When the Cat is Away

Over the past few weeks the Drainage team leader and blog writer has been away undertaking a practical study of applied fluid dynamics, mainly from a narrowboat on the canals of the East Midlands but also in one or two waterside refreshment establishments. Hence the pause in weekly blog updates. Thanks to other team members for these notes and photos.

Thursday 19^th June

The weather certainly curtailed our activities today. Flaming June had arrived at long last! Attending were Nigel, Peter, Polly, Roger and Dave. We inspected both sides at syphon culvert 7A. Polly and Nigel then proceeded to carry out minor repairs to the upside outlet.

Polly and Nigel working on 7A outlet. [Photo by Dave]

 

Result - much tidier. [Photo by Dave]

The down side structure is much more problematic. The bank behind the structure is gradually moving and has caused the top 7 or so courses of the brickwork of the high mileage side wall to shift inwards. This will require a rebuild in the not too distant future.

We also investigated along the roadside fence line on the low mileage down side at Stanton bridge 10, with access for a mini-digger in mind. We established that currently this section of fence has no removable section, and discussed where and how to install such a section.

At this point, the heat became overwhelming and we returned to Winchcombe for a rail based tour of culverts going south behind 2807.

Wildlife report: demonstrating that it's summer time and the living is easy were several red kites and buzzards effortlessly idling away their time on the thermals. Also a partridge and her (unlikely to be his?) many tiny offspring running along the empty side of the trackbed and slowing our reversing from Stanton Yard to culvert 7A.

Field of flax adjacent to the upside by Stanton Road Bridge (10). [Photo by Dave]

Thursday 26^th June

Attending were Ian, Jonathan, Peter, Polly and Dave. The main focus was the roadside fence on the low-mileage down side of bridge 10 (Stanton Road bridge). We cleared a good length of the fence line of vegetation before removing the fence rails at this cleared section. This left two exposed fence posts, one of which (the one further from the track) is easily removable, while the other will require a little more encouragement. We lightly nailed a couple of rails back across the exposed posts to form a temporary barrier, easily removable when access for the digger is required. The rest of the removed rails were placed to the side of the exposed area, invisible from the road, for reattachment after the ditch work is completed.

Working roadside rather than trackside on bridge 8 at Stanton. Jonathan, Ian, Roger and Polly in action. [Photo by Dave]

Peter and Jonathan get to grips with a fence post. [Photo by Dave]

Jonathan and Polly check the temporary access fence. [Photo by Dave]

The vegetation and overhanging branches were cut back for some distance northward along the crest, in preparation for the digger to excavate the crest ditch.

Looking along the crest of the downside cutting to Stanton Road. [Photo by Dave]

We found one field drain along the cutting between bridge 10 and the aqueduct, clearly marked by a post and blue-marked sleeper at rail length 8. There was no clear sign of a French drain taking the outflow down to the cess and, as the drain emerges high up on the cutting, the digging of a ditch along the crest might well cut into this field drain anyway.

Blue dots on the sleeper mark where land drains enter the cutting. [Photo by Dave]

We returned to syphon culvert 7A with the intention of adding dye to the inlet chamber and investigating where the flow reappears as this does not seem to be the outlet chamber. The consensus was, however, that the volume of water passing through the inlet chamber was so small as to make the exercise impractical. We will have to wait until rain re-establishes a better flow into the culvert.

Finally, we cut back some of the vegetation around the entrance to Stanton Yard.

Thursday 3^rd July

A day spent clearing access to and the inlets and outlets of the larger culverts that are on the programme for external detailed examination later in the year.

First was culvert 3B near Peasbrook Farm. A surprising amount of water flowing here. Note whole Himalayan balsam plant pulled out on down side and left to dry on top of head wall.

3B downside entry - an easy one to deal with. [Photo by Dave]

 

 

Polly is almost lost in the vegetation alongside the 3b upside exit. [Photo by Dave]

The low water level allowed access to the bottom of the exit stream. [Photo by Dave]

Next was culvert 4A.

4A downside inlet from above. [Photo by Dave]

Not a drop of water entering 4A. [Photo by Dave]

Looking through the bore of 4A. [Photo by Dave]

Finally culvert 5C.

Just a slight flow into 5C. [Photo by Dave]

Thursday 10^th July

With most of the team away on holiday or out for other reasons, there was no normal Drainage work today. However, Jonathan met with Adrian Clements from Tewkesbury Borough Council and Sarah Clayton our Infrastructure Manger to discuss the problems with debris and other rubbish entering culvert 39A at Pecked Lane, Bishops Cleeve. This carries the stream that runs through Honeybourne Meadow. Discarded rubbish can block the mesh on the entry; whilst larger items can get stuck in the exit where it splits into two pipes which emerge alongside Pecked Lane.