Kent and East Sussex Canal Restoration Group

Lichfield and Hatherton Canal April 06

April 06 saw us back at the Tamworth Dig Deep site on the Lichfield and Hatherton Canal.

The works included brickwork and backfilling on Lock 26 and repairing the towpath between lock 24 and 25 where a culvert had collapsed.

Bricklaying on the forebay of lock 26

Backfilling the brickwork again on the forebay of lock 26

A very moody looking shot of concrete
being poured behind the brickwork

Just above lock 26 the towpath retaining wall had been damaged and required rebuilding. We were tasked with laying the concrete foundation in preparation for the brick layers.

I am really not at all sure why someone is wearing pink bunny ears on their hard hat!

 
Meanwhile just below lock 24 we had dug up the towpath to expose the collapsed by-wash culvert. This culvert will not be used when the lock is restored as it would not cope with the amount of water the storm sewer pipe buried in the canal bed currently carries. If lock 24 is restored a new high capacity by wash would be build on the offside (I say 'if' because the canal may be kept at the level between 24 and 25 to get under the next lowered road bridge up the cut and a new lock built the other side).

I view of this we were to simply fill the culvert in from the back of the retaining wall.

And once the hole had been filled in we resurfaced the towpath itself.

Eddie