Newtown Lock March 2023
Newtown Lock March 13 and 15th 2023
by: Andy P.
Well well well. After what is probably years we have managed to get permission to make a small start on the lock. Not sure what letter plan we are on but the 1 tonne bag dam is not an option at the moment. We managed to purchase 2 x 10m aquadams. Our single long dam was stored on a trailer which was stolen by some low lives a while ago. The 2 were checked over and repaired by Hippodam and were brought to site ready to go. A slight difficulty is that the canal is over 13m wide so the 2 dams have to be connected. The 2 dams were lifted then carried/rolled to the lockside.
The first job was to lay out bag 1 and fit the 2 filling tubes and fit a small collar over the top.
A quick sunny rest before the next steps
We then realised how the bags were to be joined. A large 5 m wide collar had to be fitted over both bags. This meant pushing and pulling bag 1 into the collar. Realisation struck that the collar was too large. Therefore, it was taken off, measured and taken to the Hippovan for sewing. However Hippomen aka Chris and Mark were not happy, so the day was abandoned and the collar taken back to the factory. In hindsight this was a good idea time wise. This meant rolling up both bags to await the return. These are not light dams being Approx 250 kgs, hence needing lots of folk power to move them around.
On weds we returned in numbers. Laid the bags out and fitted bag 1 inside the correctly sized and stitched collar.
The 2 filling tubes were pulled out through the top of the collar.
This was all repeated with bag 2 and then Bag 1 filling tubes were extended and the whole lot rolled up. The boat crew were also on site to move Stuart through the lock which seemed a good idea at the time.
Hippodam Chris placed a bewildering arrangement of ropes over, through and under the rolled up double dam which was pushed and dragged to the lock side and slowly lowered into the water.
The roll was pulled across the canal and unrolled up the offside bank with the tubes elevated on pallets ready for filling with water.
2 pumps were connected and some water pumped into the bag on the canal side 1 and it slowly unrolled itself. Then the other bag was filled and rolled itself across the canal.
The dam had to fit at an angle so as to avoid the towpath side spill wear but still allow access to the offside wing wall. This caused a problem as the roll had to be filled and roped so the angle was correct.
All was going well, although slowly, until as the dams were filled, at 50 tonnes per metre, they did their job and began to seal the canal. HOWEVER the lock gates never resealed and water began draining from the lock side of the dam. Frantic efforts were made to get pumps, generators and hoses to pump water over the dam to prevent the dam rolling over. It did not really work that well and part of the dam came away from the collar. We ran out of time so everything was put away and all fingers crossed to hope that things stayed in place.
The bad news. Things didnt stay inplace. After most poeple had left Chris decided that the tension on 1 rope was too much and so it was cut and the dam left to its own devices.
The next day was not a nice sight as the dam had broken away and moved away from the wing wall.
Extremely disappointing goes nowhere near summing this up, with so much effort by so many people over the 2 days. Massive problem now is to get all 40 tonnes of water and 2 dams out and then come up with plan the next letter.
