Jump to content

Coal Canal Restoration


magpie patrick

Featured Posts

As there isn't a canal building sub forum I've put this in general boating. With the Radford Canal Festival next year it's time we had some canal. The plan is to have a few hundred yards that boats can float on, and visitors can walk along and enjoy a "real" canal

 

14848239339_e876e51812_z.jpg

 

This is where the boats will be - Radford Mill Farm, about 400 yards from the Timsbury and Paulton terminus. We intend to have a slipway so trailable boats can visit: at least two committee members have such boats. Portable boats such as kayaks and dinghies also welcome

 

14848431967_93a0b5cc13_z.jpg

 

This is the site of Terminus Bridge: at the moment the channel is blocked and holds water in Paulton Basin: in the next two weeks a temporary dam will be fitted and a contractor will remove the fill. This will allow us to assess the invert and channel walls with a view to rebuilding the bridge itself.

The two observers are Richard Fox, the land owner at Radford Mill*, and Sara Vian, a local singer/songwriter who will be appearing at the festival and is very supportive of our aims.

*Terminus Bridge belongs to another landowner, but they are also wanting the restoration to happen.

 

 

14848437547_82f3254b41_z.jpg

 

This is also the site of Terminus Bridge - people walk across the dam but it is practical and safe to cross just five yards to the east, and when the bridge is complete obviously they can walk across that! We think much of the fill is the masonry from the original bridge

 

14848236779_f6c7eef57a_z.jpg

 

Finally this is Paulton Dry Dock - a year or so ago the water in here was so high the dock walls were flooded, and when we drained it the dock was full of mud. The canal took narrow boats, but it would appear this dock could hold three of them at once!

 

WRG BITM are coming in September, and London WRG are coming in October. I'll keep posting as this develops

 

Watch this space!

Edited by magpie patrick
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And another couple of pics

 

15039569555_197ef57f93_z.jpg

 

This is dry dock bridge, at the entrance to the dry dock. The landowner, Brian Gould, is working on putting the arch back

 

15016582506_0fc98e8bc2_z.jpg

 

This is Brian with the formwork he has built to build the new arch. It's handy having a retired stonemason involved! The bridge itself is interesting as the abutments are slightly flared, the opening to the dry dock being slightly wider than the opening to the canal. (Photo SCCS - taken by Adrian Tuddenham)

 

And finally,

15016569096_a9a210f9a5_z.jpg

 

This length of dry canal is all that lies between the Festival site and Terminus Bridge, it is owned by a third landowner, but they are also on board with the idea. Radford Festival site to Paulton Basins is achievable in the fairly near future, perhaps by the 2015 festival? :-)

Edited by magpie patrick
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good luck with the project. Nice to know you have the landowners interested too.

 

Is there a date for the festival as there seems to be nothing on google?

 

July 4th and 5th next year - early stages of planning but as you can see we're cracking on with it on all fronts!

 

Come along everyone, we want to see you!

Edited by magpie patrick
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Patrick, those faint remains are intriguing, I love those kind of tell tale signs of old canals, even railways.

Some are obvious, like the Dunkerton aqueduct, others only if you happen to know about them. Having driven around that area a lot, I have had the odd tantalising glimpse of a depression running from under a bridge (near Mells or Vobster, the Wilts and Dorset) or what look like the old outlines of locks near Combe Hay (?). One I can never remember which is which, is the railroad bridge and the aqueduct at Midford. Ones still intact, with a cycle path over it, the other was removed leaving just the abutments. I guess the railroad bridge is the remaining one?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're both railways, the canal went under the road at Midford, near the Hope and Anchor.

 

You up for a tour Luc'?

Under the road? Never knew that.

 

I'll get the punt ready for a tour, as soon as I return with the 'certificate for merriment and japery '..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.