Society Activities and Events
Section 2: Restoration Work
by Colin Greenall, Work Party Organiser
During the year SCARS volunteers have worked at five different sites along the canal.
In January time was spent at Hulme Lock clearing litter and unwanted vegetation from the lock cottage site and the lock chamber area. This site as suffered from some vandalism and will require some attention at a later date.
February saw us at Newton Common Lock doing similar work clearing away unwanted vegetation and repairing the perimeter fence. Here we had the help of St.Helens Ranger Service who provide us with the materials and advice for the repair work.
In March we moved to Bradley Lock, this was the first time that we had worked on this site. Over the years this area had become over grown with trees and brambles, our task was to clear the site of the lock cottage, so with the advice and assistance of St.Helens Rangers Service work began. As some of the trees were large and beyond the scope of our bow saws they were left for the chains saws of the Rangers. The branches that were removed went into the trailer provided and the rest were stacked for the chipper, which was to come along some tome during the following week and clear them away.
On our return in April we continued during the morning to clear the site of litter and more trees. Then during the afternoon we had time to try and map out the plan of the cottage. This we did with some success even though the back of the cottage appears to lie beneath the encroaching tipping that as taken place to the rear of the cottage.
May came in with some nice hot sunny weather; this gave us the opportunity to do some painting at Spike Island. With the help of Halton Ranger Service who provided the paint and brushes we set to and painted the lock gate and surrounding lock side furniture.
In the afternoon however, our endeavours were somewhat hampered by the locals who wished to use the lock as a swimming pool, but by that time we had ran out of paint so we left them to enjoy the water.
During the rest of the summer months nothing was undertaken by the restoration volunteers due to the fact that some were away on holidays and others involved with the sales and display caravan at various events around the area and nationally.
October brought the group together again for the visit to Stanley Basin at Blackbrook.
In anticipation of the Society's involvement with the Blackbrook Heritage Centre and to help with the Stanley Bank Project SCARS volunteers were out in force to begin clearing the basin of unwanted trees and vegetation that had began to obscurer the view of the area. (Photo, right)
Once again we where to work along side the St.Helens Ranger Services and also, the Mersey Basin Project Officer who is over seeing the whole of the Stanley Bank project. First of all the area around the trees to be removed had to be cleared of undergrowth to allow the chainsaw wheeling rangers to get in to cut them down and then to cut them into smaller manageable lengths so that we could remove then to the trailer, this took up the morning until the trailer was full for a second time, then after dinner we were able to do some investigation work on the layout of the basin.
On behalf of the Society and myself may I say a big thank you to all the volunteers who gave up their time to participate in these projects, THANK YOU!
Colin Greenall
Other Restoration Matters: Colin Greenall, Work Party Organiser
Barmere
In September SCARS were approached by a multi-national film company about the possibility of hiring "Barmere" for use in the making of a new Sherlock Holmes movie, all was agreed and every thing in place to take to take her down the Mersey, unfortunately on the day of the move the weather turn nasty with strong winds and heavy rain causing the move to be cancelled. Due to the state of the tides after this date another opportunity to get her to Liverpool would have been too late for the filming.
Also in September we were informed by Halton BC that new moorings were to be installed for our ex-working boat "Barmere". These would be located further north than the present mooring and would give us better access to do work on the restoration. Later in the month we were informed that she had been secured to her new moorings away from the moorings of the boats of the West Bank Boat Club.
Around the Boroughs
Warrington BC
In the early part of the year the new bridge over Bewsey Lock was officially opened.
Members of Warrington Council are beginning to take an interest in the canal with the launch of a recreational survey of the Sankey Valley Park through which the canal passes. This will take place in the early months of 2009 and SCARS will be involved with this project.
Another matter of interest was the mystery of who was working in Winwick Dry Dock without prior permission from Warrington Ranger Service, this was later found to be a member of the public with a few hours to spare and a gift for pointing the stonework of the dock, however all work on the dock has been suspended until the red coloured leachate that settles in the bottom of the dock as been analysed.
Halton BC
During 2008 the Widnes Waterfront Development as been gathering pace and from this we have been given on good authority that the canal will be restored to full working order by the year 2013. This will include a new lift bridge at Spike Island to replace the present wooden structure on the site of the old railway swing bridge and also a new swing bridge to replace Carterhouse Bridge at Tan House Lane.
There have also been assurances that the New Mersey Crossing will provide adequate headroom when construction takes place in a few years time.
St.Helens MBC
In conjunction with the building of the new St.Helens Chamber Office Block, work began on the construction of the of the new access bridge over the canal at the Lyons Yard site. This is unfortunately at low-level and gives no thought to future boat navigation and does not improve the appearance of the area.
As mentioned above, the Society is becoming involved in the running of the Blackbrook Heritage Centre in partnership with the Council.
Index for this issue Home Page
Site design and content © 2002 - 2009 Sankey Canal Restoration Society
Annual Report Editor: David Long Site design: Phil D.Long |
