An eventful work party and records tumbled.
“This party was always going to be a busy one for several reasons. Nine volunteers attended on Thursday for a variety of preparatory tasks, thereby extending the April work party to four days”. Said restoration project manager, Tom Fulda, “On arrival, we were greeted by a tree which had fallen onto the welfare container courtesy of Storm Dave, a few days earlier. Thankfully, no damage and by Saturday, this had been consigned to the bonfire”.
Large numbers were expected for the main work party with a group from OutdoorLads attending Friday to Sunday, an event that had been in planning for several months. With high numbers, there was a prospect of making great progress with lining and blocking in Phase 2. Delivery of blocks in Phase 2 is only possible along the channel bed so profiling the channel ready for lining and blocking (which requires diggers to operate in the channel) cannot be undertaken at the same time. So, Thursday was spent profiling as much of the channel as possible ready for the following day. Also on Thursday, work to extend the welfare facilities with extra benching and a gazebo was completed along with several other preparatory jobs. We had a very productive site meeting with CRT senior engineer Ian Draycott to discuss detailing for the wash wall that will be constructed through Schoolhouse Bridge later this year. A start was made clearing spoil in the channel through this area.
On Friday, we were visited by CRT chief executive Campbell Robb making his first tour of the Montgomery Canal since his recent appointment. With the work party in full swing, he appeared very impressed by what he saw and said,
“The restoration seems to be progressing in leaps and bounds, and I feel this is a flagship project that many on the canal system can learn from. I’m impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm of all involved”.
In addition to the Society’s restoration work, Campbell also visited Llanymynech Wharf Visitor Centre and the Carreghofa Bridge construction site nearby, before moving on to Welshpool.
And so, to the main restoration works themselves. As anticipated, numbers were high – in fact an all-time record of 37 on Saturday and a Sunday record of 28. A somewhat less welcome feature was the weather with some sharp, but thankfully short-lived, showers and gusty winds. These are never the best when laying large sections of liner which at times billowed like sails which would not look out of place in Cowes Week. Nevertheless, by Sunday afternoon, 60 metres of channel had been lined and blocked – another record. This required an incredible 5,000 blocks to have been individually handled and each lovingly placed.
With so many volunteers available, many other tasks were also undertaken. Over four days, substantial progress was made removing spoil from the channel either side and through Schoolhouse Bridge. Environmental works stretched from winter into spring – whereas in February, a major snowdrop salvage operation had been undertaken relocating barrow-loads from the future work site at Waen Wen, this time it was the turn of daffodils which were replanted out of harm’s way along the hedgerow in Phase 2. Given the mild and wet winter, weeding was also necessary around newly planted hedging whips.
To have guest volunteers for three whole days was a new experience. The group of nine from OutdoorLads came from as far afield as Kent, Southampton and Kosovo and hugely enjoyed supporting the restoration efforts of the Society as well as the friendly environment on site. Their leader, Rob, said:
“Our members found the weekend very rewarding and were really happy to see the impact on the restoration that their hard work had”.
Once again, a big thank you is due to all those who helped out over the work party.
Feature image: Society volunteers and OutdoorLads take a well-earned break
