Old Derby canal junction at Swarkestone

Old canal bed and towpath

The bridge at the old junction

The boat club squeezed into the old junction

I didn't realise that the old derby canal bed is still intact on the other side of Swarkestone Junction on the T & M. I bet the residents of the Swarkestone boat club have mixed feelings about re opening this old canal - I must admit they probably won't get much sympathy as they always moan when boaters turn at the junction.

I believe that the first stage of canal restoration will be the resoration of the towpath all the way through Derby and joining with the Erewash at Sandiacre.

I am not sure about the Derby arm proposal as it looks too much like a fairground ride and just as scary - what is wrong with a traditional aqueduct?

I will walk or bike the existing towpath soon to see how far it goes (park in Pingle lane, Swarkestone near the A50 Chelaston roundabout).

Weston on trent stoppage - bridge 8

The other stoppage on the T & M that has brought the canal to a stand still for the early part of 2010.

A repair not as sexy as the one at bridge 20 but just as disruptive

As usual the contractors have gone a bit employee welfare and H & S mental. There are at least 3 site cabins, 24hr high viz man attendance and a bespoke canal crossing which isnt actually needed as the parapets are only being pointed and the bridge is safe for walkers/joggers/cyclists.

I notice that the sign states that the bridge will be open early if the work is completed early!

It doesn't look as if the towpath collapse complete with the obligatory orange tape is part of this maintenance operation.

Battery in

I put the new leisure battery in the boat this morning. As the battery was a low height one 175mm - I made a wooden stand for it and now the heights are equal - around 235mm - this makes the wooden battery box cover sit well on top. I connected them in parallel i.e. + to + and - to -, taking the positive and negative feeds of each battery respectively. I ran the engine for half an hour to get a bit of charge in. I need to take the boat for a decent run - say Swarkeston to get a full charge in.

I had a walk down to Bridge 20 to see if any more progress had been made after the showbiz press launch the other day. A rubber cover has been fitted to the bridge floor - I presume that the floor will braced and concreted and be completed before the walls are rebuilt. Not sure if the Burton side wall will be rebuilt or just pointed, but, if left, it will look odd due to the various patching in different coloured bricks that has been done over the years. I seriously don't think the work will be done before late April at the earliest, which will be frustrating for the Stenson boaters. I spoke to a couple who have just had their boat painted at Stenson and they are unable to get back to their marina at Barton turns until the bridge re-opens - this could be a couple of months yet!

Derby Evening Telegraph 12.2.10

Historic bridge repairs begin
Friday, February 12, 2010, 07:30

A CANAL bridge which dates back more than 230 years is being painstakingly repaired at a cost of £250,000 after parts of it collapsed.
The bridge over the Trent & Mersey Canal, at Stenson, was ruined when an 18-tonne tractor and trailer tried to cross it 15 months ago.
Since then, the bridge has been closed to vehicles and pedestrians but British Waterways – which manages the canal network – has now begun a 10-week rebuilding project.
However, as a Grade II-listed structure, workers are having to use 6,000 hand-made bricks and traditional lime mortar, to make it look like it did when first built in 1777.
Alex Lee, project manager for British Waterways, said: "We are repairing it now in an identical way to how it would have been constructed originally.
"It has to look like it did previously, so the colour and style of the bricks and mortar have to be approved by a conservation officer.
"Part of the original bridge is being kept and we're using materials recovered from the collapse wherever we can.
"When we're finished it should last another 200 years."
The restoration of the listed structure – which is known as Bridge 20 – is being managed by contractor May Gurney.
It has arranged for thousands of kiln-fired bricks similar to the ones used to create the bridge – which was built to carry horse and cart rather than motor vehicles.
Bespoke sandstone copings have also been produced to rebuild the bridge parapet, while lime mortar – very different from modern cement mixes – is being used.
It can only be set in certain temperatures, which has proven difficult in the sub-zero weather this week.
This time the bridge deck will be reinforced with concrete to enable it to carry heavier loads and help prevent a similar collapse in the future.
The bridge, which was damaged in October 2008, should be able to reopen at the end of March or early April.
It was not possible to close the canal for the work earlier as it is popular with boaters in the warmer seasons.
Mr Lee said: "We can do major engineering work in the winter period without disrupting boaters.
"This is the first winter we've had to get it repaired."
Along with fixing the bridge, workers will also replace concrete "patch-up" repairs carried out on brickwork up to 60 years ago.
When work is finished, a temporary footbridge that was constructed close to the site to ensure walkers could continue using the canal will be removed.
Eddie Quinn, manager for May Gurney, said: "We're working to ensure the bridge is restored as quickly as possible, while taking great care to respect the history and heritage of the original structure."
Each year British Waterways carries out maintenance works to hundreds of structures including lock gates, bridges and aqueducts across 2,200 miles of canals and rivers.

Radio Derby 11.2.10

Repairs to collapsed Derby canal bridge begin

The bridge has been covered in a tent to protect delicate building materials
A £250,000 repair project on a historic Derbyshire bridge which collapsed under the weight of a tractor has begun.
The 200-year-old, Grade II listed brick structure, officially known as Bridge 20, carries a farm track over the Trent and Mersey Canal in Stenson.
In October 2008 part of it gave way, dumping a trailer into the canal and blocking the waterway.
Now British Waterways has begun repairs using traditional materials and techniques, along with reinforcements.
British Waterways said it had taken 15 months to begin because it usually undertook major projects during the quieter winter season and there had not been time to organise the work last winter.
Higher costs
Project manager Eddie Quinn explained why it was costing a quarter of a million pounds: "A lot of the materials have had to be sourced locally and are bespoke to the project and a lot of the techniques are fairly specialist.
"One of the reasons it is shrouded in a big tent is we have to keep the mortar warm while it sets and it takes a lot more time and a lot more man hours than normal."
It is expected the bridge will reopen by the end of March.

New battery

I have acquired a new 110ah leisure battery for the boat it is a 110ah deep cycle lead acid type like the existing one - it is a different make, so may be of slightly different ah and voltage - but I am willing to take a risk to save a few quid as usual - the existing battery is almost a year old so will not be in peak condition anyway!

I just need to correctly install in parallel to give me double capacity at the same voltage.

With a battery bank of only 2 batteries it is probably not essential to take the main feed + and - off seperate batteries, but, I might do anyway to ensure consistent charging.

I have a sterling alternator regulator fitted, so the alternator is given a bit of a workout every time the engine is run - the fitter at Stenson suggests that this will ultimately shorten the life of my alternator.

The starter battery is on a seperate circuit and isolated in a battery box and was replace when I bought the boat last May.

Tooth breaking

Took my wife to Fradley for the afternoon yesterday. After a walk, we had some food and drinks at the BW cafe on site. Very good food, reasonably priced and a clean and attractive room. The Swan pub will be investigated at a later date, I am looking forward to a trip there in Pearl soon - if bridge 20 ever gets finished and I can get out of Stenson marina! I also broke a tooth while eating - I can see my new battery money going to the dentist (now an exec profession - no wonder they all drive flash cars).