Aylestone Park Canal Slipway Construction
Following the construction of a large car park within 10m of the Canal on Aylestone Park, it was proposed to construct a slipway to allow trailed boats and other craft access to the Canal. Once the project was approved the Waterway Recovery Group were approached to help construct it during two week long summer work camps held the last week of July and the first week of August 2009.
In the meantime a grant from Hereford City Council was successfully submitted to help with the construction costs.
Some 18 volunteers on each of the work camps stayed at Yarkhill Village Hall and made considerable progress on the slipway and additional jobs of building a footpath on the Park and installing four picnic benches.
Following the hectic work camps in July and August, volunteers continued to work on the slip way construction.
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Here, the blue bull nosed engineering brick copings are being laid to finish the walls, and preparations are being made to complete the concrete ramp surface.
An earth bank at the bottom of the slip way separated the work area from the water in the canal channel, and was removed when all construction work was complete.
Construction of the new slipway into the canal at Aylestone Park in Hereford took a further step forward on 14 November 2009 when a team of WRG volunteers turned out in very wet weather to place concrete to form the slipway ramp.
Two mixer loads of ready mixed concrete were delivered with a “stiff” mix (slump of 50mm) specified for the batch going on the 1:4 and 1:8 slopes. The finish was left rough to give a good traction surface for vehicles towing trailers.
Many thanks to WRG volunteers John, Martin T, Charlie, George, Fred and Lorraine.
Extending from a hardstanding area alongside the canal, down into the canal channel, the slipway will provide the means for a variety of small craft to safely enter the water and navigate along the restored channel.
Further works were needed before the slipway will be ready for use, not least of which was the task to remove the earth bund separating the slipway construction area from the channel channel. This was an essential temporary feature, allowing the construction work to be undertaken “in the dry”.
2010 – Aylestone Park – Slipway Construction continues
Over two weekends in February 2010, work on the slipway progressed further with more help from WRG volunteers.
Planned activities included landscaping next to the new slipway walls, laying paving slabs (for safe boat launching) and fitting wooden fender posts (to absorb shocks when a boat touches the walls).
The final excavation of the clay bund was commenced, using a 3 ton excavator driven onto the bed of the canal at the foot of the slipway.
Material taken from the bund was removed by dumper and used for landscaping around the slipway. The clay bed at the end of the slipway will be puddled with the excavator bucket to make it watertight.
Photo Gallery showing slipway construction.
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