Dock Lock February to March 2025
Dock Lock February to March 2025
by: Andy P.
A fascinating history of dock lock and other canal related structures can be found in the Stroud water history documents.
https://stroudwaterhistory.org.uk/dock-lock-and-maintenance-yard
Building the Eastington Flight of 5 locks can also be found courtesy of Hugh Conway-Jones
https://stroudwaterhistory.org.uk/building-the-eastington-flight
Two aerial views of Dock lock courtesy of Lee Grant
A lot of preliminary work was carried out by the Andy gang. This involved moving very large amounts of hardcore material and forming a ramp down into the lock. Eventually a bund was completed and the silt was largely removed by pumping it out over the bund.
Then Jon P. and Stuart B. with the SDC volunteers erected the scaffolding.
Offside views below show the large amount of vegetation that was growing in and around the coping stones and down into the brickwork. All of this has to be removed so the wall and coping stones can be fixed back into position.
The single lock ladder was removed as it was only a tip toe climb out. 2 more ladders channels have to be cut out using a specialist double bladed brick saw. Wooden battens are fixed to the wall at the correct distance apart and then we cut 2 slits either side. Once at the correct depth, the brick work can be dug out with a breaker. It’s slow and hard work. Over many weeks we reach to within 1 metre of the bottom. The scaffold has to be adjusted numerous times so we can work at a suitable height.
Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) came to visit over a weekend and did a tremendous job to dig out being the offside very large coping stones and lift them back out of the way. This enables us to clear away all the roots and remove at least the top few layers of damaged and loose bricks. These bricks are cleaned up and reused.
They also managed to dismantle the very loosely laid top wing wall by the gate beam area. This will all need to be properly rebuilt. This WRG effort has saved us may weeks time wise. So thank you to Jon P. and all involved for making it happen.
We continue cutting the recesses and start to rebrick the top layers for the coping stones to sit back on top of. There is an unusual brick feature on the offside gate recess. The wall slopes backwards but no one seems to know why. It will be rebricked to match the rest of the wall.
We also have to cut 2 stop plank channels and cast a concrete beam into the lock floor beyond the bottom lock gates. In anticipation, the bund was moved back so we could then pump out the lock. In the background the Oldbury Brook team are working away with proper big toys to divert the river
The Godwin pump stopped working. The spare pump was brought into use and it also stopped pumping. Oh and the generator stopped playing ball. Frustrating is the cleanest description of this. Thank you to all the people from the depot who have been working to solve all this. It was Bob H that finally cracked the Godwin pump issue. At last, back on track.
View from inside the lock looking downstream.
Looking upstream and the end wall looks in very good condition.
