Restoration Round-up
by Colin Greenall

Part One: Work Party Report

Stanley Basin, Blackbrook

Stanley Basin is located on the Blackbrook Branch of the canal and was a former loading wharf for such as Pewfall Colliery and others it was also the unloading place for the copper ore from Anglesey, which in turn went to the nearby Stanley Bank Copper Works.

On Tuesday 23rd September Peter Keen and I had a site meeting with Rick Rogers (St.Helens MBC) and Steve Ormerod (Project Officer for the Stanley Bank Triangle Project) and Barry Fleetwood (St.Helens Ranger Service) to discuss ways in which the basin could be cleared and the surround area improved.

Work Party

Sunday 12th October 2008.

Sunday morning and the sun is shining when Darren and I arrive at Blackbrook Visitor Centre.

We spent some time taking some 'before' photos (see left) ahead of the work to be done, then we went into the Centre to see if anyone else had arrived. Paul and Steve were already there, and soon after Peter and Ian appeared.

The plan for the day was to clear away trees that the rangers were going to cut down and place them in the trailer then to clear the shrub from the waters edge and to trace the stonewalls and try to work out the true shape of the basin.  Other work included trying to locate the walls at the entrance to the basin.

While we waited for the rangers to arrive with chain saws and trailer we set to cutting back the undergrowth from around the base of the trees to be cut down this was stacked in piles ready to be removed later.

When the trees were cut down and logged into short lengths the volunteers began loading them into the trailer, it took two trips to the tip to clear the site.

Once the trees were out of the way and the stone walls revealed, they could be scraped clean and the tops cleared of unwanted vegetation. This made a big difference to the area and the shape of this corner of the basin became visible. (right)

Peter and Dave identified the site of the coal tippler along the higher part of the wall and noted the marks of small sleeper chairs in a number of the stone blocks.  The site of the tippler also corresponded to readings taken with dosing rods, which indicated an embankment running north towards the brook and this in turn lined up with the inclined plain from Pewfall Colliery.

Meanwhile other volunteers were busy further north on the east bank cutting back the shrub, others were round on the west bank clearing shrub and looking for the walls around the entrance to the basin from the main canal.

At the end of the section of visible east wall some digging took place and stone blocks were located, these then lined up with three large stone blocks to the north and when the section in between, which is under water was probed, it was found that this wall joined up.

It had been an interesting day and a rewarding one too; the weather had been kind also. Now it was time to pack away the tools and head for home.

Many thanks to all the volunteers for all their hard work and to the Rangers for their assistance and guidance etc.

THANK YOU

Sunday 26th October

Work party had to be cancelled because of flooding after heavy overnight rain.

Sunday 23rd November

Work party cancelled because of bad weather.

Part Two: News from the Three Boroughs

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