December 3rd 2006

Saturday night had been extremely wet and very windy so we knew not what to expect when we arrived at the Basin at about 09:30. Fortunately the weather was kind to us, the rain held off, the wind moderated and the sun even shone for a lot of the time. The heavy rain had swollen the River Churn, flooded the fields and the Thames & Severn was over the tow path.

There were fifteen of us there from both the Cotswold Canal Trust and Wilts & Berks Canal Trust: all experienced restorers. We quickly got stuck in to the undergrowth that covered the aqueduct and lock and soon had a "jolly big bonfire" blazing.

The aim of the day was to expose the remains so that an archaeological survey can be done. What we found was exciting. We still need to do some more clearing on the aqueduct and also on the two wing walls. When it gets a bit drier we will be able to get at the arches.

It was a marvellous day and we achieved an enormous amount, but there is still a great deal more to do.