Works to March next year are supported by a grant from the Shared Prosperity Fund which covers channel restoration, towpath restoration and the winter environmental programme. This month saw the start of towpath restoration between Schoolhouse Bridge (Br 86) and Malthouse Bridge (Br 87) and the environmental programme.
“The distance between Schoolhouse Bridge and Malthouse Bridge is 340 metres. In the absence of a haul road alongside the canal, the channel will be used for plant access to deliver materials. 250 metres of the channel had been previously cleared last winter, and time was spent this time clearing the remainder of overhanging branches, saplings and small trees to permit dumper and digger access. Passage through to Waen Wen was also enabled by the removal of a redundant (but very solid!) headwall at Malthouse Bridge”, said restoration project manager, Tom Fulda.
As elsewhere, the unrestored towpath becomes muddy and slippery in wet weather and has plenty of trip hazards from tree roots. Before towpath construction could start stumps and tree roots growing in the channel bank and under the towpath had to be removed. Also, in preparation the hedge alongside the towpath which had become heavily overgrown was cut back to its previous line. Thanks to young volunteer Josh, newly qualified for safe working with hedge trimmer, for taking care of this.
The standard specification is for a 1.2-metre-wide towpath comprising compacted aggregate between boards. Starting from Malthouse Bridge back towards the compound 60 metres of towpath was constructed and surfaced with stone. The rate of progress will accelerate considerably now the preparation works have been completed and as we get closer to the compound at Schoolhouse Bridge where the materials are stored.
This winter’s environmental programme comprises hedge laying and hedge planting, starting by the compound and working back towards last year’s area nearer Crickheath. This got a massive boost on Friday with 5 corporate volunteers from Aico in Oswestry clearing and preparing this length ready for pleaching. So a big thank you to them – they certainly put in a shift and apparently enjoyed it so much that more colleagues are expected for next month’s work party.
In Waen Wen final preparations were made for tree work by contractors over winter. This will entail felling of trees at or below the future water level which have grown up since the channel eventually emptied of water several decades ago. At one end of the basin the remaining brash created last time was burned on Friday and Saturday. At the other end redundant drainpipes (which used to convey surface water to Crickheath after the canal fell into disuse and a mains water supply was available) were removed from the channel along with a brick inspection chamber. An access ramp into the basin was built and a further ramp over the culvert running beneath the basin was constructed. This enables plant access over the culvert whilst felling, clearance and site investigation activities are underway.
Finally, a word of thanks from Shropshire Council leader Cllr Heather Kidd. She and other senior councillors visited the canal on Friday viewing previously restored sections as well as the current work site. Cllr Kidd thanked the organisers and volunteers for the morning’s experience, which she said had really helped her and colleagues understand the scope of restoration efforts in Shropshire and how the canal could fit with the council’s connectivity, health and wellbeing, and economic priorities.
