East End Towpath Upgrade
by: Neil D.
The approach of winter has seen a last minute surge of activity in the East to finish the Towpath upgrade that has been one of our major projects this summer. Initially this upgrade was to be over a 500m length of the pound between Wildmoorway Lower and Cerney Wick Locks but, having completed this length before the time we allocated for it, a decision was made to push on another 50m towards the Spine road bridge. With this now completed we can look back on the project and outline the process that was followed. A lot of preparation work had to be undertaken first. This entailed involvement with Wiltshire County Council’s rights of way Dept, SSE whose electricity poles pass over the site & our own ecology & wildlife experts. The latter found evidence of both Water Vole & Otter activity in the area. Another preliminary was to take detailed levels along the stretch. After a delay last year due to the Water Voles and with an updated work plan in respect of them, work finally got underway this last spring. Following the proven method of construction used in the West and working to a restored water level of 83.4m AOD (above ordnance datum) the first operation was to install side boards to a height 300mm above this.
The boards on one side being set slightly lower to allow rainfall run-off. Next, the ground outside the boards was haunched with a sloping bank of top soil. Necessary as eventually the boards will rot but, by such time this haunching will have been seeded and held together with plant life retaining the path in position.
Geotextile membrane is then laid between the boards before being infilled with type 1 aggregate. This is then compacted by use of a vibratory roller before the final 20mm or so to the top of the boards is filled with ‘4mm to Dust’ aggregate. This final layer being watered down and rolled to form a smooth hard wearing surface. In places where the drop off was steep, Coppiced Brushwood Faggots have been stacked in place to retain the haunching. These enhance & protect the wildlife habitat
As can be imagined, the logistics for all this work have been quite complex. Some 600 t of Aggregate & 100 t of top soil have had to be delivered up to 500m from the storage area! In preparation for this a 2T Dumper with narrow wheel base was purchased to add to the Depot’s existing mini excavator. Storage of materials & plant has been provided by the Gateway Centre and De Vere Hotel, who have generously allowed us to use sections of their car parks.
During working hours Wiltshire County Council approved a temporary path closure with a signed & fenced diversion around the works via an adjacent path. As the work progressed,
Mini base camps were established at suitable locations to drop off materials. From these the aggregate and soil could be wheel barrowed to places less accessible to the Dumper.
Being adjacent to the Cotswolds Lakes visitor and Gateway centres, this section of Canal is extremely popular with walkers. It has thus given us a great opportunity to showcase our work to the general public. The feedback received from them has been overwhelmingly positive and our ‘Just giving’ campaign advertised along the stretch has to date (Oct 25) raised £838! The finished path connects to another that runs alongside Lake 6 in the Water park creating a circular walk back to the Gateway centre. That path has also been upgraded but, by the Cotswolds Lakes Trust & De Vere Hotel who own the Lake.
This project has been a great team builder and our volunteers have learnt a great deal during its execution. We have gained skills & experience that will serve us well in our future projects as we take a break and concentrate on some less intensive tasks over the winter months.
