Decommissioning is name of the game
SHROPSHIRE Union Canal volunteers devoted the last work party in November to transferringmaterials of a very varied nature fromthe existing site at Lloyd’s Animal Feeds to the newly prepared ground south of Crickheath Bridge.
Water supply piping was laid from the road to the top end of the new site in readiness for the impending move. Areas of unwanted vegetation were cleared and the overgrown coping stones of the old Tramway Wharf at Crickheath were exposed to assess the remedial work needed there.
Arcadis, the consultancy agents who are providing the specification for the channel design to be used from Crickheath Bridge to Schoolhouse Bridge, spent the day making bore holes along the channel bed and extracting soil samples for analysis.
This preliminary work is essential to determine the shape of the restored channel, the type of waterproofing liner to be used and also the characteristics of the ground where an access bridge has to be built.
The now redundant compound areas at Lloyd’s and Crickheath Basin were cleared, levelled and scraped using a small digger. Remaining lengths of newt fencing were removed and preliminary work was begun to remove the feeder cable that had supplied electricity to CrickheathWharf.
All that remains now is for a contractor to transport the three steel equipment containers to the new site, which will take place in the second week of January 2023.
New volunteers and members are always welcome. Anyone interested should contact: https:// shropshireunion.org.uk for details of dates and contacts, also for news and information.