It's too hot!

Saturday 29 June 

Why do we complain when the weather is positively Mediterranean, because we do 😠 at 30 degrees it was beyond a joke today. Possibly alright by a pool somewhere but not when you are trying to work. Rant over, back to what we did today. 

All the morning action took place at Stanton around Culvert 11A. Michael finished the up side headers on the south wall and started to remove the headers on the north wall. Roger put the tapers back on the down side north wall, then started to build upwards. Alastair was on the mixer and brick cleaning. Stuart was on vegetation removal on the down side cess. Hardly the sedentary work that is more suited for the heat. 

Up side start point (gap to the right to be filled) 

Almost done
(Photo: Alastair) 

The south wall rebuild is finished now, the gully pipe can go back in, then the reinforcing bar cage and a concrete fill to increase the strength. This should be capable of supporting the farm traffic, tractors can't get much bigger as they won't be able to fit under the bridge. The gap between the wall and the arch will be filled when the arch is repaired. 

Up side south wall finished 

For the down side cess improvement we are adding 18 metres of pipe from the current headwall and then building a new headwall on the end. This is intended to cure 3 problems: first, eliminate the scour at the outfall; next, remove the old leaning headwall; and last backfill the pipe to level the area because the steep sides make it a nightmare to manage the vegetation. This morning the cess outfall ditch was hidden by vegetation. By lunchtime it was exposed. 

Down side ditch area 

Down side cess outfall is in there somewhere  

The explorer set out
(Photo: Alastair) 

The flail has left an impression  

Brush cutter out for the steep bits
(Photo: Alastair) 

The ditch is visible at last 

The pipe will extend from the headwall
to the camera position 

The priority for the down side channel wall was to build up the area that suffered with the water flow from the cess that was obstructed by the inlet pipe (now removed). 

Roger in the sun trap 

Sitting down on the job
(Photo: Alastair) 

The top course of taper bricks was replaced but the gap left behind wasn't wide enough for a second brick course. A concrete fill was dropped in. 

Alastair delivers the concrete 

A firm base to work up from 

It was too hot outside the cabin by lunchtime, the heat reflected off the walls so we decamped over the track to seek out the shade of the only tree. 

Was this the real reason for cutting the grass 😉

A hastily re-arranged appointment with the Civil Engineer at Winchcombe meant that we had to leave early to go and sit outside the Coffee Pot Cafe. A very civilised way to spend the afternoon 🤭

Down side progress today 

Michael making more work by removing the headers 

We can fix it

Thursday 27 June 

Where did June go? only 1 more working day left and then half the year has gone, the bulk of the time seems to have been spent up at Stanton. There was a change of scene for 2 of the gang today as the office took a call from a worried resident at Gretton to say her garden had been flooded and she suspected one of our culverts may be to blame. She wasn't far wrong with her suspicions. 

The truck returned from the MOT this morning with no issues found, so we are good for another year. The only problem being that the welfare cabin key had been removed from the truck keyring for safe keeping; we only remembered that the key was still in safe keeping when we got to Stanton . 

First job was to see if the downpour on Tuesday had washed anything away; the only visible sign was the puddle under the bridge, the track level hasn't been sorted out yet so the water still hangs around. Some spent ballast will be brought in to level the road shortly.  

Water still pooling under the bridge 

Inlet end survived the downpour 

Michael got started on the headers on the south wall 

The outfall end of Culvert 11A
(Photo: Alastair) 

Michael laying the headers
(Photo: Alastair) 

Our Admin office took a call from a worried resident at Working Lane, Gretton who phoned to say her garden had been flooding, she suspected it may be caused by one of our culverts. Stuart and Dave headed off to investigate. First thoughts were to check on Culvert 25A at Working Lane and Culvert 24C the next one to the north. 

Culvert 25A no sign of flooding 

Culvert 24C up side outlet 

Culvert 24C up side outlet, some flooding
but not topping the ditch 

Next they went round by Culvert 24B and 24A and then back south to Culvert 25B.  

Royal Oak land slip site growing back 

looking north from Bridge 25, vegetation in abundance 

Culvert 25A up side, hidden from view 

After tracking down to Culvert 25B down side, it was evident what the problem was, a bit of rotting log had got wedged across the inlet. This was enough to send the peak flow on Tuesday over the bank and into the neighbours garden. The log was removed and shifted to above the high water mark. 

Did this just wash down into the culvert? 

Culvert 25B down side, log removed 

Emergency job over, the dynamic duo headed back to Stanton with the welfare cabin key in time for a late lunch. The afternoon was spent doing some small jobs while Michael carried on with the bricklaying. 

Dave get to grips with the hedge trimmer 

Alastair removing the headers with the bolster 

The heat getting to Michael 

The plan is to remove the headers from the up side north wall to lift the level. More earth was removed from above the headers, exposing concrete backing. 

Stuart clearing the back of the north wall headers
(Photo: Alastair) 

Dismantling the end of the up side north wall was started to allow the incorporation of the up side cess outfall.  

Alastair calls in the SDS drill 

Culvert 11A inlet end, more concrete broken up 

Michael surveying today's progress 

Dave couldn't resist cleaning a few more bricks 

Outfall end - the 'J' shaped channel 

That was all for today, there'll be another thrilling instalment on Saturday 

Stanton episode 27

Monday 24 June 

With just 4 of us in the focus remained on the rebuild and on the excavation of the inlet end. Another milestone ticked off the list as the rebuild on the channel north wall on the down side started. That may just be a few bricks, but it means that the up side south wall is nearing completion. 

The only cloud on the horizon now is that the down side north wall looks decidedly like a rebuild candidate instead of just a pointing exercise. The headers need to come off to raise the level so that it is a similar height to the new south wall. Our experience of removing headers has proved that the courses underneath will probably lift off with the headers, but it will be worth effort to get it right. 

Culvert 11A up side, start of day 

Dave and Roger sorting bricks 

Roger filling in the gap on the stretcher course 

Dave brick cleaning
(Photo: Alastair) 

Over on the inlet side, we need to divert the flow for the bricklayers and to remove the old channel floor beyond the walls. This area will be concreted when the gabion baskets go in to replace the old sleeper retaining wall. 

Start of day, water still seeping in on the left side
wall where the bricks have been removed 

The flow has uncovered some taper bricks that form
the old channel floor were the pipe was removed 

Pipe inserted through the inlet 

Alastair clears out the field side of the inlet 

After test fitting the pipe it was removed while further excavation was done around the end of the 600mm pipe.  

A bit of side wall recovered after being buried for a number of years 

Stuart digging out the north side
(Photo: Alastair) 

The water flow from the down side cess has created underground channels, this has undermined an area around a buried sleeper 

Buried sleeper and the undermined ground 

Roger cleaning off the remains of the old mortar
(Photo: Alastair) 

Down side, the first lot of bricks being replaced
(Photo: Alastair) 

Down side north wall, the bricks going back in 

As there seems to be a lot of seepage up through the bricks, the view is that some drainage needs to be built in. Some 3" clay pipe has been acquired for that purpose. 

Roger measures up the drainage pipe 

Our truck had to taken in for a service this afternoon, that was a good excuse to knock off early. The heat and humidity was a bit oppressive today, so we didn't need a second reminder to head back to base. 

End of day, south wall up side