Cheap day return to Toddington

Monday 9 September 

With the forecast of heavy rain and an escort job lined up for the afternoon we decided to do some equipment maintenance today. A shortage of parts for the brushcutters meant that the effort went into servicing the flail machine, it's back in working order now. 

We visited Toddington to look at the rest of surface water drainage assets so that C&M can work out how best to augment the catchment on the access road into the site. In the Afternoon Alastair and Stuart headed off to Cheltenham to show the engineer doing the structural survey on 3 culverts, a bridge and the south portal of Hunting Butts tunnel where everything was.  

Dave and Nigel lifting the lid on the underworld 

A hole was discovered, people are looking into it
(Photo: Alastair) 

Nothing goes where it's supposed to 

Searching for burred treasure or uncovering hidden drains 

We think there is a chamber that has been tarmacked over where all the surface water drains join up, a metal detector might help here. 

X marks the spot (Too many pirate stories 😒) 

Hunting Butts doesn't seem to change much, it's still a magnet for litter. 

Alastair checks that Bridge 45 is still there 

The wing walls on Culvert 44A may not stand up to detailed scrutiny, possibly another job coming up to add to the list 

It came off in my hand 😲

Hunting Butts south portal the vegetation is coming back 

Hunting Butts Access Ramp, with a footpath cleared 

On the way back we picked up a new brushcutter, the vegetation clearance round must be on the horizon. 

New Stihl FS490C, for the lighter work