Grantham Canal - bits of rusty metal and other interesting stuff.

>>tease mode - on<<

I hope to have some photos of something very special in the next couple of days.

>>tease mode - off<<

 

My sincere apologies for the lack of photos.

Today was meant to be a test trip along the dredged section. Another attempt will be made sometime when conditions permit - as a result of the recent high winds, there is a large tree leaning over the waterway at very severe angle; it will need to be removed before any trips.

Sorry folks.

 

Ah, better safe than sorry.

A large tree falling can have serious consequences.
Hope it isn't too difficult / expensive to deal with.

 

Hopefully C&RT's own contractors will deal with it - if we have to do it, well, no great shakes; we'll crack on as best we can. There's another tree with a slightly lesser lean on the same stretch which we were told not to touch when we were clearing the off-bank in preparation for the dredging. That lean has become more pronounced and I think gravity will have the final say.

 

Another concrete pour today - exactly a month since the last one although we've been ready since the middle of last week. I've posted just a couple of photos as it's a repeat of the first pour. Tomorrow, the scaffolders will start erecting scaffolding in the lock chamber as the working at height regs now apply.

An overall view with just a couple of loads to be poured. Note that we have used the same bracing method between the chamber walls. It takes just a couple of hours to put in place. The shuttering boards are held down by "wing nuts" screwed down on threaded rods which are resined into the previous pour.



An overall view of the lock from the lower dam. A lot of silt has been removed from the lower pound, the approach walls have been exposed and, in the case of the off-side (right) wall, rebuilt. The towpath side (left) is currently work in progress. One of our volunteers is a dab-hand at dry-stone walling.



Elsewhere, we have started exposing the brickwork at the rear of the upper towpath side wing walls as work is developing in that area. It is not in good shape as it has been penetrated by reed rhizomes which have degraded the mortar meaning the bricks can be pulled out by hand. We await a decision by C&RT's engineer on the way forward.

Overall, progress is good and as long as the decent weather holds, we are hoping that we can maintain the impetus.

 

The day before Good Friday we had another pour which raised the structure by another 600mm. We had been ready for the pour the previous week, but had to wait for the concrete delivery.

Not my photo, but today's effort shows that the GCS volunteers had struck and stacked the shuttering and started on the next round of bricklaying.



A number of volunteers have had the temerity to start taking holidays so bricklaying progress may not be as rapid for a few weeks.

 

Looks like another group have had visitors

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-48055798

 

I just despair at the malicious attitudes that prevail in our society - even our quiet canal suffers from these brain-dead in-breds.

I'm sure our volunteers could save C&RT a few quid by opening and closing the bridge for them. A couple of our volunteers are holidaying on their boats along that stretch and would be more than happy to off-set their costs. They have very reasonable rates.

 

As the rebuild of the chamber walls has progressed at a good rate, another concrete pour is due in the next few days. Hopefully I'll have a couple of photos. So watch this space folks.

 

The pour has been booked to take place on the 31st May. Gives us a bit more time to make sure everything is ready.

In other news, the overall project Grantham Canal Heritage Initiative – Restoration of Lock 15 - has reached the finals in the Best Construction, Heritage, Engineering or Environment Project category of this year’s Waterways Alive Awards. The winners will be announced at a presentation evening in Birmingham on 4th July. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Good luck with both of those ! @baldbof

 

A couple of photos from the recent pour.

Friday's view - The pour completed and waiting for the concrete to go off.



Today's view - The concrete has gone off, the shuttering /supports have been taken down, the scaffolders are on site to lift the chamber platform and we are getting ready for the next phase of bricklaying. Another three 'lifts' and we should be upto the height for the edge capping stones.



One of our volunteers is rebuilding the letter-boxes. He's been cutting stones to form the channel for the paddle gear. That white stuff covering the brickwork is stone dust - it is not Columbian marching powder or talcum powder!!

 

After the recent downpours, the by-wash has been working overtime.




It's calmed down a bit now.

 

Thirsty work this canal lock restoration malarky.

 

I would have expected several empties of Oldershaw, Newby Wyke or Brewster's.....

 

Newby Wyke just happens to be spitting distance from chez balbof.

 

The next concrete pour has had to be rescheduled from this week to Wednesday 3rd of July due to losing a week through the recent torrential rain which thoroughly screwed up our bricklaying. We still have a lot to do but are confident we can meet the new pour date as long as the weather holds.

 

Some photos from today's concrete pour.

We were on-site at 7.00am to receive the concrete pump and the first delivery of concrete which arrived at 7.45am.

Just to remind you what the site looked like in January just before the start of the rebuild.



After today's pour; note that we are above the level of the surrounding ground.



Just a couple of hours after being poured the concrete had gone off sufficiently to allow walking on it without leaving foot welly boot prints.



A general view taken from the lower dam. The guys on the scaffolding are waiting for the next mixer lorry to arrive.



Work continues on the rebuild of the letterboxes.



A refreshment break for the hard-working lads of the Grantham Canal Society.



Next week we are being joined by the WRGs who are coming for three weeks to help us with the rebuild.

 

There was another concrete pour on Thursday - 15 days after the last one. No photos this time as one pour is just like the previous ones.

One more pour to go and we are up to height - give or take a couple of layers of bricks.

 

After the previous pour, we're on the final leg of rebuilding the chamber walls. The final concrete pour of this phase is in a couple of weeks and this photo shows the progress we are making. The height of the ladder recess on the left of the photo shows the level to which we are aiming, then we will be laying the edge capping stones - which are sitting in the compound awaiting their turn for our attention.



One of our volunteers has been working very patiently on re-building the tow-path side letter box and will be turning his attention to the other side. Just needs the capping stones and paddle gear to finish it off.