Shropshire Union Canal Society

September 2026 Work Party Report – 10–13 and 16 September

A varied and productive five-day work party saw volunteers make excellent progress across several areas of the Shropshire Union Canal Society’s restoration project.

Restoration Project Manager Tom Fulda explained that the first significant rainfall in several months had caused the channel in Phase 2 to begin filling with water. Mud and debris had also been washed into the wash wall construction site.

Progressing the wash wall remains a priority, as the site could become submerged and inaccessible during the coming months. Clearing as much of Phase 3 as possible is equally important because this section is renowned for standing water throughout the winter. Another key objective is to complete the remaining lining and blocking work in Phase 2 before further rainfall makes conditions increasingly difficult.

To gain a head start, a preparation day was organised ahead of the main work party. This allowed work on the wash wall to begin and small trees growing within the Phase 3 channel to be felled before a larger team of volunteers arrived the following day to clear the brash.

Following the pouring of the wash wall footings during the previous work party, volunteers were able to begin building the wall itself. The wall uses a mortarless system of interlocking hollow blocks, requiring considerable precision.

After the shuttering had been removed and the footings cleared of debris, work began on laying the first course. This sits on a thin bed of mortar and must be completely level and free from gaps to ensure the remaining courses can be installed correctly.

The wall comprises three sections, with two corners and two expansion joints. Height adjustments were required at each expansion joint to accommodate three different sets of coping stones, all of which vary in height.

Once the first course had been laid meticulously, the blocks for the subsequent courses were lifted over the vertical reinforcing bars. Horizontal reinforcement was then secured to the vertical bars. By Saturday afternoon, an extremely neat and precise section of wall had been completed.

Concrete arrived on Wednesday, when a small group of volunteers returned to assist. A bespoke chute, fabricated over the weekend to direct concrete into the wall, worked exceptionally well, with particular thanks extended to Fred.

As with the footings, the section north of the bridge could be filled directly from the concrete mixer. The sections through and beyond the bridge were filled using a powered barrow. The work was completed without any leaks or seepage, reflecting the excellent quality of the construction.

A further three courses will be added during the next stage before coping stones are installed to form the towpath edge.

With the nesting season over and the severe risk of wildfires having passed, clearance work could begin in Phase 3 between Schoolhouse Bridge and Malthouse Bridge.

Strong volunteer numbers throughout the work party, together with four willing and enthusiastic volunteers from Aico on Friday, enabled tremendous progress to be made. Seven bonfire sites were used successively along this section to dispose of large quantities of brash from felled trees and cleared undergrowth.

Four larger trees growing in the channel near Malthouse Bridge had been felled by contractors several days earlier, adding considerably to the volume of material requiring disposal.

During the work party, a specialist contractor also used a stump grinder to remove the remaining stumps, along with several at Waen Wen that had been inaccessible during the previous month’s work. Clearance in this area will continue during the next work party.

The final major activity involved profiling the last remaining section of channel before the compound access point in Phase 2.

The end of the existing liner was initially rolled back onto a low bund of blocks to prevent water from entering the work area during profiling. However, to connect the new lining to the previously completed section, the existing liner had to be returned to the channel bed.

A temporary bund was placed over the existing blocks, but this proved only partially successful, as water found its way through gaps beneath it. Although pumping reduced the water level, it could not remove the water completely, leaving the channel extremely wet and muddy.

Despite the challenging conditions, volunteers successfully installed the liner and placed blocks along the channel bed.

With access now greatly improved, blocking along the sides of the channel will be completed during the next work party. A full-height temporary bund will also be constructed at the end of this section.

The Society’s aim is to rewater Phase 1B and Phase 2 over the winter before carrying out water testing next year.