Having completed the path and ramps at Fosseway, we just needed to finish off with some tidying up. Then we moved on to other work nearby and ended up spending all of October and November at Fosseway.
The hardcore used to top the path was a bit harsh underfoot, so we spread a finer grit on top to create a smoother walkway. We had enough of this material to continue topping out the path towards Wood Lock 18 and it does look better now we have finished.
The remaining tidying-up jobs included moving all of the unused sheet piling and taking it back up to the container for safe keeping. Then we created haunching (reinforcement) in front of the canal wall and backfilled the piling on the opposite side. Finally, we installed a gate and fence posts.
It was early December when we transferred to our new site under the oak tree on Tamworth Road, next to the Fishface chippy.
The first job was to clear an access route under London Road bridge so we can get plant through, so we used our new small digger. It was a slow process because the spoil had to be scraped out backwards due to the restricted space and movement here. So, with each metre advanced, there was a further metre to drag the spoil out backwards.
Eventually we emerged on the other side of the bridge, where we flattened off the top of the next bund, reducing the gradient into the canal bed and making it less steep for our plant.
The final job before our Christmas break was to hand dig next to the road. We needed to locate the stem of the retaining wall, which was installed as part of the Southern Bypass by Persimmon and Amey. This foresight means that we will be able to dig out the north wall of Lock 23, right next to the road, without it collapsing.
For now, all we are doing is locating the stem of the wall in order to mark its extent and location on the plans being submitted for our planning application for the St John’s section.
Mike Babb
Workparty volunteer
January 2025
This blog first appeared in Cut Both Ways, our members’ magazine.
For more recent photos, follow our Facebook page.
