Grantham Canal - bits of rusty metal and other interesting stuff.

Hi Baldbof,
I managed, at last, to visit both locks last Thursday, due to a last minute change of travel plan. Was great to see the finished lock (14?), and as much as I could see from behind the fence of the work on 15. I do follow your informative updates and photos, so was a treat to see all that effort and workmanship in the flesh, a BZ for all those on the team!!!. Did not stop too long on that sweltering day as I'd walked up from the Dirty Duck along the unshaded towpath and arrived dripping. Was glad to be able to walk back in the shade of the old track bed as I'd left me 'at in Barnsley .
Must sat that the interior of the Dirty Duck is...... err... a bit in your face, and have never seen a bar front clad in simulated rusty corrugated iron sheeting, the landlady hastened to add that it was an interior designer wot dun it before they took it on.
On a technical note, is the canal classified as narrow boat, or can wider beam narrow boats navigate it, subject to lock width obviously.
Cheers,
Chris

 

@CH 19
Chris,

T'other way round with the locks - 15 is finished and 14 is being worked on - 13 and 12 are next.

The Duck was refurbished under the "guidance" of the lady who lives in the big house up on the hill. She owns most of the land around there.

As far as the beam of boats is concerned, all the locks, as far as I know are double width, about 15' wide, so a wide beam could possibly navigate it's length although it may have a little difficulty with its draught at the moment as a lot of dredging needs to be done - not to mention getting past the dry sections.

Glad you enjoyed your visit.

John

 

The estate also own a load of the buildings on that land - the Vale of Belvoir is about as feudal a place as I've ever been in England.

 

Ah right, thanks for that, a family friend asked out of interest as he had a wide boat near Hull at the moment. I did mention to him that it was a work in progress.

 

He's going to have to be a bit patient.

 

Is that why you live over that way ? You must feel right at home then !

 

Hmmm! I’ll have you know that Grantham is not Manners territory!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

@CH 19

Chris, I had to measure the width of Lock 18 (Woolsthorpe Top Lock) today. According to my tape measure it is 4.54 Mtrs (14' 10") wide - I did say about 15'. We have had two narrow boats side-by-side in the lock.

John

 

The final concrete pour is due to take place on Wednesday - Mother Nature permitting. Then we get on with all the other jobs that need doing.

 

It's been announced that there is going to be a grand, official opening of Lock 15 in September when ribbons will be cut, boats put through the lock and champers drunk (providing the money hasn't been diverted to pay for Whaley Bridge). Names were being taken yesterday of who got down and dirty at the lock so formal invites can be issued. Don't know if brass bands playing 'Rule Britannia" or Rod Stewart croaking out 'Sailing' will be involved.

 

All set for the final pour - this is the towpath side. As can be seen, the tops of the chamber walls are almost up to the same height as the temporary dam which is in the background behind one of the volunteers. Once the pour is done , there's two more layers of brick and then the edge capping stones.

 

You have just one month to get it all fixed. I hope the weather is kind, however canal water is only rain contained I guess. Looking forward to seeing reports of the big day.

 

Good grief, you nearly gave me palpitations. This is Lock 14 and we have another year to go on this one. The big bash is at Lock 15 which is already for the champers (or orange juice) and BBQ!

The weather doesn't bother us - we're on-site in all conditions. Those that sit in warm offices on the other hand......

 

Whata mistaka to maka! I did think you had some way to go, but you seem to always make good progress.

 

The final pour went ahead as planned without any dramas, with the wet weather turning up as forecast. Not a problem, the rain leaves a smooth surface on the concrete.

Here's a couple of photos of the final stages of the pour.

The towpath side done and dusted.



Two GCS volunteers doing the final tamping just as the rain arrived.



Once the concrete has gone off, the shuttering will be struck and the priority areas for the last phase of bricklaying are where the four gate anchor stones will be located. As the stones are due at the end of this month, we need to get those four areas built up first; the final courses of bricks along the rest of the chamber walls can be laid in slower time.

The WRGs are on site this week and they are focusing their work on the walls of the upper forebay and conducting work between Locks 15 and 16 to raise the height of the towpath.

 

Almost a year to the day since we accessed the Lock 14 site, the final two courses of brickwork on the chamber walls are well on the way to being completed. Once that little bit of work is completed, we will look to laying the edge capping stones - they're already on-site so no delays this time round.



Work has now moved to the off-side letterbox. Here is our expert making good the corner where the upper offside gate anchor stone will sit. Until he's finished in that corner, preparatory work for the anchor stone plinth will have to wait.



Meanwhile, the position of the plinths for the other three gate anchor stones has been marked into the concrete. That's the minimum dimensions for the plinths. The anchor stones are due any time soon and we will be looking to install them as soon as possible - then the gate makers can come and take the appropriate measurements.



Whilst the WRGs were on-site, they started work on repairing and extending the upper forebay walls. Our volunteers have carried on with that work. Disappointingly, the WRGs cancelled the last two weeks of their summer camp due to insufficient workload for their volunteers.



The WRGs also started work for the installation of the permanent by-wash pipe. This is where it will flow back into the canal. We are working from the lower end back up to the upper end; otherwise we would have to cope with the flowing water if we done it the other way round.



And finally, at long last, the official opening of the restored Lock 15 will take place next month. I've got my invite to the proceedings and I've got to buy a new pair of wellies to wear on the day - one mustn't turn up scruffy to occasions like these. Apparently the great and the good will be there to eat and drink all the goodies and get their photos taken witness the momentous sight of the first boat to pass through the lock in over 90 years......cough!!!

There is absolutely and positively no truth in the rumour that our society is taking on the restoration of the Toddbrook Reservoir dam - it's too small a job for our volunteers.

 

Work on the Lock 14 rebuild has been stopped, the site closed and equipment removed due to the current situation.

Sad and angry at the same time. Sad because we've had to stop work; bloody angry because if C&RT's preferred supplier had delivered the gate anchor stones when they should have done at the beginning of September, the lock would now be finished to all intents and purposes with only the gates to be hung (the gates are currently being made). So, because of C&RT's bureaucratic dogma, tardiness in producing drawings and a supplier who failed to deliver against a contract because "they couldn't find the right stone" (other, non-preferred suppliers had stones ready for cutting), an unfinished lock is their legacy and we don't know if it will ever be finished - the HLF will not fund the project beyond the end of September.

I will leave you with this image of the lock as the scaffolding was being removed. It's likely to stay that way for some considerable time.

Signing off as I doubt I will be doing any more updates.



Edited to add a bit of extra info about the gates.
p.s. thanks for messages of support.- much appreciated.

 

What an effing shame. After actually seeing the great work up to that point I really do feel for you John.
Take care mate and stay well.

Chris

 

Just came across this Vlog about another Canal restoration.