroughly demolished by explosives
during the second world war. Large amounts of clay and broken
bricks were removed, and in the weeks following most of the
remains of the lock were exposed.
In the later months of the year, the
fund-raising group driven by Kath Hatton has developed the
project document and made applications for funding, for the
re-watering of the canal between Pewsham Locks and Double
Bridge.
Bowood Section
Negotiations
with the tenant farmer’s agent have continued intermittently
throughout the year and we have reached the stage where
there are only two issues unresolved.
Calne
Arm
We ended the
year as we began by clearing 100 metres of canal at the end
of the navigable section in the town. During November and
December a substantial amount of work was done by KESCRG and
WRG forestry group, supported by branch restorers. They
have substantially cleared the heavily overgrown section
west of the navigable length of canal, though conditions are
now too wet for work to continue in the canal bed. A start
has also been made on clearing the route of the original
towpath and this, when complete, will provide an improved
path for the people of Calne to explore the peaceful valley
of the River Marden.
Colin Fletcher,
Project Director (West)
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