Wendover Arm Trust Working Party News, Issue 112, December 2015
...And a successful restoration New Year
This photograph shows the progress at the end of the December working party. This picture, taken from in front of Whitehouses, shows the completed pipe capping on the left that is now approaching the end of Stage 3 at Whitehouses. (Roger Leishman)
One of the completed sections. (Roger Leishman)
This photograph shows the present progress. The settling tank in the foreground is ready to receive the cross members that will support a steel grid over the tank. (Roger Leishman)
November and December Working Parties
Illustration 3 shows the progress at the end of the December working party. This photo, taken from in front of Whitehouses, shows the completed pipe capping on the left that is now approaching the end of Stage 3 at Whitehouses.
On the offside, behind the pipe capping is the bank being restored in carefully laid shallow layers of spoil that are consolidated by the plant operating to and fro over it. The bank had to be removed to allow the pipe trench to be capped although, as stated in the October issue of this newsletter, the bank was mainly spill from the Herts County Council former rubbish tip adjacent to the canal. On the towpath side the bank is being rough profiled ready for the re-lining process in due course.
January and February Working Parties
During the November and December working parties no ready-mix concrete was laid for pipe capping as priority had to be given to excavation and works associated with Whitehouses. Excavation only will continue during January and February.
A look back at this year
I can only look back with pride for what the Trust’s volunteers have achieved in eight years, a total of 550 metres in water since re-lining Phase II started in 2007. The Trust will be saying thank you at a buffet lunch for our volunteers in January.
Whitehouses
The CRT contractor has been working on the water control works although work has been temporarily suspended at present.
Illustration 5 shows the present progress. The settling tank in the foreground is ready to receive the cross members that will support a steel grid over the tank. The brick piers in the tank, part of the restoration by KESCRG, with grooves are to hold weir boards to control what will be the water level in the whole of the Arm and the mainline canal (Tring Cutting) between Cowroast and Marsworth locks with surplus water being fed into Wilstone Reservoir.
The square brickwork behind the settling tank is the new manhole that will have sluice valves to control the various flows of water.
Reinstated in its original position on top of the wharf wall is the paddle gear that will allow the pound between Bridge 4 (Patrick Saunders footbridge) and Bridge 5 (Drayton Beauchamp Bridge) to be drained.
It has been refurbished in newly painted black and white.
General Notes
We operate as a self-supervising group under CRT and all volunteers receive and sign for the Trust’s Restoration Handbook that includes full Health and Safety requirements for the restoration works.
The handbook is the property of the Trust; if you leave the working parties for any reason, please return your Handbook to either Ray Orth or myself.
Hard hats for use at all times and high visibility jackets to be worn on sites with mobile plant in use are kept in the store at Tringford and must be drawn/returned there.
One first aid kit is kept in the store and one in the Nissan Cabstar and each qualified first-aider will have their own kit with him/her when on site.
Also available in the store at Tringford are ear defenders and goggles that must be worn when using strimmers, angle grinders, concrete breakers and the like. CRT will supply hard hats, gloves and footwear with reinforced toecaps on request.
We normally work from 9am to 5pm (or dark if earlier!). There are breaks for morning tea/coffee, packed lunch and afternoon tea/coffee. We take our own food and drink.
Details of future working parties can be obtained by contacting the Wendover Arm Trust via their website http://wendoverarmtrust.co.uk/