Kent and East Sussex Canal Restoration Group

Wey and Arun Canal January/February 07

The first two digs of 2007 saw us return to the Wey and Arun Canal to add some finishing touches to the lowering of Brewhurst lock. The works to lower the lock started in July 2006 during which we built an access and we returned for our week long camp to start the reconstruction. Click here to open the camp report or here to got the Wey and Arun Canal Trusts site which explains why the lock had to be lowered.

One of the jobs for both our visits was to install fencing along the offside of the lock prior to a hedge being laid.

As you can see the ground conditions were pretty horrendous and in fact during our February visit we thought we may have to move the wagons and trailer to get away from the rapidly rising river.

One very stuck welly!

During our January visit we finished laying the bed protection blocks in the channel where the backpump exits. They required quite a bit of effort to move them
 from the compound to the top of the lock.

We also landscaped and shifted surplus material on the offside in preparation.

I am afraid the damp/cold got to my camera batteries on the Feb weekend so there is a chunk of the weekend (i.e. the construction!) missing but here are some of the end results.

Offside top gate quadrant - look at the state of the ground!

Ian and Gaz test the new bench

To the left is some of our fencing and freshly planted trees and below the excavated channel up to the Loxwood Arms from the top of the lock. Note how the sun has come out just as we are packing up.

Cleaning the excavator at the end of the day