Restoration Round-Up
by Colin Greenall

Mersey Basin Week 2002: Penkford Bridge Clean-up

As part of this event our project was to clean up the area in and around the canal at Penkford Bridge in Earlestown. To do this we enlisted the help of St. Helens Ranger Service who promised to supply a skip and also to get the area strimmed, unfortunately the best-laid plans sometimes don't go according to plan... on the Saturday morning I received a telephone call from the Rangers to say that there had been a mix up over the skip so it wouldn't be there, and that the strimming which had been carried out by the council had not covered the area requested, i.e. they had not cut the grass and vegetation down by the water's edge.

But all was not lost, thanks to Ranger Barry Fleetwood, who turned up with a large trailer to take the rubbish, and with permission for us to leave any wet vegetation in heaps to dry out and that he would see that it was removed later.

Now work could begin, so on a bright sunny and warm Sunday morning fifteen volunteers set to and clear loads of bulrushes and rubbish from the canal, cleared the path under the bridge of weeds and repaired holes in its surface.

Around mid-day the photographer from the Newton Guardian came to take pictures of a volunteer at work, the spotlight fell on Paul Fletcher because he was the one with the waders on at the time. Its funny how things happen, Paul just happens to work for Montgomery Watson Harza who once again are the sponsors for the Mersey Basin Week and this in turn led to Paul being featured in the company in-house magazine after his picture had appeared in the local press the following week.

In the morning we mainly worked on the west side of the bridge, then after lunch concentrated our efforts on the east side. On this side of the bridge there is a large pool into which the bulrushes are encroaching, but by mid afternoon a good deal of them where piled up on the bank drying out and waiting for Barry.

By late afternoon the task was done and we could all look round and feel satisfied with a job well done.

Hulme Lock Cottage

We returned to one of our favourite sites in November. Our task for the day was to remove the two-metre high security fence and then to replace it with a knee-high safety barrier. Warrington Ranger Service where on hand to assist us and to provide the wooden posts and rails from which the safety barrier would be built. Although the day started out wet and miserable, it soon cleared up and by dinnertime a large section of the fence had been taken down and work started on putting in the safety barrier. With fifteen volunteers on hand work progressed quickly as post holes were dug, posts inserted, then levelled, concreted in, with the top rails being nailed on to finish the job. By the end the day the front section of the safety barrier was complete and looked really good.

During December, although there was no work party we did have a site visit to discus further work to be done on the site. Attended by Melanie Hutchins and Steve Reid from Warrington Ranger Service, and Peter Keen and myself from SCARS, various requests of Warrington Councils Health and Safety Officer where given to us by Melanie and ideas where put forward accordingly.

Once the Christmas and New Year festivities were over and January 2003 had arrived cold and frosty, it was back to Hulme Lock to continue with the safety barrier.

It was cold, very cold and frosty when we arrived at Winwick Yard to pick up the tool trailer; a beautiful white coat had been spread over the land and the sun was beginning to break through the early morning mist. On site work commenced, the ground had a crust of frost that was easily broken and more post holes where dug to complete the barrier at both ends. Then our attentions turned to removing two trees which where growing along the rear wall above the ditch, these provided plenty of entertainment, one proving to be rather stubborn. Other tasks included realigning the revetment alongside the entrance path, levelling some rough ground in paved area at the rear of the cottage and clearing what should have been the site of more revetments at the northern end, this clearance revealed concrete foundations and some brickwork which we presumed to be that of a retaining wall. By this time the sun was falling in the sky, shadows were getting longer and the temperature was dropping, so the tools where cleaned and put back in the trailer and we all went home.

I would like to thank everyone who as taken part in any of these events and also to thank St.Helens and Warrington Ranger Service for their assistance.

For information on future Work Parties contact Colin Greenall, Tel 01744 731746 (evenings) 01744 732031 (daytime).

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