Shropshire Union Canal Society shares December work party update

The main activities for the December work party were towpath construction, channel profiling and hedge-laying. The first two required some adaptation to the ideal approach but thankfully this didn’t prove to be a hindrance. Plans are there to be changed!

Each day two to three teams of volunteers worked on towpath construction in Phase 3 with separate teams positioning and fixing towpath boards and others delivering and compacting aggregate over a geotextile membrane. Whereas last month we had worked from the far end back towards the compound delivering materials along the channel this was no longer an option due to heavy and prolonged rainfall in the meantime. 

With access only possible via the towpath itself work progressed from the compound end, aggregate being delivered along the newly constructed towpath. Progress was so exceptional – boards are now completed all the way to Malthouse Bridge – that we ran out of aggregate. The boards are currently filled and compacted to half height. The final fill and compacting will be done from the far end back to the compound to avoid excessive tracking by plant on the newly finished surface. Further space has been created in the compound for extra deliveries of aggregate before we resume work next month.

On Friday we were joined once again by volunteers from Aico who did sterling clearance work in preparation for hedge laying until rain stopped play mid-afternoon. Over this month and last Aico volunteers have now cleared a 75-metre length of brash and undergrowth in front of the hedge line. An enormous help – thanks go to them all. With the site cleared, hedge laying could commence and by Sunday afternoon 25 metres had been completed. Two new volunteers, Neil and Craig, practiced their craft under the expert supervision of Margaret – the Society’s hedge laying guru – and the result looks impressive.

Unlike Phase 3, the site in Phase 2 was not under water although it was pretty muddy in places. However, some profiling could continue. 45 metres is now ready for lining and blocking when weather conditions permit.

As can be seen from the three previous work party reports much clearance has been done at Waen Wen in preparation for Canal & River Trust tree work contractors to come on site. They now have! A full report will be sent out separately. A small area remains which the contractors will return to before long. The 8-tonne digger spent Friday of this work party creating the required access for the tree contractors.

The drone footage was taken on Sunday afternoon showing Phase 3 with towpath works underway and the cleared Waen Wen Basin beyond.

Thanks are due to all the volunteers for achieving such great progress over the last 12 months.