camp report and Bonfire Bash details

focus on Lichfield

With a summer camp just finished, and preparations under way for November’s

Lichfield and Hatherton canals

The Lichfield Canal

“Which is the most completely knackered canal that anyone’s seriously proposing to restore?” This was a question that I clearly remember discussing with a bunch of fellow WRG volunteers quite a few years back. And the answer that we came up with was “Surely it’s got to be the Lichfield Canal.” That’s right, the one we’re about to give a big push to with our November WRG Bonfire Bash dig.

Sure, there have been some canals proposed for restoration since then which on the face of it have been even more terminally obliterated than the Lichfield – but I think that at the time, we had a point. With the A5, A38, A51, A5127 and A461 (twice) crossing it with no bridges – oh, and the odd railway line too, plus a few bits that had been filled in and built on – it was going to be a tough job. I think the words ‘hopeless case’ might even have been uttered by those less familiar with the track record of canal restorers when it comes to achieving the impossible…

And now here we are, some three decades on, at Canal Camp 2018-15, rebuilding a towpath wall which will form part of the restored canal’s route around Lichfield. And planning to go back there with London WRG in October, and looking for a good turn out at the Bonfire Bash. And nobody seems to be talking about lost causes now. So has the restoration got easier in the meantime? Well, no, on the face of it things have actually got harder, thanks to a new motorway, a bypass, and the dreaded HS2 railway – but in fact the last two of those look like they might now actually help the restoration, rather than get in its way.

Going back to the early days, when the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust was founded in 1988 it was very much a case of ‘work where you can’, rather than having the luxury of being able to plan the restoration in a logical way. In fact a the Trust probably did more work on its other planned reopening, the Hatherton Canal, which has taken a bit of a back seat recently.

An early project was a lock at Fosseway Lane, on a length approximately midway along the route, so about as far away as possible from the ideal ‘work inwards from the ends’ approach. The chamber and bywash were completely restored by LHCRT with support from WRG in the mid 1990s, and then work shifted to a second

See also map on page 32

Restoration Feature

Bonfire Bash, we look at a restoration making good progress despite challenges

site at Darnford Lane, just a mile from the Huddlesford Junction end of the canal.

This was one of several places where the canal will need to be diverted from its original route, and new locks built, to avoid obstructions which have blocked it since closure. In this case, the obstruction is Darnford Lane itself, which crossed the canal on a long-since demolished humpback bridge. Any new bridge will need to be built to comply with modern rules concerning traffic sightlines – so no hump – and the most practicable way of doing that is to lower a length of canal so that a navigable concrete culvert can carry it under the road. But that meant relocating a lock and excavating a new length of canal at a lower level. So in the late 1990s the new length was dug

What is the ‘Lichfield Canal’?

You won’t find Lichfield Canal in the waterways history books, because it’s a name coined relatively recently by the people looking to restore it. Historically, the Wyrley & Essington Canal reached for 23 miles from Horseley Fields Junction on the Birmingham Canal near Wolverhampton to Huddlesford Junction where it met the Coventry Canal. There was also a branch which served Wyrley, and another branch off that which led to Essington (but soon shut) as well as branches to Anglesey Basin and one built later (the Cannock Extension) to Cannock. Both the Wyrley & Essington and Birmingham canals became part of the extensive Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) system.

All 30 of the locks on the Wyrley & Essington main line were concentrated in the eastern seven miles where the canal descended from Ogley Junction (where the branch led off to Anglesey Basin) via Lichfield (where it skirted the city centre) to Huddlesford. As a result of the heavy lockage, these seven miles were more expensive to maintain, and less busy. So while the rest of the route remained open (and still does), the canal from Ogley to Huddlesford was closed in 1955, when the rest of the canal was still busy with coal boats.

Now the situation is reversed: the surviving 16 miles are underused, along with most of the northern BCN, partly because you can’t get to them without going through Birmingham, Wolverhampton or Walsall. Open up the eastern seven miles, and you make these canals much more easily accessible - as well as bringing boats into Lichfield. And that’s the aim of the Lichfield Canal restoration.

out, and a second-hand liftbridge installed to carry the towpath where the new length joined up with the existing canal. At the same time an ‘inverted syphon’ culvert carrying a stream under the canal was replaced in concrete, a length of canal was steel piled (carrying the names of sponsors on the top of the piles!) and there was an experiment (sadly unsuccessful) in using modern lining materials to waterproof the channel through the very sandy soil.

Those who were involved in WRG around 2000 will remember this featuring as part of our ‘WRG Works’ fortnight of events tharound the system to mark our 30 anniversary.

Work then shifted to what has been the main worksite for most of the time since

...and the ‘Hatherton Canal’?

Also in LHCRT’s long term plan is restoration of a through route to the Staffs & Worcs which consisted of part of the Cannock Extension, the Churchbridge Locks Branch and the Hatherton Branch of the Staffs & Worcs. But so much of the original canals has been destroyed that it will probably follow a different route for much of the way.

focus on Lichfield

then, both for LHCRT and for visitors including WRG: Tamworth Road Locks on the south east side of Lichfield. Two partly demolished chambers have been rebuilt, a third lock uncovered (but not restored, as it may need to be relocated to get past another road blockage), two pounds between locks rebuilt, and a great deal of work to remove a land drain (laid in the bed of the canal) has been done. Below the locks, a long length of towpath wall has been rebuilt, as far as where the A38 dual carriageway cuts across the canal. Here, another diversion is necessary, and the first section of this has been built, leading up to where a new bridge will take the new canal under the A51 road. Finally, the whole area has been opened up to the public as the Borrowcop Locks Canal Park.

More recently, attention has shifted to the opposite side of the A51, where the canal passes through the corner of Darnford Park, and new locks will be needed to drop it down to get under the A38. No actual construction has happened yet, but a great deal of the excavation for the locks and cutting has been done.

Meanwhile a new worksite was opened up in recent years at Summerhill towards the Ogley end of the canal. LHCRT bought a 1km length of canal, and has cleared the heavily overgrown route, completely resurfaced the towpath, laid the hedge, rebuilt a culvert carrying a stream under the canal, and restored a wharf. And preparation is under way for the new lock which will lower the canal to get under the A461 by the Boat Inn.

And most recently, the Trust’s volunteers have gone right back to its first worksite at Fosseway Lane, where an £18,500 grant is enabling a length of canal and towpath a short distance east of the lock to be restored – initially as the Fosseway Heath wetland nature reserve with the towpath as an accessible walkway for local residents and part of a heritage trail, but ultimately as part of the reopening of the canal as a through route. This is where our 2018 canal camp was based – and you can read about it on the following pages.

But that’s just the volunteer work side of things. At the same time, the Trust has page 30

Pictures by Martin Ludgate

Restored lock at Tamworth Road

had to fight off proposals which might have blocked the route, raise significant sums to stop this happening, and more recently get involved in the planning process to turn these threats into restoration opportunities.

The first of these was what was then called the Birmingham Northern Relief Road (now the M6 Toll) which threatened to flatten both the Lichfield and Hatherton canals in the early 2000s. A major campaign saw navigable culverts installed for the Hatherton and an aqueduct to take the Lichfield Canal over the motorway, thanks to a £250,000 grant from the Manifold Trust and a fundraising appeal fronted by LHCRT patron, well-known actor and waterways enthusiast David Suchet.

Next it was the turn of the Lichfield Southern Bypass to threaten to screw things up for the canal restorers. By this point (and following high-profile cases such as the M6 Toll) the Government had brought in planning guidance policy PPG13 which stated clearly that builders of new roads should give

Restoration Feature

proper consideration to making provision for canals under restoration where they crossed the route of the road. But the trouble was, the bypass didn’t actually cross the route which had been identified for the restored canal. No, it was the A5127 Birmingham Road which crossed the canal’s route – right next to where it met the bypass, and where it was being rebuilt anyway as part of the bypass works. So the road-builders managed to weasel out of paying for a navigable culvert by a particularly pedantic application of PPG13. And that meant it was down to David Suchet to lead another appeal to pay for the culvert, which now lies buried under the road, waiting to be re-excavated when needed…

And that’s likely to be quite soon, because the next section of the bypass is to be built in the next couple of years. And this time, it looks like the bypass works will make proper provision for the canal, and actually help to get this section restored. But what it won’t provide is a navigable culvert under the Birmingham to Lichfield railway line, alongside the bridge that will take the bypass under the railway. So that’s why David Suchet Appeal No 3 is under way: to raise £1m to tunnel through the railway embankment. And it needs to be raised quickly, because the only way to get it done as ‘cheaply’ as that is to build it at the same time as the bypass.

On a more positive note, the new road bridge that we mentioned earlier would be needed at Darnford Lane now looks set to be built in the not too distant future: a set of concrete culvert sections is already lined up by the site, ready for the road to be dug out so that they can be craned into place, removing one more obstruction from the canal.

Finally, the HS2 high speed railway plans which threatened to obliterate the canal near to its eastern end have now been modified – unfortunately a nice new bridge at Cappers Lane which was only built a few years ago, and has yet to see a boat, doesn’t look like it ever will, because it’s in the way of the line. But the good news is that HS2 Ltd has now agreed to build a new replacement section of canal as part of the railway works.

To sum up, it’s still not an easy restoration and there are numerous obstructions to be dealt with, but things are starting to line up. The Summerhill length ends just next to the M6 Toll aqueduct – and building a new deep lock to link them together is on the agenda. The section affected by HS2, the completed work near Darnford Lane, and the new bridge which is set to carry Darnford Lane itself over the canal are close enough together that they could be combined to form a significant reopened length of canal leading from Huddlesford Junction in the not too distant future. And likewise the Tamworth Road site, the section affected by the new bypass, and the Fosseway Heath site are all within a mile or so of each other. In short, it’s come a long way from ‘most completely knackered’ category. Book your place on the Bonfire Bash, and help it come even further.

focus on Lichfield

Read Emma’s report from a week’s work on the Lichfield’s Fosseway Heath

Lichfield Canal Camp 28th July – 4th August 2018

Saturday: The camp began on Saturday th28 July with Pete B, Pete F and Emma picking up the vans from the Derby camp along with stowaway Susan. We arrived at our accommodation for the week, the beautiful canal-side Lichfield Cruising Club, which confused a few WRGies as the canal has water in and moving narrowboats. We were met by Harri with lunch and the first ‘big shop’ then unpacked the catering equipment, set up our home for the week and the rest of the volunteers arrived between 4pm and 5pm. The week started badly for DofE-er Will who dropped his emergency tube of Pringles whilst carrying his kit inside but he soon realised he wasn’t going to need them with Harri cooking.

After the welcome talk and safety video we dodged the showers to fit in a site visit before dinner and then sampled the very convenient and reasonably priced in-house bar.

On Sunday morning we woke to heavy rain and tried looking up multiple weather apps on our phones to find the most optimistic forecast, but we didn’t let it stop us and only had to run for cover during one particularly heavy downpour. As Roger and the other Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust (LHCRT) volunteers had kindly prepared a good stretch of the retaining wall foundations we got to work straight away

with Martin, Sandy, Pete B and Will starting the bricklaying before morning tea break! The supporting cast of Liz, Laura, Joe and Adam kept up a constant supply of cleaned and sorted bricks and Alex and Inka churned out the cement mortar, while Pete F, Paul, Callum and Joel started preparing the next stretch of foundations. Susan and Paul assisted LHCRT volunteers by moving rubble by dumper and crushing it using a crushing bucket on an 8t excavator to be used in the base of the footpath later in the week. That evening, a bunch of us ventured into Lichfield to complete a Treasure Trail around the city’s landmarks, finding clues. Monday’s weather was kinder and so Paul, Joel and Callum got to work mixing and laying concrete and concrete blocks for the foundations. I taught Will to use the dumpy level as he is due to start studying civil engineering, and we levelled in 3 brick pillars which Martin laid, to allow the rest of the brickwork team to work in between. Pete F used the 3 tonne excavator to excavate further ahead of the foundations team to expose the partially buried existing retaining wall so that it could be dismantled and the bricks recovered to be reused later. Everyone pitched in to help get the delivery of water to where it was needed in a variety of ways as there is no water source on site. That evening we played girls v boys ten pin bowling, of which Joel was the overall fact file Lichfield Canal

Length: 7 miles Locks: 30 Date closed: 1955 The Canal Camp project: Building a towpath wall and laying the path at Fosseway Lane

Why? Initially to create a nature reserve and public path; eventually as part of the Lichfield Canal route. The wider picture: See feature on previous pages for the full story, but basically it’s about reopening a missing link route which opens up access from the busy Coventry Canal via the historic Lichfield city to the sadly underused canals of the Northern Birmingham Canal Navigations.

To Anglesey Basin Ogley Junction

Wyrley &

Essington Canal Summerhill To Wolverhampton work site Diversions to be built to bypass obstructions to restoration A38

LICHFIELD

BypassA461 A51

A5 M6 Toll Tamworth Road work site Canal Camp site: Fosseway Heath To Fradley

Coventry

Canal

Huddlesford

To

Coventry

HS2

Darnford Lane work site

canal camp Report

work site - and then turn over for a more unorthodox camp report by Laura...

winner, followed by air hockey in the arcade in which Inka beat Alex (it’s in print now so it must be true!).

Tuesday: The retaining wall continued to grow and several people moved between the tasks of bricklaying, blocklaying, mixing and brick cleaning. During a contemplative moment of brick cleaning Inka came out with a particular little pearl of wisdom “These bricks are all different, some are big some are small, some are straight and some aren’t. Like people I suppose”.

On the way back from site we stopped by the Tamworth Road locks to see “one we made earlier” which inspired lots of us by reminding us what our sandy ditch and pile of bricks will look like when it’s got water in and what volunteers can achieve. After dinner, WRG chairman Mike arrived and we relocated to the pub for some serious preproduction meetings and scrabble games (which Will and Joel won).

On Wednesday morning John arrived and I promptly put him to work on the trickiest part of the brickwork, the decorative coping course of alternate bricks on end. We started a new task to construct the towpath on each side of the boardwalks. This involved using the 3 tonne excavator to load the material which Pete had dug out for the foundations into the dumper driven by Susan, and loading it behind the abutment walls for Callum and Joel to level out and compact in layers using a wacker plate. The top 150mm was made up of crushed brick and stone (crushed on site earlier in the week) on a layer of geomembrane and topped with limestone fines.

There was extra excitement on site when the film crew arrived to film scenes for the next IWA Restoration Hub video about Project Planning. Laura, Joe and Inka stepped up to keep the mortar production going while Alex was busy being a star doing some Oscarworthy pointing and nodding at paperwork with Mike and Mikk. Liz also starred in a cameo role of ‘Lady Receiving PPE’ and Pete F, Paul and John played supporting roles in the ‘Site Induction’ scene as they weren’t quick enough to get back to work after lunch.

Wednesday evening’s entertainment was an infuriating but hilarious game of crazy golf won by Joel (again!).

Thursday: I was rather distressed to find I wouldn’t be going to site on Thursday morning with the rest of my volunteers but instead had to stay behind at the accommodation with MKP and the film crew and answer some questions which anyone who attended the training weekend will be familiar with, such as “What’s the point in writing a Project Plan, it’s all going to change anyway?”. Fortunately, it was done in no time and I could get back to site thanks to a lift from Harri.

Paul gave Laura and Inka some further training on the excavator and they continued to load the as-dug material behind the retaining walls to build up the level of the towpath. Pete, Sandy and Will extended the foundation of concrete blocks and concrete bed even further along so there was no chance of the brickies slowing down.

That evening an imaginative game of scrabble broke out, horrifying the purists, and we went to the pub.

Friday: In addition to finishing the stretch of towpath we’d been working on and getting the brickwork to full height (“just one more mix!”) Peter Buck had kindly organised a tour of the Victorian Sandfields pumping station near site to see the enormous Cornish beam engine.

After cleaning and packing the kit into the trailer we took our end of camp photo sitting (carefully) on a very small section of the wall we built. For our final evening we enjoyed a lovely al-fresco meal on the lawn next to the canal, just outside the apple tree drop-zone. We celebrated Alex’s birthday (actually on Saturday) with a Harri-made caterpillar cake big enough for 20 and played a couple of lively games of croquet.

Finally, a couple for the bloopers reel: we learnt that you can’t fit 2 people in a dinosaur onesie and that it’s very hard to put a bra on with your hand in a plastic bag [Martin – that’s my bit of ‘pap’].

Thank you everyone who made it such an enjoyable camp. And that’s a wrap! Emma Greenall page 33

focus on Lichfield

See also Page 2 for a selection of colour pictures from the Lichfield Camp...

canal camp Report

...and see next page for how to book for November’s Lichfield Bonfire Bash

By: Laura Gilmore & Joe Atwill

focus on Lichfield

Book now for the Reunion Bonfire Bash

The WRG Reunion 3-4 November: Lichfield Canal

The Reunion is our annual major working party and get-together for all canal volunteers (also known as the Bonfire Bash), and this year for the first time ever we’re holding it on the Uttoxeter Canal. The work will include scrub bashing - which hopefully means some big bonfires - plus some hedge-laying, and if the weather’s suitable we may also be able to continue the work from the Canal Camp of building the towpath wall at Fosseway Lane. And we’re hoping to see something approaching 100 volunteers for the weekend.

We’ll have more details of the work, accommodation etc in the next issue - in the meantime, book in using the form below or via the WRG website wrg.org.uk.

And if you can’t wait until November to go and work on the Lichfield, London WRG have a weekend working party there on 13-14 October. See diary pages for contact details.

Waterway Recovery Group

Lichfield Canal Reunion 2018

I would like to attend the WRG Reunion Bonfire Bash on 3-4 November

Forename: Surname:

Address:

email:

Phone: Any special dietary requirements? I require accommodation on Friday night / Saturday night / both nights I enclose payment of £ (please make cheques payable to ‘Inland Waterways Association’) for food (cost is £13 for the weekend based on £3 breakfast and evening meal, £2 lunch) How will you be travelling to the Reunion? Do you want to work with volunteers from one of this year’s Canal Camps or from one of the regional groups? If so, which camp or group? Do you suffer from any illness, such as epilepsy or diabetes, about which we should know, or are you receiving treatment or under medical supervision for any condition YES/NO If yes, please attach details on a covering letter. In the unlikely event that you should be injured, who should we contact? Name: Phone:

Signed: Send to: Reunion Bookings, WRG, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA