Dunnington Done for 2021

The un-restored canal line through Dunnington Farm is private property, and work-parties cannot take place until a licence is granted by the land agent looking after the site on behalf of the University of Oxford. In March 2020, one of the last work-parties before the first lockdown was held at Dunnington Aqueduct to trim the grass and undergrowth.

Normally, we would receive the next year's licence as winter begins - but this coincided with another lockdown. Finally, a licence was granted in May 2021, by which time the undergrowth was out of control. On the 19th the work-party hacked its way along the former towpath past the site of Lower Dunnington Lock to the embankment and thence to the aqueduct over the Thunder Brook.

Several of the volunteers had never seen this major structure, and so the path down to the brook was cleared and the brickwork of the aqueduct was inspected. Brambles have grown long and straggly over the brick arch, but we'll have to wait for winter before they can safely be removed. Just a few weeks before, we'd all needed our hair cut as well...

Back in Summer 2020, 'persons unknown' had taken a picnic table to the site, plus bottles and cans of beer and plenty of food wrappings. The work-part cleared the rubbish from the embankment and sorted into recycling and bags of waste. By lunchtime, when the canal and banks over the aqueduct had nearly been cleared, the picnic table came in handy. In the distance could be heard a train whistle.

A steam excursion was storming through from Victoria to Bristol and the SS Great Britain. It was sold out - at £540 minimum for the day. For that, the passengers were well looked-after, with a 3-course brunch on the way out and a 4-course dinner in the evening.

The work-party returned on 26th May to complete the grass-cutting for the season. By the end of the day the pathway, embankment and aqueduct had been trimmed; no doubt there will be plenty more to clear in the coming winter.