What Will The Whitchurch Canal Breach Look Like?

[00:00:00]Hello everyone. Something a little different today. So, I've used a mixture of AI and Photoshop to try and give an idea of what the the finished canal might look like. Now, as you can imagine, this has taken a fair bit of work to get it to exactly where I want it to be. But, yeah, just showing that uh you know, roughly roughly how it's going to be done. So, you can imagine I certainly don't have the plans. Um I don't think well, they may not even be totally finalized yet. But, uh yeah. So, we do know that uh the banks are going to be built back up. Now, the angles won't be exact, as you can imagine. Uh but, they'll be roughly similar to how it was. I think it was a give or take 45° until a certain point, and then as it gets closer to the top of the canal, uh raising up to 70°.

[00:00:55]So, the actual concrete sections themselves, this image isn't completely correct. Um so, it is roughly a 100-m long section that is going to be repaired, and that will be done using uh 10-m long um sections of concrete. So, you can imagine rather than multiple sections, as you can see there, it will be roughly, give or take, 10 10-m sections. So, I must stress again that uh the Canal & River Trust uh the workers haven't told me any of this. Uh this is just me guessing from the stuff that we have heard from the walk arounds. Now, one thing I do know for certain is that, of course, the material that is currently being screened uh by the spoil piles uh will be used to fill in this area once again. So, they've taken it out, cleaned it up, and then they will add it back in. Now, that is being strengthened with layers of geogrid. And then, of course, they'll pump, tamper, that down. I always get the wrong word.

[00:01:59]It's tamping down, not tampering down.

[00:02:01]Uh but yeah, so it'll be added back in. Layers of geogrid just support that that structure. And uh hopefully, it'll last at least another 200 years.

[00:02:13]Now, I know that all the work that's going on, uh I can't give the workers enough credit. I really can't. It is incredible to see the progress, and it is certainly exciting with little videos like this.

[00:02:25]Uh just to see what it will end up looking like, or potentially anyway. I won't get too carried away.

[00:02:30]But at this point where the drone is currently, that we will be a fair few meters, ooh, probably 2 m uh below the actual footpath level.

[00:02:41]And yeah, it's just it's unbelievable to think of in a way. That uh who's to say how long? I know that there's different estimates at the minute. Uh but possibly the start of next year, um this will all be a well, built back up, at least filled back in for sure. Uh who's to say when the actual finish date will be.

[00:03:04]Uh but the main thing is that they are cracking on with it at an unbelievable pace. And uh we've also been so incredibly lucky with the weather, allowing so many working days to uh go ahead. Now, also just as importantly, it's got to be done. Hey, there's me.

[00:03:21]And uh just showing off there the line of sight uh that is now available. Now, the fences have been moved closer to the bridge.

[00:03:29]So, in a second, we'll fly back over to the other side, and uh I'll give you another image that I've done uh facing the other way toward the bridge.

[00:03:38]But like I say, it is just exciting. Uh a lot of people, obviously, uh they're going to be drawn [snorts] to this area when it is completed. And I can tell you as of when this video is posted on Saturday the 20th, uh Monday marks the 6th month anniversary of the the breach happening.

[00:03:58]So, an unbelievable amount of progress uh in that 6 months. It really is impressive.

[00:04:05]Now, of course, my question is as well, uh just how much further past uh the pilings on the left and right side there they're going to have to go. Uh I don't think it'll be too far. Uh certainly possibly around that uh that metal fence, potentially.

[00:04:22]But, uh yeah, it'll be interesting to see. And of course, we have found out that uh they haven't dug down this level uh simply because they don't need to. Uh it doesn't need doing. So, uh they'll save a bit of effort, save a bit time, save a bit of money uh by not doing more than they need to. Now, that, of course, will be all planned out and they'll know exactly just how much they do need to do.

[00:04:50]Now, once again, Pear Tree Lane off to your right-hand side and Grimshaw Brook downstream uh ahead of us.

[00:04:58]Uh it'll be so exciting to see this all opened up once again. And I know that we get loads of walkers uh >> [snorts] >> coming down uh past us asking if it's open just yet, uh wanting [snorts] to go down to Grimshaw Brook to the cafe and uh have a spot of lunch by the sound of it. It really was a a popular thing back in the day.

[00:05:19]But, yeah, I do you all also wonder um how much work will have to be done to this section of canal. Um you'll see there that there are plenty of grass and vegetation on that right-hand side. Uh whether there will have to be any work done to that with it being exposed to the air for so long. That, unfortunately, is above my pay grade, but uh I'll do my best to find out for you. Now, I also get questions about the uh cofferdam. Between those two cofferdams, how would the tarp has just been left there, and I think the case is the access is just so poor that it's not really worth the effort on getting it just yet.

[00:05:58]Now, it will be recovered at some point, I've no doubt, but as you can imagine, to get there at this point, they would have to likely get a machine onto where the towpath was, as they can't just go straight through the cofferdam that is currently there. But, we'll switch to another image. Now, looking toward the lift up bridge from this side, you'll have to forgive the the random piling and fence that's still there.

[00:06:24]Photoshop struggled with that one, and so did the AI, but like I say, the embankment on the left-hand side will still be there. They're not um extending that too far.

[00:06:38]It will, of course, be to the right level that they've planned, and like I say, they're they've got so many engineers and so much planning on this side of thing that uh I'm sure they know what they're doing.

[00:06:50]Let's just say that. Uh but, you'll see there as well. It won't look exactly like this, of course. Like I say, the the concrete sections are done in 10-m sections. Uh now, they are done in straight sections, and the curve on the canal in this portion is it might look dramatic sometimes from the drone, but it's actually relatively straight. And just doing those concrete sections in straight lines with little bits of uh differences in the seals. So, obviously, they're going to seal the concrete sections in one of a few ways.

[00:07:27]Um I know that there's certain rubber sections that they can they can actually cast in the concrete itself. Or, like I say, there's plenty of other options, and I'm sure that they they know what they're doing on that. So, those little differences in in those gaps will easily be solved by some seals.

[00:07:45]So, we'll fly down toward the lift bridge again. And as you might be able to tell, I'm not currently flying my drone.

[00:07:52]This is last week's Sunday video for the drone flying portion. I just thought it was the best way of doing it rather than trying to keep track of all this while some flying. It would be a very difficult task indeed. Like I say, this is a lot of complex editing compared to the usual flying a drone and just syncing up the audio over the top.

[00:08:14]But, I have to say I'm quite enjoying the the results so far.

[00:08:18]Now, one thing I will talk about shortly is the lift bridge and the plans to do with that, but I'll wait until we get over there before I talk about that.

[00:08:27]Now, I know that I don't feature the flood field in this video specifically, but I do believe the work going on at the minute will just involve the topsoil being added back in now the ground has been taken down to a good level. Now, I don't know the exacts behind that, but I think just a general cleaning up of that area and getting it to a nice gradient that the farmer's after would be my guess. Like I say, that is just a guess but yeah, I'd imagine that's probably roughly correct. And one thing I will say, once it is finished, I am going to miss the filming. I'm going to miss the the excavators and the track dumpers.

[00:09:11]It's going to be very different down here, but I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate it. Probably more than I will. I will miss it like I say, but it's just been a great experience all round. And once again, can't respect the the workers enough.

[00:09:25]They're doing a smashing job >> [clears throat] >> and a great mix between professionalism and just kindness. They're all very friendly and that is obviously a massive help to us.

[00:09:36]So, of course, at some point the cofferdams will all be removed, allowing that water flow back in. And that, of course, will also mean that the pumps at the marina, the ones that are pumping 40 million liters a day, will be able to be removed as well. So, the plans with the lift bridge the lift bridge it itself, sorry, is staying.

[00:10:01]So, there's no plans to upgrade it, change it in any way. Just because it's a really good lift bridge. It's already well over it's what it needs to do, basically. Now, you know, there's no point in putting a new lift bridge in if this one is absolutely fine, which it certainly is.

[00:10:20]And I know it's a nice idea that they're around here anyway, so they might as well, but that's not the case at all.

[00:10:27]It's a lot of money and a lot of effort and a lot of time to replace a lift bridge. So, if they don't need to, they certainly won't. But, I'd imagine, as you can see there by the bricks on the floor, they'll certainly need to do some work on the walls before and after the lift bridge, especially on the breach side of the lift bridge, because as we saw, they have taken out a load of those walls to allow the access for the vehicles into the actual breach itself. And it's hard to tell on the drone, but the track on the left-hand side is probably a good um 3 to 4 ft lower than the the towpath level.

[00:11:07]So, we can't be forgetting about the the track and the compound. Now, I don't know a lot about this, admittedly, but the things I do know is that the little offshoot toward the bridge, I'll show you that when we get there, um will be kept and then any access onto the main road will have to be be So, I'll show you that in a second.

[00:11:32]We're just going to switch to the last image that I've got for you. Now, once again, the uh the track itself does look a bit dodgy, but I can tell you you can see there that the track itself is being kept, like I say, but any access to the road uh will have to be cut off. Um changing the roads and all that, attaching to a main road, it's a lot of work, a lot of regulations. And as you can imagine, if they don't need to, I really don't think they will. And it I'm certainly under the impression that uh like I say, that will have to uh be stopped. And I don't know if they'll put the embankment in as shown in this image, but I wouldn't be too surprised either way. Um but certainly the trees and everything, that will uh that'll take time. But this site was used uh in the past. I believe it was a little seven-trench site, uh which is why I guessed from the start that that would be the entrance to the actual compound itself. Now, of course, the old site didn't take off the heap of that embankment. Uh it was quite high up and then down again. Um so, how they managed to get vans down there, but uh yeah, it was a perfect spot for it. But after that happened, they did indeed have to um close that all up and return it to basically how it was before.

[00:12:57]And of course, the spoil piles will be long gone by then. And like I say, just thinking about it in the future, uh thinking about the field free of spoil piles, uh the track looking different, I don't know how much of the compound uh will be kept exactly like it is, but we'll wait and see with that one. Uh I think it'd probably be more effort to remove it, but at the end of the day, I'd imagine uh I would guess, anyway, it's uh mostly the landowner's decision on that side of things. Now, like I say, I can't imagine the uh the road access will be uh a decision thing. I think that is likely final. Uh but yeah, just thinking about it all being grass, all being luscious, and all being uh able to be farmed again, will certainly be nice. And I'll uh definitely in the future uh do uh like an after video when it is all said and done. Now, don't get me wrong, that is a while away just yet, but it'd certainly be nice to get like uh in a few years' time, uh get a future video.

[00:14:03]And I'm sure a lot of people will also do that, too.

[00:14:07]And I'm also wondering, you can see the uh the logs and the sticks and everything from the big oak tree. I'm wondering when that's going to go, too.

[00:14:16]Now, one thing that I don't really know about is the uh the culvert. So, if any work's going to be going on with the culvert, uh I've got no idea. I would imagine that there's certainly going to be cleanup, uh but with the setup currently running and currently being functional, uh maybe they won't. Maybe that isn't their job uh to some degree.

[00:14:38]I'm not too sure. Now, one thing, of course, I'm going to miss, Joe's boat. I certainly am. But uh yeah, I'll leave it to here. Really appreciate your time.

[00:14:48]Hopefully you like the video. Like I say, it's a fair bit of work, but uh yeah, like I say, hope you enjoyed it.

[00:14:54]And uh if you did, then I'll do other things like this and see how we get on.

[00:14:58]But really appreciate your time. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and uh I'll see you down at the breach this week.