Next week will see a further group of helpers adding to the work-force: staff from Essex and Suffolk Water and the Environment Agency will join the team. As work on the channel must be completed before the end of September, it is vital to have as many people as possible to progress all the different aspects of the project.
A mini-digger (supplied by Whitnell Plant Hire) has been transported across the river from the Trust’s base at the Essex and Suffolk Water pumping station, using a floating “Versadock” (kindly provided by Electromobile) and is proving invaluable in re-profiling the river bed in the channel leading up to the lock.
Barrow-loads of hard-core are also being transported across the river, ready to fill wire baskets (called gabions), together with rocks which have been rescued from the lock channel. The gabions are being used to create a low reinforcing 'wall' along most of the eastern bank and the channel is being slowly restored to navigable depth and width. The gabions arrive on site flat-packed and have to be constructed, so there is plenty of work to be done.
Temporary dams have been built at either end of the channel, and are holding back the water. A series of pipes are diverting the water around the channel, so as to keep the area as dry as possible. The final task will be to spread spoil removed from the river bed on the bank between the new wall and the main river channel.
Work is taking place on a daily basis and additional volunteers are invited to join the team, whether they can help with the hard, physical work or by making tea and coffee, keeping the ‘mess hut’ and facilities safe and tidy, welcoming visitors, running errands or just offering moral support.
So far, almost £1,900 has been donated towards this phase of the project, but £8,000 more is needed to pay for hiring the digger and other equipment and buying materials. All donations will be acknowledged and should be sent to the Development Officer (Stratford Lock), River Stour Trust, The Granary, Quay Lane, Sudbury, CO10 2AN (cheques payable to “River Stour Trust”).
Phase three of the project – to restore this historic structure (unusable since the 1950s) and install new lock gates – will cost £100,000. The River Stour Trust hopes to complete this final phase during 2008 - its 40th anniversary year. Stratford Lock will be the fourth restored, working lock on the River Stour Navigation and a further step towards the Trust’s aim to achieve full through navigation on the Stour.
Would-be volunteers and visitors are welcome to call at the RST site hut at the back of Essex and Suffolk Water’s pumping station at Stratford St Mary, to see the work done so far and find out how they might help.