So much has been achieved in 2025, I’m so glad to have photos to record the events that have punctuated the year – in particular, the contrast of the original site compared to now. Previously, passing the cottage, you could almost look into the ground floor window when we started here. Now we are on the bed of the canal, and can see very little of the building.
We also removed the huge longstanding obstacle – the Big Pipe – on 8 April 2025 and immediately had the problem of water running over the concrete bed. The water is following the natural course, but now we paddle each day and the water cannot be contained. We’ve learned to live with it, but have erected scaffolding where necessary to lift us out of the wet.
Removal of the pipe has enabled us to move forward towards Cricket Lane. We’ve extended the towpath wall, and the offside wall, which needed to go around a corner to widen the canal before the culvert. If you have chance, look at the brickwork there and see what a wonderful job our bricklayers have made and how we’ve repurposed the Big Pipe.
The 14-tonne excavator bought with money from the 2023 Big Give appeal has enabled us to remove surplus soil from site, and dig deep excavations, ready to go under Cricket Lane later this year. We couldn’t have purchased this machine without the money raised through the appeal, so thank you if you were one of the pledgers or donors.
Construction has progressed at pace this year, but not all events were on site. One of the highlights for me was meeting the King at Lichfield Cathedral in November, along with three other volunteers. He was very interested in what we were doing and in the model of the Gallows Reach lift bridge that we had on display. The King asked if members of the public would be able to use the bridge, so I said that they would be able to cross the canal without getting their feet wet – he had a little chuckle at that.
But most of all in the past year, I have to say the biggest of thank yous to everyone who supports the ongoing work of construction. Interested people, members, donors, volunteers, benefactors and more. Without you, it would still be a blemish on the ground with a big pipe coming into view here and there.
Now, let’s hope the weather changes from cold and wet, to dry and warmer.
Brian Williams
Workparty teamleader
This blog first appeared in Cut Both Ways, our members’ magazine.
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