West
Vale Branch |
Restoration and associated work continues at a slow pace at this time of year, but I am very pleased to report that the new Cemetery Path was finally completed in January with all the stone covering now in place. This path was installed to give a dry and safer access to the canalside park, avoiding the walk down Stainswick Lane which does not have a footpath. The park and cemetery path were included in the Shrivenham Circular walk and have been in use since July 2000. It is hoped to place a bench seat on the path at a sunny (sun; what is that?) point roughly in the middle overlooking the fields. Sponsors for this seat and one or two others in the canalside park would be appreciated Anyone interested in sponsorship should contact Orph Mable. Visitors to the towpath in the Stainswick area recently will have noticed hedging work in progress.
Plans are now in place to begin the clearance at Steppingstone Lane bridge, and the site should be in operation by early March. All visits to the site must be on foot to minimise damage to the bridleway and great care must be taken as all restoration and building sites can be dangerous. It is worth noting that no mechanical or electrical tools will be stored on the site. We will however, be putting a steel container on the site to store small amounts of materials (cement) and a few hand tools such as wheelbarrows and spades. As part of the site preparation we are going to divert the bridleway away from the bridge remains and through the copse to the south west. This preparation must be completed before the spring to avoid disturbing nesting birds, so "time is of the essence" as they say. Thankfully, both the Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxfordshire County Council have already given clearance for the bridleway to be diverted at this point for the duration of the restoration.
The continuous wet weather whilst keeping the canal filled, is not helping our cause too much. It is interesting to note that the bed of the canal in places between the railway bridge and Sainsbury's on the A420 has held water for most of the winter. Just consider for a moment, a safe towpath walk/bike ride into Swindon alongside the canal. In fact we were recently told of occasions when it was possible to ice-skate the whole way in some very cold winters. We are looking hopefully to drier weather in the near future.
For more information or to volunteer assistance please come along to one of our meetings held in the Shrivenham Bowls Club, Martens Road, on the second Wednesday of every month at 8 p.m. You will be made very welcome. Alternatively, ask any of the volunteers that you see working on the canal or park, they will be more than pleased to stop and talk!
Orph Mable - Branch Project Co-ordinator
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