Canal restored below Chaddington Lock, 2013

When Chaddington Lock was completed, there was only a small length of canal restored below it sufficient for a grand opening ceremony; the rest had to wait. Above the lock, after the spill-weir was complete the canal was fully restored in 2009 between the lock and Bincknoll Lane – but without a steady supply of water to keep the canal full.

Scrub and undergrowth were cleared in 2009 on the remaining 200 metres of canal line west to Harris Croft Farm, but actual dredging had to wait until 2013. A temporary water supply was created by digging a channel from the drainage ditch on the western boundary of Morningside Farm to the restored piece of canal below the lock and to pump water to the upper level.

In 2012, ‘Blue’ the excavator from WRG (the Waterways Recovery Group) was used to remove topsoil from the paddock south of the towpath hedge ready to take spoil from the canal.

With the help of ‘Blue’ and a hired excavator, this part of the canal was finally dredged in 2013 and the spoil was spread on the paddock.

Finally, the topsoil was spread on top of the spoil in the paddock.

The grass in the paddock was then cut frequently to remove weeds and prevent weed seeds blowing into the meadows of Morningside Farm.

(Photos taken from Dragonfly 130, Autumn 2013)