Restoration Blog

Gough's Orchard Water Feed - The Return

by: Andy P.

Nov 2017 the vacuum pipework was completed and commissioned. It did not last long and despite numerous folks and numerous methods, the vacuum failed to work for a sufficient length of time to get the water from the pond up and into the canal. So Bob, Mathew, Maurice and Andy P returned. First job was to close the inlet valve by the pond, which when we left in May 2018 moved easily with 1 hand. Not this time, 4 hands, on our stomachs, a hammer and 40 mins later it was closed. Can WD engineering make a frame at waist level to make it easy to open and close-Thank you.

The pipework which took days to assemble yielded in 30 mins-the saw did help a lot. Then digging and much more digging to drop the level and straighten the run across the tow path.

Off to Brimscombe to take the old pipes and look at the shiny new, very, very heavy pipes and fittings.  Well, a bit of a jigsaw but eventually figured out how it all might work.  John B was not too impressed about his order and drawings versus what was delivered.  More bits needed.  A very pleasant lunch break and WRG flapjack, at the bookshop, did help.

Then back to digging in between rain showers.

Weds was more digging.  Lots of digging.  Collected 2 bends and used them to work out the best way to get across the towpath, with one being cut to size to make the correct angle.  Back to the bookshop for lunch and WRG cheesecake. We like WRG work party leftover food.  Ian M spotted us so we ‘volunteered’ to take a length of hose to the WRG working at Dudbridge.  Lots of activity going on there.

Then to finish off we did some more digging and a final selfie.  To be continued at some point in the future.