The restoration of this lock will follow the successful restoration of the locks at Flatford, Dedham and
Great Cornard; and open a further three miles of navigation along the River
Stour. The work required fits into two main phases and requires the use of
machinery such as big pumps, mini diggers and power barrows so, as well as
the environmentally sensitive nature of the site, we can only work there
during a few summer months each year.
For their continued hep and assistance with this
project, would like to thank Essex & Suffolk Water, Electromobile Limited
(for the loan of a floating pontoon) and the Environment Agency (for the loan of
a pump).
- PHASE 1 - COMPLETED
- This involved returning
the channel below the lock to a usable state. The Suffolk bank of the channel
needed a stable edge to be built. Re-profiling of the channel was
carried out to allow
for craft, such as Stour Trusty II, to reach the lock.
PHASE 2 - ONGOING
- This involves restoration of the lock chamber. Volunteers
installed stop logs to stop water entering the lock chamber whilst work
was carried out and cleared the accumulated silt in the bottom of the
chamber. Volunteers have worked extremely hard to fill gabions along the
180 metre lock channel to reach the point where it rejoins the main
river. We are very pleased with this year's progress which puts us ahead
of schedule. We will need to removing the remains of the old lock gates
and transport the new gates upstream (along the newly restored
channel) for the contractors to install them. The clay plug at the top
entrance of the lock will also need to be removed and we will tidy up and landscape the lock island
with intentions to install landing stages.
- WE NEED SEVERAL THINGS TO PROGRESS THIS PROJECT
* Funding
(e.g. for tools, machinery, the new lock gates)
- * a design for the lock gates - and a builder of lock gates
* permission from the Environment Agency
* an assured group of volunteers to do the work (specialised skills e.g.
qualified digger driver would be most helpful)
- CAN YOU HELP?
-
- For further information
please contact the RST Office on 01787 313199 or
email
us
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