If you've ever wondered what sort of hands on tasks you can get involved with, you need look no further than the River Key Aquaducts.
As can be seen, the aquaduct culverts were filled with mud silt and debris. The pictures shown above (2005) show the very end of the process. A dam at the end of the culvert held back the river Key waters. The silt lines on the walls give you an idea of the effort needed to clear out the brickwork. - So much for the watercourse, what about the engineering?
Experience has taught the Cricklade branch that the best time to lay the coping stones is early in the year after the last of the frosts. This allows the rest of the year for the coping stones to season.
This shows the positioning of the coping stones in early 2006. One unfortunate difference between the original coping stones and these replacements was the need to protect them from theft. A fairly complex piece of engineering was incorporated into the stones to prevent their theft over the coming years.
The structure of the River Key aquaduct also brought its own challenges. The wall (and therefore the coping stones) have a long sweeping curve to contend with which caused a few heads to be scratched from time to time.
As you can see, however, the problems were overcome with some style. The finished coping stones can be seen in this photograph. (February 2006).
There is still much to be done at Cricklade although this shows an example of the high standards being achieved at this branch as well as elsewhere on the route.
If you would like to be involved in the next stages at Cricklade, we would be pleased for your help and support, You can join the Trust here and visit the branch web site for further information.