I went for a walk along the Droitwich from Porter's Mill this morning and 
found to my delight that the towing path is now unobstructed all the way to 
the Severn. With apologies for the poor quality, here are some shots taken 
from my mobile phone.

As you approach the new culvert from the east, it can be seen that it 
proudly wears its new bridge number 2:

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=A449CulvertEast.jpg

Both the cut itself and the towing path (which seems to be DDA-compliant) 
are built to the most grandiose proportions. The view from the west end:

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=A449CulvertWest.jpg

The cut immediately to the west seems to have been more or less completely 
redug:

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=HawfordCut.jpg

The second lock up appears within yards:

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=Hawford2.jpg

This lock is quite deep - in contrast to the entrance lock, which is quite 
shallow. When the river is in flood, it will flood up to and into the second 
lock up.

Again, it is just round the corner to the entrance lock:

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=HawfordLock.jpg

This next shot, taken from the same place, shows the very sharp turn if 
heading from Droitwich to Stourport:

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=HawfordLockSevern.jpg

Again, from amost the same place, the view towards Worcester:

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=Severn.jpg

Some parts of the cut will still need some clearance:

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=SomeObstructions.jpg

While in other parts, all that will be required is a steely nerve:

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=OtherObstructions.jpg

All of the broad locks up to Droitwich are now partly or completely 
restored, and it is possible to walk the entire length from Hanbury Junction 
to Hawford - with only minor deviations at the M5 and in Droitwich.

Regards

Jonathan

"Jonathan Morton"  wrote in 
message news:qtGdnesU4_ilxnHXnZ2dnUVZ8gKdnZ2d@bt.com...
>I went for a walk along the Droitwich from Porter's Mill this morning and 
>found to my delight that the towing path is now unobstructed all the way to 
>the Severn. With apologies for the poor quality, here are some shots taken 
>from my mobile phone.
>
sic

> All of the broad locks up to Droitwich are now partly or completely 
> restored, and it is possible to walk the entire length from Hanbury 
> Junction to Hawford - with only minor deviations at the M5 and in 
> Droitwich.
>
> Regards
>
> Jonathan
>

Thanks for those Jonathan.
Co-incidentally Michel vdb is also featuring the same stretch on fubc.

Still a long way to go on the in-channel vegetation front was my overall 
impression.

Regards
Pete
www.thecanalshop.com

Jonathan Morton wrote:
> I went for a walk along the Droitwich from Porter's Mill this morning
> and found to my delight that the towing path is now unobstructed all
> the way to the Severn. With apologies for the poor quality, here are
> some shots taken from my mobile phone.
>
> As you approach the new culvert from the east, it can be seen that it
> proudly wears its new bridge number 2:
>
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=A449CulvertEast.jpg
>
> Both the cut itself and the towing path (which seems to be
> DDA-compliant) are built to the most grandiose proportions. The view
> from the west end:
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=A449CulvertWest.jpg
>
> The cut immediately to the west seems to have been more or less
> completely redug:
>
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=HawfordCut.jpg
>
> The second lock up appears within yards:
>
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=Hawford2.jpg
>
> This lock is quite deep - in contrast to the entrance lock, which is
> quite shallow. When the river is in flood, it will flood up to and
> into the second lock up.
>
> Again, it is just round the corner to the entrance lock:
>
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=HawfordLock.jpg
>
> This next shot, taken from the same place, shows the very sharp turn
> if heading from Droitwich to Stourport:
>
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=HawfordLockSevern.jpg
>
> Again, from amost the same place, the view towards Worcester:
>
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=Severn.jpg
>
> Some parts of the cut will still need some clearance:
>
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=SomeObstructions.jpg
>
> While in other parts, all that will be required is a steely nerve:
>
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=OtherObstructions.jpg
>
> All of the broad locks up to Droitwich are now partly or completely
> restored, and it is possible to walk the entire length from Hanbury
> Junction to Hawford - with only minor deviations at the M5 and in
> Droitwich.

Pretty good photos from a telephone. I use the microwave oven to tell the 
time. Where next?

Your photo of the Hawford Cut puzzles me. Is that a concrete stop that I 
see? If so what are the dimensions?

"Clot"  wrote in message 
news:NT1Hm.30802$zt3.11519@newsfe03.ams2...
>
> Your photo of the Hawford Cut puzzles me. Is that a concrete stop that I 
> see? If so what are the dimensions?

No, there's no stop - that's just a reflection. The dimensions through the 
culvert are well over 7 feet in width - probably about 12 or possibly even 
the full 14, perhaps surprisingly as one might have expected them to save 
money on this aspect given the presumably low level of broad traffic. It's 
also surprising, given that the angle of approach, coupled with the 
relatively narrow channel, means you would struggle with anything much wider 
than a narrow boat.

The towing path through the culvert is equally grand - about 3 feet wide, 
cantilevered off the side wall and with hand rails on the cut side 
(obviously) and on the wall side also. The wall is just the steel piling.

I've noticed the dog appears in several of the photos - looking suitably 
thrilled. She gave the swans a very wide berth - there was a lot of nasty 
hissing.

Regards

Jonathan

Jonathan Morton wrote:
> "Clot"  wrote in message
> news:NT1Hm.30802$zt3.11519@newsfe03.ams2...
>>
>> Your photo of the Hawford Cut puzzles me. Is that a concrete stop
>> that I see? If so what are the dimensions?
>
> No, there's no stop - that's just a reflection.

Ah, thanks.

 The dimensions
> through the culvert are well over 7 feet in width - probably about 12
> or possibly even the full 14, perhaps surprisingly as one might have
> expected them to save money on this aspect given the presumably low
> level of broad traffic. It's also surprising, given that the angle of
> approach, coupled with the relatively narrow channel, means you would
> struggle with anything much wider than a narrow boat.
>
> The towing path through the culvert is equally grand - about 3 feet
> wide, cantilevered off the side wall and with hand rails on the cut
> side (obviously) and on the wall side also. The wall is just the
> steel piling.
> I've noticed the dog appears in several of the photos - looking
> suitably thrilled. She gave the swans a very wide berth - there was a
> lot of nasty hissing.

I'm afraid our dog would not be so wise!

"Clot"  wrote in message 
news:XdgHm.28885$1i2.13554@newsfe07.ams2...

>> I've noticed the dog appears in several of the photos - looking
>> suitably thrilled. She gave the swans a very wide berth - there was a
>> lot of nasty hissing.
>
> I'm afraid our dog would not be so wise!

On the Junction Canal, the new cut to the east of the M5 is complete (with 
new locks 4/5 - a staircase pair - and 6). This leads to the culvert under 
the motorway, with a further stretch of new cut ending at the new Lock 7, at 
approximately Grid Ref 906634. This lock will take the new navigation down 
into the River Salwarpe. At present it looks very odd, because a bund has 
been left in place at the tail of the lock, with just a small run-off to 
take a trickle of water. The new navigation will use about 300 metres more 
of the river than the old - i.e. it enters the river further east - because 
a number of properties to the north of Hanbury Road have been erected over 
the old course of the cut - you can just see the remains of the old lock, 
under a building, which lowered the canal into the river for the short 
stretch under the bridge to the east of the barge lock. Some work is going 
to be needed on the river section - at present (well, yesterday anyway) a 
canoe would go aground.

I presume that the river clearance will be the last work to be tackled, and 
I think I read somewhere that this Lock 7 will have an odd arrangement in 
which the bottom paddle culverts will take the water from the lock as it 
empties and channel it all the way to below the barge lock - presumably this 
is to minimise the risk of messing about with the salinity and/or the levels 
of the Salwarpe.

As noted upthread, quite a lot of the reed clearance work still needs to be 
done on the broad canal. Part of the deal has involved planting of more 
reed-beds elsewhere, and I believe this is to be done this winter.

I'll try to get some decent pictures of the area next time my wife drags me 
to Waitrose in Droitwich.

Regards

Jonathan

Jonathan Morton wrote:

Thanks for the pictures I really enjoyed them.

> The second lock up appears within yards:
> 
> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=Hawford2.jpg
> 
> This lock is quite deep - in contrast to the entrance lock, which is quite 
> shallow. When the river is in flood, it will flood up to and into the second 
> lock up.

So has Pluto the pipeline gone. It crossed this lock near the bottom 
gates, it has been scheduled to be moved for years but was still there 
when I lasts walked down there a year or so ago, and I can't work out if 
its there in your picture.
--
cheers Ian Mac

Good day everybody,

>>
>
> Thanks for those Jonathan.
> Co-incidentally Michel vdb is also featuring the same stretch on fubc.
>

http://www.thebw.net/Canal2/canal203.html

> Still a long way to go on the in-channel vegetation front was my overall 
> impression.
>
for the lastest finishing touch, you should apply for master volunteer. 
:-))

-- 
Michel Van den Berghe
Walking the BW: http://www.thebw.net

"Ian McCarthy" <idm.plusnetng@cronkshawFULLSTOPnospanDOTcom> wrote in 
message news:rq6dnblf6KXAkXPXnZ2dnUVZ7oednZ2d@brightview.co.uk...
> Jonathan Morton wrote:
>
> Thanks for the pictures I really enjoyed them.
>
>> The second lock up appears within yards:
>>
>> http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll145/JonathanMorton/Droitwich/?action=view¤t=Hawford2.jpg
>>
>> This lock is quite deep - in contrast to the entrance lock, which is 
>> quite shallow. When the river is in flood, it will flood up to and into 
>> the second lock up.
>
> So has Pluto the pipeline gone. It crossed this lock near the bottom 
> gates, it has been scheduled to be moved for years but was still there 
> when I lasts walked down there a year or so ago, and I can't work out if 
> its there in your picture.

I certainly didn't see anything. There is now a footbridge just below the 
bottom gates, but I don't think there was a pipe under it. To be honest I 
was just amazed at the transformation. Last time I went to this lock about a 
year ago there was a bridge across the middle of the lock - and the whole 
place was a right dump in every sense of the word.

Regards

Jonathan

On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:12:34 -0000, "Jonathan Morton"
 wrote:


>No, there's no stop - that's just a reflection. The dimensions through the 
>culvert are well over 7 feet in width - probably about 12 or possibly even 
>the full 14, perhaps surprisingly as one might have expected them to save 
>money on this aspect given the presumably low level of broad traffic. It's 
>also surprising, given that the angle of approach, coupled with the 
>relatively narrow channel, means you would struggle with anything much wider 
>than a narrow boat.

Ah yes, the old "inland waterways boat = narrow boat" chauvinism.

Er, hadn't you noticed that the name of this waterway is "Droitwich
Barge Canal"?  And that it is accessed by the River Severn, a
seriously wide-gauge navigation, on which many of the craft are
largest than narrow boats?

On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:43:22 -0000, "Pete Stockdale"
 wrote:

>Still a long way to go on the in-channel vegetation front was my overall 
>impression.

This has been a concern right from the start of the project.  The DCT
has been very reluctant to state either the gauge that the waterway is
being restored to, or the channel profile being achieved.  

I've been told this is to avoid upsetting the "nature" folk, who don't
want any dreding at all for fear of damage to the reed beds that have
proliferated alarmingly during the years of dereliction.  

How embarrassing is it going to be when the first full-gauge barge
arrives!  I can see the headline now, "Restored Barge Canal Unusable
By Barges".

The sensible way to restore (and maintain) a waterway is to its
original gauge.

Adrian

Adrian Stott
adrian@unspam.ca

"Adrian Stott"  wrote in message 
news:j2vve5p3v06am34vq7631uup74i28v1i9g@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:12:34 -0000, "Jonathan Morton"
>  wrote:
>
>
>>No, there's no stop - that's just a reflection. The dimensions through the
>>culvert are well over 7 feet in width - probably about 12 or possibly even
>>the full 14, perhaps surprisingly as one might have expected them to save
>>money on this aspect given the presumably low level of broad traffic. It's
>>also surprising, given that the angle of approach, coupled with the
>>relatively narrow channel, means you would struggle with anything much 
>>wider
>>than a narrow boat.
>
> Ah yes, the old "inland waterways boat = narrow boat" chauvinism.
>
> Er, hadn't you noticed that the name of this waterway is "Droitwich
> Barge Canal"?  And that it is accessed by the River Severn, a
> seriously wide-gauge navigation, on which many of the craft are
> largest than narrow boats?

Er, precisely where did I display the chauvinism or stupidity attributed to 
me by the noble baronet?

I am well aware that the canal is broad. I said that it was surprising - 
given that one would probably not be able to get a 14-ft boat to the eastern 
entrance to the A449 culvert because the channel is narrow - that the 
culvert itself had been made so wide (presumably at greater expense).

Regards

Jonathan