Between Pigneys Wood and Swafield

To:  remove brash/detritus from along the canal bank.

     Parking is between the Butchers and JW Hall -

What another splendid day! Weather was good (ain’t it always?) and things just went from good to better. At the end one could very easily see where we had been. There is of course another bonus to removing this overhead cover....that is that come the spring there is a chance that the small wild flowers will start to re-colonise this area because they can now receive some valuable sunlight! And we all know that flowers sustain other parts of nature...one thing depends on another. Every little helps!

I am hoping to be able to put together a work programme for the last couple of months of this year by the end of next week. ‘Thank you’, goes out to you all for your support in whatever way you help.

WORK ACHIEVEMENT. The weather forecast for the day was diabolical! On the morning it rained quite heavily and there was a storm south of Norwich. However, it was a work party day and therefore the weather would be bearable!
And so it turned out to be with only a couple of light showers (not even noticeable apart from seeing the splashes in the canal) until the end when the heavens did open! The five volunteers met at the Pill Box and then moved on to the site where we had been on a couple of occasions before.

The sun shone for part of the time and we got started in clearing up the site in readiness for the return of LA with his shredder. Once that arrived it took about 40 minutes to make a big impression in one of the banks of brash from the previous work party.

After partaking of lunch, sat on some logs at the side of the path, we finished off shredding the first piles and then concentrated on continuing to clear away an earlier fallen tree near to the canal bank. The water level in the canal was quite considerably higher on this day than it was three weeks ago. In fact, during the 5.5 hours only, that we were on site, the water level rose by some 16 inches! This is not surprising as the canal at this point had not been cleared for nearly two years.
Local residents explained that the Environment Agency used to clear this part of the canal from Swafield Bridge downstream, but had not done so lately! We noticed that some logs which had been stashed well up on the bankside before, started to float downstream before they were rescued by our intrepid waterman, Alan.

By the end of the day, and we left site initially at about 15.35, all of the lighter brash had been cleared and shredded, leaving some of the heavier timber piled in heaps. Several visitors came our way and congratulated us and the cause for doing a grand job and hoped that before long they would be able to take a canoe, at least, through this area. The effect of the rising water was felt when attempting to get the shredder back to the Pill Box area. In a hollow along the canal bank, the water had risen by well over a foot since we arrived and because of this and the weight of the shredder, it became stuck. Attempts to free her were only partly successful due to the state of the ground….to be retrieved later! Chris arrived home at 19.00. Thanks and well done Chris!

You may have noticed the heading of this report? The work parties are now under the control and heading of the Trust, having taken over from the EAWA. The WPO is, for the time-being, still the same, however!

My thanks to those stalwarts who came out on a weather-unpredictable day to make a great advancement.

The next work party will be on Sunday October 27th, meeting up at the Pill Box once more.

WORK ACHIEVEMENT. We met up at the arranged place at 09.30 and following the briefing, proceeded to the site – the lucky ones by vehicle and others by foot!

By the time that the foot sloggers had arrived, we had the first trunk of the multi trunked tree lying on the ground, leaving two more to bring down. It will be noted that the first three parts from this tree root had been brought down at the previous work party.
The weather was to be of the finest combination for this, or any other time of year, being pleasantly warm with just a touch of cooling breeze after the lunch break. Some said that it was actually ‘hot’ at times although our intrepid Alan may have thought otherwise as he spent a lot of his time moving about in the canal – and the canal moving about in his waders! The canal at this pound is, however, totally blocked by reeds and other growth in the water with the main North Walsham Town Drain issuing into it adjacent to the wooden foot bridge crossing over the canal below the removed railway bridge site.

Several walkers, some being taken out by their dogs, passed us as we worked or ate our lunch and all said that we were doing a great job. Most people are looking forward to seeing unrestricted water flowing along the canal once more. Just after our lunch-break, a local farmer came along to have a chat with me and he explained that he was upset, amongst other things, by the amount of rubbish that came down into the canal through the town drain. I thanked him for his comments and added that there must be a great deal of sand, small stones and other debris from the streets also coming down the drain and adding to the blocking of the canal.

To finish the day, we cleared two small sets of saplings growing out of the water/lower bank on the opposite side of the canal. The brash from these was brought across to be shredded later by the owner and some of the sturdier pieces being left to act as habitat for small creatures in the winter months.
All eight of the volunteers departed from site at 15.00 after a most enjoyable day out. As always, my sincere thanks to all who came along to carry out the work, achieve the plan and making it quite a special day.

WORK ACHIEVEMENT. Meeting with LA at the usual parking slot, we discussed the requirements for the day. As is usually planned, the weather turned out to be very good to us and with 7 volunteers on site we drove up along the west bank to the specified area. Here we found several clumps of bushes and saplings dotted along the top of the bank – albeit well-spaced apart.
The first turned out to quite reluctant to give in but with determination and skill(?) we all persevered until there was a great heap on the side of the track comprising of brambles (dead and alive), stinging nettles with some other plant life and at the heart of all was the elderberry tree. This morning showed a great change in the proceedings as we stopped…..for a coffee break! Never heard of before in the annals of Working Parties on this canal! I must be getting ‘sorft’ in my old age?

Shortly after we recommenced working LA appeared with his chipping machine, when we placed the worst heap into the horizontal hopper and watched it coming out of the ‘chimney duct’ as well sized chips.

Lunch was taken on the spot in beautiful weather before we carried on with the task. With four volunteers helping to place the brash into the machine, the others moved on ahead to tackle the next targets.
The system worked very well and before we were aware of it, we were at the big bend on the canal opposite to Pigneys Wood. We all finally left site at 15.45 wondering at the long length of canal bank running straight as a dye to Royston Bridge in the distance. Another work party will be held here to complete the work and the date of this will be made known at a later date.

There is a slight change to the arrangements for the next work party on 1 september is that we meet at the Bacton Wood Lock site at the slightly later time of 10.00 for a very interesting variation on a theme.

WORK ACHIEVEMENT. Once again the weather was great and not, on this occasion, too hot to make it uncomfortable. A total of 15 volunteers turned up which is very gratifying indeed! True to say that most were employed in providing information to, and assisting, the general public who had come to the event, but some did take up the task and some grass was cut and more importantly, a lot of Himalayan Balsam was cleared away. As is well known, this Balsam is an invading plant into this country and if not checked and removed, will at the appropriate time, explode its’ seed pod and strew the contents over a great area, them being carried even further by both wind and water flow. The plant will eventually take over the waters’ edges and other areas to the exclusion of other national plants.

I was the last to leave site at approximately 17.30 after a great day out in the countryside beside a wonderful stretch of water, teeming with renewed wild-life and vigour, thoroughly enjoyed by the many visitors both on land and on the water.

I am now able to work on the new Work Party Programme for the remainder of this year and will communicate this to you at the earliest opportunity, once it is confirmed by the Canal Owners.

Thank you to all who came and took part on this Sunday – particularly pleasing in the comments received from all those taking an interest in our work, both past and in the future.

WORK ACHIEVEMENT. Albeit I was not present at this work party (away taking part in other waterways events) the weather was very good indeed. What else?
Here is the report from our Chris Black who stood in for me.

We arrived at approx. 09.15 on a very warm morning. Beverly and David were already there and Beverly was being shown around the locks as it was her first visit to the site. The rest of the work-party volunteers duly arrived making a grand total of 9 people. I gave the usual H&S briefing especially as we were working on the lock side. Not a drowning hazard but a long way to fall especially as some of the hidden brickwork on the edge was loose. Starting from where we had previously removed ivy from the NE wall we gradually worked our way towards the upper end of the lock. Progress was relatively easy in parts but the Ivy roots were everywhere. One small tree was cut down by Mickey Starling and we eventually managed to remove it from the lock wall without damaging the brickwork. A very much larger tree was growing beside it but visual inspection indicated that it was not growing in the wall itself – much like the trees at Briggate. This tree and the roots will be removed by Mickey at a later date. Care was taken to avoid any wildlife disruption but where toads and frogs were found they were removed to a safe place. As the day progressed the temperature rose but working in the trees made the heat bearable. Lunch was taken at 12.30. We resumed work at approx. 13.00 and managed to clear the whole length of the lock wall. The spoil which was removed was used to level out the ‘pathway’ beside the lock. Mickey and Ann were really pleased with the progress as it has revealed the extent of the lock. We ended the work-party at 16.00 Chris Black, acting work-party organiser.

Our next work party will be at Ebridge Lock Chamber on Sunday 28, the Event which the Trust will be holding there, so please do come along to help in any way that you can.

I shall be working on a new programme for the autumn in due course and I do regret the delay in getting this out to you. I’m sure that you all know the reasons.
Best wishes and take care

WORK ACHIEVEMENT. After being shown around the site earlier in the day by a trustee of the Pigneys Wood, I had a better appreciation of the overall area and its’ relation to the canal bank and railway track. This prepared me for the day’s plan, which was carefully explained to the other 8 volunteers when they arrived. As I attempt to provide the best possible weather for our Work Parties, the day did not disappoint, with good sunshine and warmth for the entire time on site! Some clouds did appear later, in the afternoon, but not to the detriment of the experience. The canal bank to the south of the access bridges to Pigneys Wood (across the backsoke) had been partly cleared by grass cutting by others (unknown). However, we had arranged to bring along the big mower to cut this path and so that task was carried out from Royston Bridge right up to the second, northerly access bridge. Together with the grass and other vegetation being cut along the path route, some overhanging saplings were also cut back so as not to be of nuisance to people using this public footpath. After a heavy days’ labour by Ivan and Alan, the footpath is now looking really great and clear for all to see at about 8-feet wide in most places. The northern side of the access bridges was a little more complicated, but careful and studious work resulted in our arrival, before lunch break, at the dried-up land drain running into the canal nearside of the final field before the railway bridge. Most of the timber encountered was dead and this, where necessary, was broken and stashed at one side or other of the opened area as a hide for birds or other creatures.

Before anything was either cut or broken, the structure was carefully examined for bird and other activity. Nothing was discovered during the course of this but one ground nest was later located in long grass and nettles and given a wide berth without disturbing the occupants. As it was not totally clear as to the location of the railway bridge, following lunch two of our more intrepid explorers set off along the railway track on the boundary of Pigneys Wood to approach the canal bank from the other end. It was also possible for them to report back on the state of the gas pipe crossing the canal and the height of the footbridge, as it was thought that the pipe was considered to be at a disadvantage height for navigation along the canal. ‘Not of concern’, was the report, as the pipe leaves some 12 feet of air draft under it. The small wooden foot bridge will naturally have to be replaced by one giving a greater air draft as it currently is quite close to the present water level. At the end of our labours, the newly opened walk along the bank was closed off at the access bridge end by using carefully laid pieces of timber from removed saplings. The site gate was closed and locked at 15.21.

My thanks as always to you, who came along and once more performed so splendidly to produce the desired results. Thanks also are due to Pigneys Wood for their co-operation, which meant a great deal.

I will advise soonest as to where the next work party will take place on Sunday 30th June.

WORK ACHIEVEMENT. The weather for the day was absolutely glorious – summer seemed to have arrived at long last.
Our group of 6 volunteers walked the path along the east bank of the canal, over the small bridge over the bank breach, passed the first entry bridge of the back-soke to Pygneys Wood and up to the second little bridge. It was here that we saw that the footpath ahead was completely blocked by tall greenery (grass, weeds etc.) and saplings.

Following the H&S briefing we inspected the grass for signs of any bird nesting activity. Finding none, the grass cutting commenced until we had gained access to the first saplings. These were carefully inspected, which in this case of sparse leaf coverage was relatively easy, for signs of birds. Again, none was found and so we continued, ever watchful for signs of wildlife.

A very welcome lunch was taken on the bank of the canal in wonderful sunshine and the bird-song became very evident. Very pleasant. The brash was piled on the side of the bank for future disposal – the thought of a fire was quickly discounted due to the nearby wide areas covered by dead reeds and other dry combustible materials. We all marched back from the site at 15.10, quite pleased with the efforts and looking forward to returning at a later date to continue with the task.

As it was so pretty on this site it has been decided to return there again on Sunday 16th June for another attack on the footpath. I am hoping that we shall be able to park a lot closer this time and I shall advise the meeting-up place in good time.