More annoying gravel being laid on Llangollen towpaths.

[casper ghost]

 

Don't you just hate this stuff? It won't be long before every visitor mooring is laid with it.

It's a pitty they don't make as much effort repairing the bits that are falling apart before they start something new.

You can probably tell that i'm not a fan of gravel on what was a nice grass towpath.

Casp'

[churchward]

 

Don't you just hate this stuff? It won't be long before every visitor mooring is laid with it.

It's a pitty they don't make as much effort repairing the bits that are falling apart before they start something new.

You can probably tell that i'm not a fan of gravel on what was a nice grass towpath.

Casp'

On the whole I agree. I don't need the towpath to be gravelled, tarmac'd or concreted.

Edited October 29, 2012 by churchward

[gaggle]

Nice grass towpath ? if only it was , in many places it is hardly good for walking along , the new paths at least encourage people to get out onto the canals , a lot of the cost is met by other organisations i think ,the only downside is the cyclists that act the goat speeding and that is not all of them.

[Cosy Toes]

I hate the gravel it scratches the wooden floor inside the boat when brought inside on shoes

[johnmck]

I hate the gravel it scratches the wooden floor inside the boat when brought inside on shoes

 

Agreed. I know not where they source it, but you could not design a more abrasive mix.

[gaggle]

Scratch on the wooden floor? are you joking?

[casper ghost]

Scratch on the wooden floor? are you joking?

No, it's horrible stuff. Turns to a muddy grey paste when wet and is just dusty when dry. It gets everywhere, especially on dogs paws. Here they are laying it for about a mile along Whixall moss.

Casp'

[STUBAG]

I hate the gravel it scratches the wooden floor inside the boat when brought inside on shoes

Ha! Yet another case for fitting Flotex!

[boathunter]

It's for wheelchair access.

 

I hate it too - where I live there was a lovely winding path through the woods locally known as the blackberry trail and beloved by dog walkers and small children on bikes. The council flattened and straightened it for wheelchair access, hacking down anything within 6ft either side and you can see from one end to the other. It doesn't actually go anywhere it was just nice. Now it's destroyed barely anyone uses it, least of all anyone in a wheelchair - have you ever pushed a wheelchair through gravel? Well meaning destruction of what's a scarce resource around here.

[BEngo]

The best thing is that there is rarely money for the extra upkeep that gravel needs, so the weeds (and brambles) take over again, but underneath it all is still the gravel so it's a better path in a coiuple of years.

 

N

Edited October 29, 2012 by BEngo

[cotswoldsman]

Creates big Puddles and pot holes

[AMModels]

It's for wheelchair access.

 

I hate it too - where I live there was a lovely winding path through the woods locally known as the blackberry trail and beloved by dog walkers and small children on bikes. The council flattened and straightened it for wheelchair access, hacking down anything within 6ft either side and you can see from one end to the other. It doesn't actually go anywhere it was just nice. Now it's destroyed barely anyone uses it, least of all anyone in a wheelchair - have you ever pushed a wheelchair through gravel? Well meaning destruction of what's a scarce resource around here.

 

A proper tamping down with a heavy roller, one of the little sit on ones should suffice, and the gravel would be compact enough not to come free and stick to shoes.

As a sometimes wheelchair user I appreciate the efforts made to enable people like me to access the towpaths and therefore canals, but I agree that a better job could be done as untamped gravel is a real bugger to be pushed through and can cause a problem for motorised scooters too.

[johnmck]

A proper tamping down with a heavy roller, one of the little sit on ones should suffice, and the gravel would be compact enough not to come free and stick to shoes.

As a sometimes wheelchair user I appreciate the efforts made to enable people like me to access the towpaths and therefore canals, but I agree that a better job could be done as untamped gravel is a real bugger to be pushed through and can cause a problem for motorised scooters too.

 

But the stuff they use is not really gravel, it is a sort of sharp grit. Nasty stuff.

[AMModels]

The sharp stuff when compressed properly will bind together better than gravel and makes for a better wearing surface, however gravel is a lot easier on the footwear and boats floors when not the gritty stuff isnt compressed properly.

[casper ghost]

The sharp stuff when compressed properly will bind together better than gravel and makes for a better wearing surface, however gravel is a lot easier on the footwear and boats floors when not the gritty stuff isnt compressed properly.

You only have to moor at Ellesmere where this type of stuff has been for a while to see it's effects, especially when wet, a muddy grey mess. What's started happening is that walkers are walking off the gravel on the grass beside the path instead.

Casp'

[fuzzyduck]

Isn't it ash from power stations?

[tree monkey]

Isn't it ash from power stations?

 

 

Its crush and run which is limestone chips and limestone dust.

 

The dust acts as a binder and works very well when properly compacted and provided with properly engineerd drainage

 

The problem is its never properly compacted and the drainage is ignored.

 

so it turns into a dust bath in the summer and a grey slimy soup in the winter

 

of course i could be completly wrong about all of the above

[casper ghost]

 

 

so it turns into a dust bath in the summer and a grey slimy soup in the winter

 

of course i could be completly wrong about all of the above

Seems you've summed it up perfectly..

Casp'

[Nightwatch]

Forget where it was, we were moored up and we were discussing how many local people eat crisps whilst walking past the boat.

 

We then realised the tow path was gravelled.

 

Martyn

Edited October 29, 2012 by Nightwatch

[CanalWalker]

I'd rather have something more compact for cycling on.

[Night Hawk]

Hold on a moment, about 500 yards downstream from that junction is that long straight stretch with the lift bridge in the middle and the scrapyard piled high with rusting vehicles.....most of that towpath is a good few inches lower than the rusty shuttering....There's always numerous little 'leaks' or 'microbreaches' along that length of canal....It's another major incident waiting to happen?

[notebook]

I surpose there pros and cons for redoing very muddy grass tow paths some of which we passed round wheaton aston/brood. Where l would,nt let the dog walk on, as it does make a mess. But l must say that the covering that has been done at autherley junction is really nice, don't know what it is tho

[john6767]

I surpose there pros and cons for redoing very muddy grass tow paths some of which we passed round wheaton aston/brood. Where l would,nt let the dog walk on, as it does make a mess. But l must say that the covering that has been done at autherley junction is really nice, don't know what it is tho

 

I would agree with improving muddy towpaths, but this location is really a bit isolated, and I would not have thought gets much footfall. I sat on one of those benches for a while on a glorious sunny early morning in August (we must have had at least one!) and took in the tranquil surroundings. Seeing it like that somehow seems to spoil it. Are they going to carry on all the way down the big wide straight there, as it does not really go anywhere at all, does it?

 

 

 

[Smelly]

I surpose there pros and cons for redoing very muddy grass tow paths some of which we passed round wheaton aston/brood. Where l would,nt let the dog walk on, as it does make a mess. But l must say that the covering that has been done at autherley junction is really nice, don't know what it is tho

 

The new surface at Autherley is shale and masks the new fibre optic cables running under the towpath.

[casper ghost]

Are they going to carry on all the way down the big wide straight there, as it does not really go anywhere at all, does it?

The contractors said they were carrying the path up to where that new jetty goes into the moss, though one chap thought they were going right to the end of the straight to where the moss trail footpath exits onto the towpath.

Casp'