Since August, our Tamworth Road team has been working on the buttressing on the offside of the channel, next to the old lock keeper’s cottage. This is because the canal will be much lower along here to get under Cricket Lane, so they’ve had to reinforce the higher land before digging the canal to its lower level.
It’s a well-established process; a concrete footing is created, gabion frames placed on top, bricks added round the edges and broken bricks in the middle. One section was already complete, so in August they continued to extend out towards Cricket Lane.
In September, the team worked on the other side of the completed section. This was more complicated as it was right below the driveway of the cottage, so we needed to ensure the driveway could be safely used during the work.
A new picket fence was erected and the task was completed. The next job is to start digging out the foundation for the canal wall. But this means the return of the Big Pipe! Watch this space for the next installment.
This blog first appeared in Cut Both Ways, our members’ magazine.
