Restoration Summer Canal Camp 2000

A report by Peter Redway [First published in BC News 187 Autumn 2000]   Waterway restoration groups have again supported very successful work camps on the Basingstoke, tackling a variety of jobs including enabling work for the back pumping scheme, urgent repairs to by-washes at two locks, towpath work, lock painting and water control measures.     Kent and East Sussex Restoration Group (KESCRG) provided nineteen experienced and twentyone inexperienced volunteers for the first weekend, beginning 28th July, and thirty for the rest of that week until 5th August. For the second week, the Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) had fifteen volunteers for the weekend of 12th August and twelve for the remainder of the week, finishing on 18th August. The major priority was the repair work to the by-wash of Lock 3, because the Canal had had to be closed to permit this. Diversion of the public footpath which runs over the by-wash was a requirement for public safety and this had been agreed with Runnymede BC.     Unfortunately, the only available route was via a temporary footbridge across the upper lock wing walls - hence the Canal closure.     A prefabricated bridge, very nicely made by the Canal rangers, was craned into place on Saturday 29th July. Other bits of fencing and signposts were removed to allow access for a 5 ton excavator and a dumper, and work then began with excavations at the lower offside, where significant subsidence had occurred since last year’s work camp installed a larger weir.

These confirmed that extensive leakage through the lock structure had undermined the by-wash pipes, which had not originally been laid on concrete. Dropped pipes, a blocked outlet and other leaks at the upper paddle culvert had to be remedied. The deep excavations necessitated the use of trench supports and cross braces.     New pipes were laid on, and back-filled with reinforced concrete, despite thunderstorms which flooded the site and caused a lot of extra work     Then the concrete could be poured on the last day of the first week.     The week between the two work camps gave time for the concrete to set completely, so that it was able to withstand the excavator removing the trench supports, which was the first task for WRG and Society volunteers in the second week.     The original pipes adjacent to the paddles were also excavated. Brickwork and casting of ready-mix concrete completed the by-wash On the Sunday, back-filling of the new pipework was finished and a new access chamber between the new pipes and the original outlet was prepared.     - apart from grouting of the pipe joints from the inside which was done by one of WRG’s female volunteers. Whilst all this was going on, time was found to repaint Locks 2, 4 and 5.     Finally, the footpath was reinstated and tarmac was laid in time for the footpath to be re-opened, the temporary bridge to be removed and the Canal re-opened to boats on schedule.     A somewhat similar job was done at Lock 4, which had also suffered from subsidence along the by-wash. Excavations revealed a large void, but no sign of a leak, which had probably been cured last year when the weir was constructed. The whole void was back-filled using appropriate compacting equipment and 4 tonnes of stone were required to restore towpath levels.

KESCRG teams completed site clearance for the new pump-house, access road and water pipe installation and landscaped the spoil. This work involved the removal of a quantity of scrap metal which appeared to be the remains of barges.     A team also resurfaced the towpath from the River Wey to the pump-house site, which had been in a very poor state.     Work camps do not happen by waving a magic wand - the preliminary setting up of the compounds and their subsequent removal, ordering and collection of materials and equipment are the responsibility of the Canal Society as sponsors of the camps.     Left to right: Paul Cattermole (assistant camp leader) Helen Gardiner (WRG camp leader) Peter Redway (canal Society chairman)   The camps fully justified the efforts of all involved, achieving a number of objectives - the beginning of the Society’s contribution to the Backpumping Project, raising the profile of volunteer capabilities, and improving the liaison between visiting groups, WRG and the Society.     I wish to thank Janet Greenfield, David Junkison and Pablo Haworth for their assistance before, during and after the camps, Ken Parish, Eddie Jones, James Hodgeson and Brian Amos for organising the KESCRG camp and site works, Helen Gardner and Paul Catermole for organising the WRG camp and site works, and all the SHCS volunteers who gave their time and efforts to the project.     When the above was published in the canal society's quarterly magazine BC News, its editor, Roger Cansdale, added -     Peter, as usual, is far too modest to mention his own contributions, which included all the preliminary planning, finding new accommodation for the visitors when the original arrangements fell through, and supervision of the activities for most of the time, despite simultaneously having considerable domestic problems to deal with. Thanks again Pete for a great job.     [photos: Roger Cansdale, Dieter Jebens, Peter Redway]   BACK

Last updated November 2000