By Rob Westlake, Jan 14 2015
After the strong and gales force winds over the New Year period, most of the day was spent clearing up and tidying the area around the Museum and the Woodland Walk.
Initially the Museum Green was raked off, removing a large quantity of fallen branches and twigs from the poplar trees.
Some further pruning of the laurel was done, but this time the arisings were cut up and placed in the rubbish skip.
Our attentions were then turned to the area behind the Museum building, where huge piles of leaves had accumulated over the autumn period. These were cleared away and the area swept.
The shrubs and plants around the area were pruned and the remains of spent grow-bags cleared away. Path edges were cut back and stored notice boards and bins stacked away.
In the afternoon the team spent time up in the Woodland Walk, the Boat Horse Road and then back along the towpath to the Museum Green.
General trimming back of overhanging vegetation, along with the removal of some fallen branches.
We all joined together at the north end of the Woodland Walk, where it joins the Boat Horse Road to look at the possibility of improving the access.
The Woodland Walk can never be made ‘wheel chair’ friendly, but the creation of shallow steps would at least make a much easier route – rather than what is regularly a wet and slippery slope.
This project would need further research and costings and the Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership will be asked progress this project.
By Rob Westlake, Dec 10 2014
The Friends of the Canal Museum are preparing costings for some remedial works to the Museum Green. Over the last couple of summers, the area of the former Canal Arm and Dock have subsided and in places the original edging stones have been revealed.
The Green is used extensively for the Village Canal Events – and finding a level area on which to erect marquees is getting more difficult.
The Laurel hedge along the northern side of the Green has become very overgrown and has encroached onto the usable area by 4 or 5 metres.
The resident of the adjacent house has lost a lot of sunlight – particularly in the winter when the low sun never enters their garden.
After discussion with CRT – it was agreed that this work could be carried out and arrangements made to cart away 3 or 4 lorry loads of the arisings.
So the team set to work – and a huge pile of branches quickly covered a large area. By midday – only about half of the length of the hedge had been cut.
After discussions with our volunteer coordinator – a stop was called to enable the material to be stacked and loaded onto the CRT maintenance gang’s truck.
2 loads were carted away, but more couldn’t be done that day.
So the site was tidied up and 2 of our members assisted by our coordinator Graham returned the following morning to help load another 3 truck loads which were carted away.
By Rob Westlake, Nov 12 2014
The Adoption Group had spent a couple of days last year working around Lock 15, clearing back the vegetation and replacing sections of rotten arris rail around the side ponds.
The overgrowing foliage around the brick built ‘Ash-Box’ at Lock 15 had been trimmed back and the adjacent section of brick wall exposed for the first time for many years.
The hedge and ivy had again completely engulfed the area again, so this was cut back and a long section of the adjacent brick wall cleared of ivy. The Ash-Box was excavated and entangled roots and debris removed – including an engine flywheel and other unidentifiable metalwork. The remaining soil was dug through and planted up with daffodil bulbs.
These had been kindly donated by Young’s Nurseries at Blisworth. Initially we were given 4 trays – each containing about 150 bulbs.
Bulbs were also planted under the hedge along the towpath back towards the village and around the trees on the offside of Lock 15.
The towpath edging around the side ponds and the ash box was dug out – revealing quality edging bricks – which had seen the daylight for many years.
The following week, a couple of the team members meet again and planted another 6 trays of daffodil and narcissi bulbs.
The contents of 3 were planted along the towpath and up onto the Woodland Walk. 3 trays of bulbs were planted around the trees either side of Lock 14 and the bridge and then along the car park side of the Museum Green.
By Rob Westlake, Oct 8 2014
Concerns about overhanging trees had been raised by the gentleman that organises the Health Walks around Stoke Bruerne.
On inspection - the problem was that branches that had been sawn off in previous years by CRT's contractors - had re-sprouted and the weight of the summer foliage had lowered the whole branches.
So we set too work and cut back the foliage and then sawed of the offending branches - at a number of locations along the long pound.
That was the easy part of job. The arisings then had to be chopped up and disposed of - generally by filling gaps in the hedgerow and along the boundary fence.
The cutting only took a couple of hours - but the clearing of the towpath kept us busy well into the afternoon.
The rest of the team worked on the Woodland Walk - clearing back the rampantly growing brambles - to ensure the pathway is easier to use.
By Rob Westlake, Sep 11, 2014
The volunteers carried out some tidying up work around the Locks and the Museum Area in readiness for the Weekend 'At War'.
The Dry Lock area was weeded and litter removed. Weeding was done around the Top Lock and along the canal edge to the Museum Green.
The paint pots were brought out, and the lock beams re-painted, along with the lockside edging.
By Rob Westlake, Aug 14 2014 As our
CRT coordinator Miriam was on holiday, John Highmore arranged the
delivery of power and hand tools along with the necessary safety
equipment.
Graham Newman from Braunston - another volunteer coordinator joined us for the day.
Our thanks to Graham for his help and ensuring all tasks were carried out safely.
7 other volunteers joined us for all or part of the day.
The planned work for the day centred around 2 areas. Firstly, a tidy up of the area around Lock 14.
The dry lock was again cleared of weeds and some litter. The grass banks either side of the road bridge were raked off - with dead grass cuttings and leaves removed.
The hedge alongside the lock adjacent to the 'Spice of Bruerne' car park was cut. The verge and hedge adjacent to the disabled car parking bays by the bridge was also trimmed and tidied. Secondly, some members of the group then returned to the south portal of Blisworth Tunnel, to again tidy up the area in readiness for the Red Wheel Plaque unveiling ceremony on 22nd August. CRT's grass cutting contractor had that morning cut the grass bank around the 'tunnel segment', so this area was raked off and the brambles and bushes trimmed back. A small amount of foliage was cut back on the offside adjacent to the portal. A number of low hanging branches along the towpath were trimmed and those overgrowing the tunnel information signs were cleared.
During the afternoon, a couple of our volunteers walked up and down the long pound to lock 16 - to cut back some of the rampantly growing brambles, wild roses and other foliage to ensure towpath users don't have to duck and dodge.
The rest of the group spent the afternoon clearing back the ever evading brambles and bushes along the woodland walk. CRT's contractors had cut a swathe either side of the path, which helped enormously, but brambles grow out at head height and seem to grow extremely rapidly.
Since the last task day, CRT arranged for the Tunnel Plaques erected in 1984 to mark the re-opening of the tunnel after the major re-construction, to be removed from the southern and northern portals. These have been cleaned and graffiti removed and then re-painted. CRT's staff replaced the plaques last week. Stoke Bruerne Canal Partnership is also investigating the replacement of the small plaque which was fixed to the portal to mark the 200th anniversary of the opening of the tunnel in 2005.
19th July, 2014 by Rob Westlake: After the preliminary discussions the previous month, CRT Heritage wouldn't let us do anything more than 'spring-clean' the former stable block up near the tunnel. This work took the form of a 'dust' of the internal roof and beams along with the walls. The oldest graffiti was dated in the 1960's and some of the cobwebs dated from this era!! The floor was swept and several barrowfuls of leaves carted away.
Steve and Kathryn removed most of the ivy from the gable ends and the bushes and weeds cut back to enable the building to be 'seen' again.
Our attentions were then transferred to the southern tunnel portal. The blockwork towpath from the Blacksmiths to the portal was weeded and swept. Brambles and weeds cleared back that were encroaching on the 'tunnel section ring' - placed on the embankment beside the tunnel in 1984 after the re-lining of the central section. Weeds and ivy were removed from the tunnel portal.
After an abortive morning, waiting for a certain hire company to deliver equipment, our CRT Volunteer co-coordinator Miriam arrived with a strimmer and a hedgecutter. Our 2 'certified' power tool members set to work to clear the offside area of the approach to the tunnel. This revealed a set of Stop Planks which we reckon CRT probably don't even know they had!
Have they been used since 1984?
The whole area around the tunnel does look much more 'cared for'.
A small tidy up just before the planned ceremony on the 22 August is hopefully all that will be required - for the unveiling of a Red Wheel Plaque by the Transport Heritage Trust. This has been planned on the 30th anniversary of the re-opening of the tunnel after the closure of 4 years to enable the major re-construction of the central section.
2 highlights of the morning.
A water vole - swimming along the edge of the offside piling - and Miriam's brave efforts to rescue.
An Osprey flying overhead - witnessed by Rob and Miriam. Not the majestic bird of prey, but the US Air Force CV-22 http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104531/cv-22-osprey.aspx
The rest of the day was spent trimming back the every encroaching brambles and nettles along the woodland walk and cutting the hedge alongside the towpath between the Museum Green and the Woodland walk.
Next task day is planned for the 13th August.
