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| August 2003
Diary | Directory
EDITORIAL COMMENT ~
Steve Jones
The Drungewick to Newbridge (D2N) project is being held up for a variety of reasons
but not one to allow the Trust to rest on its laurels, Eric Walker has been
pushing ahead with proposals for the B2133 crossing at Loxwood. Fresh from his
success with Drungewick Aqueduct, Eric has offered to oversee this project, to
the plaudits of his colleagues on the Council of Management and indeed mine,
and I expect, yours as well. It is possible that the whole landscape of the
area around the Onslow Arms could be changed, but first we must raise the
all-important funds to carry out this exciting project. The expected costs will
no doubt exceed those for the Drungewick civil engineering works but, I have no
doubt we can do it! And there can be no better reason to get on with it than
the current water shortage for running the lucrative Trip Boats; essential for
the funds they provide and for the 'public face' of the Trust.
WACT Photo Competition. ~ John Wood and Janet Phillips (Organising
Committee).
Get out your cameras! You could win the first WACT Photo Competition. The subject is the Wey
and Arun Canal. Photographs may be of the canal itself or of people, nature or things associated with it.
The aims of the
competition are:
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For photographers to have fun, and thus demonstrate the leisure potential of the
canal.
To provide quality photos of the canal which can then be used for the benefit of
WACT.
Entry forms and the rules can be obtained from the WACT Office, The Granary, Flitchfold Farm,
Loxwood, W Sussex. RH14 0RH (sae please) or downloaded from:-
http://mysite.freeserve.com/wactphotos.
Closing date for entries is 1 Mar 04. Hundreds of photos are taken each year but few find there
way to where they are needed. So please help the trust and enjoy yourself at the same time.
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Gordon to the Rescue
~ Colin Gibbs.
At the end of June, the Mid Week Working Party (MWWP) and other volunteers were tasked with
erecting 150yards of stock fencing north of Harsfold Bridge. Whilst we were all
willing, we were lacking a certain amount of expertise and cohesion.
Fortunately, Gordon Limbrick's timely arrival on site brought order and a great
deal of know-how to the job. There is now a continuous fence running north to
the Flood-lock Bridge. (A hedge will be planted in the winter.) As well as the
new fence, the 20 volunteers who worked on the Tuesday, and the 14 on the
Wednesday, were able to remove the old fencing at the top of the towpath bank,
reposition the existing farm gate and post, re-hang the other 2 gates at the
bridge crossroad, remove 2 stiles and construct another.
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A Busy Time for Keeping up Appearances
~ Brian Crossley
A peculiarity of the calendar meant that the Monday Group had three
fortnightly 'mow-and-strim' days in June, visiting all 7 of our usual road
crossings each time. In addition, just before the official opening of the
Floodgate Bridge, we spent an extra day tidying up both the Lordings sites –
the Floodgate Lock and Bridge area and the Aqueduct and Water Wheel location.
During July we were asked to carry out two additional tasks, one was to
install the new sign boards at the Loxwood road crossing and the other was to
clear up the Rowner and Malham Locks in preparation for the visiting camps. A
pretty busy period for our small group.
Our next meetings will be on Monday 11th August, and because the Bank Holiday is two
weeks later, on Monday September 1st. If you think you might be able
to spare one or two days a month for this worthwhile and rewarding work, please
give me a call.
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Wanted, Hamsters with Mechanical Bent!
~ Winston Harwood
Wanted, Hamsters with Mechanical Bent. by Winston Harwood.The water wheel is due to be
delivered any day and I would like a team of 2 or 3 to assemble it. A good
opportunity for anybody handy with a spanner. It's not a long-term job, perhaps
4 or 5 working days. We are at Lordings on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
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Towpath levelling and Dam
Building on the Summit.
~ Bill Nicholson
This year's NWPG summer camp was centred on the Dig
Deep project being carried out in Sidney Wood. The aim of this is to restore
the channel so that the canal can be re-watered along the whole of the Forest
Enterprise length leased to the Trust, and to provide a good quality towpath
throughout.
The camp's tasks were to complete the weir (started in May and progressed
by KESCRG in July), surface the remaining lengths of the footpath and bridleway
to the north of the site compound, to remove a causeway, to pipe a causeway to
allow water to flow from one section to the next, and to install a dam close to
Lock 16 to enable the pounds to be re-flooded.
By the end of seven full working days some 250 yards of towpath had been
laid with road planings and rolled. The causeway had been removed and used to
fill one of the breaks in the canal bank. At the weir, the brickwork to the
outfall was finished and backfilled and the large trench containing the outfall
pipe filled. The weir box blockwork was completed and capped with bricks and,
most onerously, back filled with thoroughly puddled clay up to a depth of 10
feet. Rain in the middle of the week hampered progress on the dam at Lock 16
and this job has been left for next time.
Elsewhere, the observant will be aware that the pile of clay at Tickners
Heath has gone. A team of two diggers and two dumpers took two days to complete
the work on the dam at the end of this length. Hopefully it’ll be more watertight
now. At Bignor Bridge and Malham Lock some re-pointing was done and growth
removed from the lock walls at both Malham and Rowner. All three sites look
good and ready for restoration to progress south from Drungewick. The WRG
Forestry Team spent the week felling two large dead trees at Barnsill Bridge.
26 volunteers attended the camp and stayed in no less than 3 halls;
eventually settling in the very pleasant surroundings of Rumbolds Farm,
Plaistow. Thanks to Ken Bacon for sorting this out at the last minute and also
to Graham Baird for his ever efficient organisation of the materials and plant.
We hope to finish the work on the summit in October (weather permitting).
Whither Dig Deep in 2004?
Further details from Bill Nicholson (01844
343369 or billnicholson@lineone.net)
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Battle of the Bulge
~Eric Walker.
Drungewick lock work on the bulge is imminent. At Devils Hole lock finishing
the work there is now urgent, with a new target to
complete the backfill after the harvest and before the next ploughing of the
field. The replacement of the pump at Baldwins Knob lock is to be done in the
same time frame. There are two other similar jobs awaiting landowner consent
and of course the swing bridge to be painted. Busy times ahead! No meeting on
Sunday 3 Aug due to holidays.
The Thursday & Sunday Groups (TSG) meet at 09:30 at the Onslow Arms,
Loxwood. Lots of jobs, mostly construction related. For more details contact
Eric Walker Tel/Fax 023 9246 3025 or email ericwalker@onetel.net.uk
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