Pewsham
The work party
year started unremarkable on the 11th January when we worked
on frozen ground clearing scrub from Messrs Doel’s land at
the Reybridge end of the cut. We made a concerted effort to
complete the clearance throughout February as we had made
plans to finish Double Bridge by mid-May starting as soon as
the cold weather broke.
Work on the
bridge started on 8th March with a splendid turnout of 18
volunteers but the weather deteriorated to a point where it
became too slippery to work safely. It became evident that
completion of the bridge to schedule would not be possible
without a detailed plan and a more intensive working
approach. Working to a master plan drawn up by Martin Stubbs
we started a work programme of at least two work parties
each week. Often the whole weekend was worked and when
plant was hired the whole week was spent on the bridge. One
of the tasks essential to the completion was the re-watering
of the section that passed under it. This involved the
sealing of two culverts using tonnes of imported blue clay
which had to be compacted over the culverts using a remote
controlled sheep’s foot roller.
Our efforts
were rewarded with the completion of the Bridge on time with
clear water under it lapping the newly rebuilt wing walls.
The opening by our Patron HRH the Duchess of Cornwall on the
26th May was a wonderful event and will be long remembered.
Grateful thanks must go to the team of up to 26 volunteers
who worked some 1300 man-hours over 30 days during the final
two months to complete the project on time. This achievement
alone made 2009 a memorable year.
As a short
diversion from the bridge work we managed to provide boat
trips on Easter Saturday in Calne for CARP’s Bunny Hunt.
Unfortunately the work party were unable to help at the
Chippenham Folk Festival because the Royal Visit was on the
very next day. This was much to our regret as this festival
is a major local public attraction of the year and the
Trust, sadly, were not represented.
Other
achievements this year was the signing of the lease for the
canal on the Weinstock estate which will enable us to spend
charitable funds on its restoration. Planning is now well
underway for the dredging of the remaining section from
Double Bridge up to Pewsham Bottom Lock which we hope to
achieve this year
During the
first week of July we had a visiting work party from
Waterways Recovery Group (WRG) to start work on clearing the
locks at Pewsham. A great start but progress was hampered by
the excess of ground water coming out of Top Lock. Good
progress was made on Middle Lock however and our team are
still working on this lock. Which indicates the amount of
work that has to be done.
In October we
had tree surgeons on site to fell three trees that were
growing out of or near to canal structures. This was
undertaken with minimal collateral damage and the
substantial amount of timber that arose has only just been
removed from site.
Forest &
Queenfield Farms
The whole canal
at Forest & Queenfield Farms was mowed at the end of
September. This has much improved the canal’s appearance and
was the first for a couple of years. We should try to mow
this stretch at least once a year in the future.
Calne
Interest in
partially restoring Town Lock has been shown by the good
people of CARP who are working hard to secure funds for the
lock rehabilitation. This will be a cosmetic repair as the
lock cannot be fully restored while there is a 36”storm
drain passing through it. However it will look like a lock
with gates at both ends. But although it will be back filled
and turfed, for safety reasons, it will have a 250mm dia
pipe laid along the length of the chamber floor to take
water from the River Marden when permitted by the
Environment Agency. This will greatly improve the water
quality at the lock end of the section and provide water for
any extension of the cut.
On the weekends
of 7th & 8th of November and 5th & 6th December we had a
visiting teams from Kent & East Sussex Canal Recovery Group
(KESCRG) to work on the canal bed belonging to Mrs Sutton.
The thick scrub on the canal bed and north side has now been
cleared and all that remains is the overgrown towpath on the
south side of the canal.
Attendance at
work parties has remained high at a steady 15 on major
events, with a maximum of 18 on some occasions. Recruitment
has also remained good with several promising volunteers
joining us over the past year.
We have held
over 90 work parties since the beginning of the year and
clocked up 5,587 man-hours of work and travelled over 10,500
miles to attend the work.
This activity
is evaluated as £73,872 in Volunteer Matched Funding. This
is a staggering increase on that of past years which I hope
will encourage our funders.
Well done
everybody.
Douglas Harris
