Lichfield Branch provide moorings

Published: Monday, 12 November 2012

IT HAS long been known that the Shropshire Union Canal Society members have been instrumental in erecting moorings along the Shoppie, but now others have taken up installing moorings.

The Lichfield Branch of the Inland Waterways Association have been given a grant to improve the canal side in Rugeley on the Trent & Mersey Canal and provide moorings in the Brindley Bank area from legacy funding from the IWA National Waterways Festival held in Burton-on-Trent in 2011.

20 rings

After negotiations with Canal & River Trust, it was agreed to install 20 mooring rings on the Trent & Mersey Canal, between the Brindley Aqueduct and Rugeley Bypass Bridge.  CaRT agreed to provide a hopper and all necessary equipment and materials, with the Branch providing the mooring rings and manpower.

Having had years of experience at this kind of work, Brian Holmes of the Shropshire Union Canal Society was asked to get involved as team leader, and last Friday morning saw Brian digging trial holes, with the hopper and materials already on site, whilst Derek and Ed cut the grass in preparation for Saturday.

Up and digging

Brian was up and digging again on Saturday morning, and by the time the main work party had arrived, he had three examples with mooring ring in situ, and concreted over hole with mooring ring showing and just the hole. This meant that everyone else could see exactly what needed to be done.

Later on the Saturday there were 16 volunteers from different organisations, with everyone playing their part, from the hole diggers, the concrete mixers, the wood cutters, the tree removers, the bricklayers, the step clearers, the undergrowth removers and not forgetting the lunch, cake and tea makers. (Photograph showing a view of the newly installed mooring rings by Margaret Beardsmore.)

Completed

The job was completed at 3pm, shortly before it began to rain, with everyone saying what a good day it had been, and what were we doing next?

On the Sunday 14 local volunteers turned out for a couple of hours in the morning for a scrub-bashing session, managing to clear the long path leading from Wolseley Road down to the ‘Bloody Steps', which is part of the intended ‘Brindley Trail'.