Culvert clearance progress

Thursday 21 November

Strange how plans change as the day goes on, we ended up clearing 7 culverts today. The 3 around Didbrook No 2 bridge are fairly flat so that makes the going a bit faster. Culvert 17A at Hailes is long and 14B at Didbrook No 1 is steep so that compensates for the easy ones. Not much else to report, it's mainly pictures of vegetation 😊

However, there is some good news regarding culvert clearance; we have just passed the half way mark; only another 38 to go. We were ahead of normal but have been hit by the weather during November. With a week to go before the end of the month we might be able to do some catching up.

Culvert clearance progress 2019

The contractors working on the River Isbourne were doing a relay with the diggers to fill the gabion baskets. Strangely, it was quite addictive to stand watching, we even came back to watch on the way home.

Morning stop to see the contractors at Culvert 21A

First culvert to receive attention was 14A just south of Toddington Signal box.

Culvert 14A down side, before Michael

Michael finds the chamber on the down side

We have yet to find the up side end of 14A, it's somewhere in the North Cotswolds Narrow Gauge site, we have a rough idea where it should be but no water ever appears on that side.

Alastair, Roger and Dieh looking for 14A outlet

Culvert 14A down side

Culvert 14A inlet, it's a 4" pipe, no wonder it floods in the field

We clear round the mileposts as we pass them, that is if we spot them 😉

10 miles, seen better days

Culvert 14B saw the brunt of the floods, a bridge up stream was partly washed out and luckily the sleeper deck got caught up on the inlet end.

Culvert 14B down side, Roger reaches the toe

Culvert 14B down side with added sleeper
(Photo: Alastair)

The farmer's bridge that washed out

A bridge and a half
(Photo: Alastair)

A sleeper left in the footbridge for the farmer to recover

Culvert 14B down side headwall
daylight visible from the outlet, a good sign

Culvert 14B up side, Michael blazes a trail down

Culvert 14B up side headwall almost

Alastiar carrying out the visual inspection

Culvert 14B up side after clearing

The vegetation must be getting tougher this year, one of our top operatives broke the loppers on an ash twig 😖

Stihl Pruning Shears, engineered for strength!

Culvert 15A, between Didbrook 1 and Didbrook 2 was next on the list.

Roger at Culvert 15A down side

Michael and Alastair on 15A up side

Further round over Didbrook 2 bridge, the three 16 series culverts were cleared.

Dieh and Alastair cutting back Buddleja to clear the service road

Stuart cut a path up the wing wall of Didbrook 2 bridge
to facilitate access if there's another flood

Roger clearing towards Culvert 16A down side

Culvert 16A down side

Michael immersed in Culvert 16B down side
(Photo: Alastair)

Culvert 16B down side

The floods in the fields have almost cleared

Culvert 16C down side

Culvert 16C up side headwall

Culvert 16C down side headwall

On the way round by Hayles Abbey Halt we cleared the cess chambers, mainly on the down side as the up hadn't overgrown. There's a bit of GWR confusion around Hailes the abbey and hamlet and Hayles Abbey Halt the station. Evidently someone at Swindon years ago decided it needed a different spelling.