September 2026 work party report

September 10-13 and 16

A very varied work party over five days with great progress made on all fronts.

Since the last work party, we have had the first significant rain for months – and some of it was very significant. The impact is that the channel in Phase 2 has started to fill and the site of the wash wall construction had mud and debris washed into it.

Progressing the wash wall is a priority with the risk that the site could be under water and inaccessible in the coming months. Another priority is to achieve as much clearance in Phase 3 before the same potentially happens there – this section is renowned for standing water over winter. And a third priority is to complete the remaining section of lining and blocking in Phase 2 before further rainfall makes the job increasingly difficult. So many priorities! As a result, a prep day before the regular work party was organised to get a head start on the wash wall works, and also to fell small trees growing in the channel of Phase 3 before an army of volunteers descended on the area the following day to clear the brash.

With concrete for the wash wall footings having been poured last time, it was time to start building the wall itself. This uses a mortarless, interlocking hollow block system where precision is vital. After shuttering was removed and the footings cleared of debris (all of Thursday morning), work could start to lay the first course. This sits on a thin bed of mortar. Get this right – completely level with no gaps – and the rest is easy.

The wall is in three sections with two corners and two expansion joints. There is a height adjustment at each expansion joint to allow for the three different sets of copings stones that we have acquired – each of different heights! After the first course had been meticulously laid, blocks for subsequent courses were simply lifted over the vertical rebar, then horizontal rebar tied to the verticals. An extremely tidy job was completed by Saturday afternoon.

The concrete arrived on Wednesday with a small band of volunteers returning to help out. A bespoke chute to direct the concrete into the wall had been had fabricated over the weekend. It worked a treat – thanks Fred. As with the footings, the section north of the bridge could be filled directly from the mixer. Through the bridge and beyond was filled from a power barrow. No leaks or seepage anywhere – a quality job and well done to all. A further three courses will be added to this first stage, then coping stones will be placed on top to create the towpath edge.

With both the nesting season and severe risk of wildfires over, clearance of trees and thickets could start in Phase 3 between Schoolhouse and Malthouse bridges. Strong numbers throughout the work party, aided by four willing and enthusiastic volunteers from Aico on Friday, enabled tremendous progress to be made. A total of seven bonfire sites were successively used along this length to clear large volumes of brash from trees and undergrowth.

Four larger trees growing in the channel by Malthouse Bridge had been felled by contractors a few days earlier, which added to the volume for disposal. Also during the work party, a stump grinder contractor removed these stumps, plus a handful more at Waen Wen that were inaccessible during last month’s removal works. Site clearance will continue next time.

And in the final major activity of this work party, the last remaining channel before the compound access point in Phase 2 was profiled. The end of the existing liner was rolled back onto a low bund of blocks to keep water out of the work area whilst profiling.

However, in order to join new lining to the previously completed area, the existing liner had to be returned to the channel bed. In its place, a temporary bund laid onto the existing blocks was only partially successful, with water finding its way through gaps between the blocks beneath the bund. Pumping couldn’t completely remove this. End result: a rather wet and muddy channel. However, the liner got laid and blocks placed along the bed. With access now much improved, blocking up the sides of the channel will be completed next time, along with a full height temporary bund at the end of this section. The aim is to rewater Phase 1B and Phase 2 over winter and perform water testing next year.