Codnor Park Reservoir: Himalayan Balsam at the reservoir overspill and the old “Lock 1” was removed and work started on repairing the fencing at the Codnor Park Reservoir car park, which had been damaged by a vehicle.

Lower Hartshay: The levels on the towpath were checked with a laser with a view to completing the towpath wall. Three volunteers had to remove a tree root that had grown from within the stone wall edging the size of it suggest that it had been growing there for several years. Volunteers spent time preparing to replace the edging stones after removal of the tree roots. More Himalayan Balsam was pulled , which because of the weather, is becoming a pain, there is so much of it! The teams re-measured the area where the level of the old canal wall dips and then on to collect sheets of donated plywood.

Sawmills: After litter picking, the edges of the towpath were strimmed with the four wheeled strimmer. On Lockwood’s bridge, a rail was fitted to the edge of the platform above the footpath at the northern end of the bridge and painted with undercoat.

Ironville: Two volunteers weeded around the youth coach, coach. Several other jobs were identified as in need of work.

The sand pit behind Ironville church was re-filled and vegetation cleared around the car park. There is a policy in place within the FCC work parties, that there is no lone working, but on this occasion, our lone volunteer said he was working within the rules, because there was a funeral taking place adjacent to where he was working and there were plenty of people around all the time he was working! Three volunteers spent the day repairing the vandalised fence and replaced some rotten posts near lock 2.

High Peak Junction: Two volunteers made a pair of steel wedges to fit under Browns Bridge to support heavier than normal loads of coal for the pumping station are being transported across it. Volunteers went to Browns Bridge, which it was reported was rubbing on the stonework when operated. They tightened a number of bolts in the decking support and removed grit under the balance box and left the bridge in good working order.

Teams of volunteers spent time weeding along the railway narrows wall and along the wall towards the pumping station. This exercise is primarily to prevent brambles growing across the footpath. The weeding also extended around the wall of the railway workshops, which was convenient because there were intermittent rain showers and they were able to sit under the picnic table umbrellas.

A team of six volunteers worked from Browns Bridge toward Cromford, clearing nettles and brambles that were starting to spread across the towpath. There were some large areas of nettles at Kelly’s Corner which not only were they across the towpath but spreading and causing problems for passengers on Birdswood. It meant a combined effort of one volunteer with a long rake reaching the nettles over the water, pulling them to a position where another volunteer could cut or pull the plant completely out of the bank.  We also came across a number of dog poo bags left on the towpath, instead of being disposed of properly.

Cromford Wharf: Two volunteers spent a number of sessions rubbing down the rails outside the Gothic Warehouse over several weeks each of which was interrupted by heavy rain. The teams finished off rubbing down all the rails around the entrance and the coal loading pit and managed to get some of the timber painted with white undercoat. 

  

Training: Malc C, together with a ECP&DA volunteer and a Canal & River Trust ranger went on a weekend chainsaw refresher course. This was necessary because C&RT have changed their parameters for the training and retraining of chainsaw operators, from five years to two years.

Chase road Ambergate: Himalayan Balsam was pulled at various places on both sides of the canal.

Pinxton wharf: A team pulled Himalayan Balsam and weeds out of the canal channel, the area was very dense due to the weather, and half a dozen small trees were removed which had fallen on to the fence towards the tip.