West
Vale Branch |
Sadly, in line with the other branches, we have been unable to do much restoration work on the canal itself over the last 3 months or so due to the restrictions that have been in force to combat the Foot & Mouth Disease. This has meant that the towpaths in our area have become overgrown and in some parts almost impenetrable. We are now making plans to recover from this set-back but it will take us a lot of otherwise progressive restoration time which we can ill afford.
The enforced rest from new restoration work has allowed us to get down to all those small jobs that we never seemed to find time for. The mini-digger which decided to stop working in February has been fully overhauled in the engine department and is now back in good working order. This was thanks to the good auspices of our resident Work Party Organiser (WoPO), Chris Forward. Similarly, mowers, strimmers and hedge cutters have been serviced.
Another area that has benefited from this period has been the Canalside Park. One work party was spent putting the kissing-gate on the park perimeter access point of the Cemetery Path. It was amazing how many opinions there can be as to which is the correct way to correctly position one of these gates. We did get it right in the end (Well, I think so ! [31/05/01: Me too! RB]). The focus of our last two work parties has been the park itself. A donation of rubble (a few tons) that was alongside the car-park was sorted and moved to a storage point at the far end of the park where some was used to fill in some very deep wheel ruts that were a legacy from the first days of the park construction. The unused scalpings (approximately 8 tons) from the construction of the cemetery path that had wintered on the car-park in everyone's way, were finally moved to a new storage area elsewhere in the park. This coupled with regular grass cutting has improved the overall appearance of the park and of which, we are really proud.
The Branch was approached by Shrivenham Football Club for assistance. The Club has just gained promotion to a higher league and needed to extend their pitch. They needed our help and expertise in clearing some tree stumps and putting in a new land drain. This was achieved in one day using the repaired mini-digger and a few pairs of hands. Hopefully one good turn deserves another and we will be able to call on a return favour at a later date.
I am pleased to report that the lease for Savernake Brake and the adjacent canal is now with the solicitors for finalisation, terms having been negotiated and agreed over the last few months. This should be completed by the time that you read this report in Dragonfly. The lease for the canal section at Steppingstone Lane Bridge seems to have stalled at the time of writing but it is hoped to rejuvenate it and complete the activity in the immediate future.
The Branch has been fortunate to be awarded a £400 grant from the GWR Christmas Appeal which was collected at a presentation ceremony in April, by our Chairman, Alan Norris. This award is to enable us to improve the towpath between Steppingstone Lane Bridge and Station Road Bridge (aka Shrivenham Arch Bridge). This towpath is currently on the south bank of the canal, but was originally on the north side, as shown in old maps. The current path, which forms part of the Shrivenham Circular Walk, is flooded during the winter months and is at best heavy going in the summer. It may be that the original northern path will be a better bet when it can be cleared. This grant will be instrumental in achieving the improvements needed in making the path an all-weather amenity.
F&M restrictions are now being lifted in Oxfordshire, so we hope to begin work again soon. Our next report should make interesting reading if we achieve even part of what we aspire to. Fingers crossed.
Orph Mable
You are visitor