CRT cutting back trees

[peterboat]

I know we all like to knock CRT a little bit but since they have taken over my patch of the S&SYN has been fairly well looked after. The contractors have cut the grass far more than BW ever did and this year all the trees growing on the bank edges have been cut down. Very handy for me as when I went out this weekend I put the logs on the roof of the boat and brought them home to use next winter I spoke to the contractors when they were doing the work and they were more than happy to oblige me great bunch of guys. Has anyone else noticed an improvement in their areas?

 

 

Peter

[Machpoint005]

Getting boaters to cart the logs away is cheaper and easier than the contractor doing it himself.

But I agree, credit where it's due!

[Athy]

As I progressed along the Fenny Compton Endless Bloody Moorings last weekend I got the impression that some much-needed offside clearance had been carried out, but it may have been simply that vegetation had died off over winter and hadn't yet regrown. Time will tell. There were signs of pollarding (I hope that's the right word for lopping trees right back to their trunks) on the towpath side of the S. Oxford too.

[Machpoint005]

As I progressed along the Fenny Compton Endless Bloody Moorings last weekend I got the impression that some much-needed offside clearance had been carried out, but it may have been simply that vegetation had died off over winter and hadn't yet regrown. Time will tell. There were signs of pollarding (I hope that's the right word for lopping trees right back to their trunks) on the towpath side of the S. Oxford too.

 

It's certainly a present participle with two letter L's in it...

[Theo]

Loads of off side clearance on the Leicester branch too. And drendging on the summit level.

 

"Very good" is what I say!

 

N

[bottle]

Ah! yes that is where they have left two flats (breasted up) a tug and a dredger on a bend, so that only one boat can get through and you have to go over something in the water.

 

Also, in a different place, where dredging has taken place and being six feet from the bank you again go over something in the water.

 

Otherwise they are doing a good job.

[tree monkey]

As I progressed along the Fenny Compton Endless Bloody Moorings last weekend I got the impression that some much-needed offside clearance had been carried out, but it may have been simply that vegetation had died off over winter and hadn't yet regrown. Time will tell. There were signs of pollarding (I hope that's the right word for lopping trees right back to their trunks) on the towpath side of the S. Oxford too.

It's not true pollarding, that needs to be done from an early age and followed by a reqular regime of repollarding. In fact I imagine the term lopping (butchering) would be more appropriate.

[mrsmelly]

They are also dredging on the Erewash canal today. Trouble is Bad news always travels faster than good and this forum is like any other place full of people who moan about stuff but rarely give praise or even aknowledge that anything is being done.

 

Tim

[b0atman]

As I progressed along the Fenny Compton Endless Bloody Moorings last weekend I got the impression that some much-needed offside clearance had been carried out, but it may have been simply that vegetation had died off over winter and hadn't yet regrown. Time will tell. There were signs of pollarding (I hope that's the right word for lopping trees right back to their trunks) on the towpath side of the S. Oxford too.

So you have left the endless line of boats at Cropredy

[tree monkey]

They are also dredging on the Erewash canal today. Trouble is Bad news always travels faster than good and this forum is like any other place full of people who moan about stuff but rarely give praise or even aknowledge that anything is being done.

 

Tim

not sure I am moaning when I point out poor quality work

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

We were impressed with the North Stratford at the weekend. There seems to have been quite a lot of dredging, and they've used the dredgings to stabilise the offside bank in places. They've done this by putting in low wooden posts with some sort of membrane between them and filled in behind. They've also planted reeds, whether in those hessian type rolls, or individually. I'm sure someone who knows will explain it better.

 

Has definitely made it a bit quicker, not that we have been speeding!

 

We also saw some offside tidying up which made the channel wider, but I can't remember exactly where that was.

 

Sue.

[ditchcrawler]

Well they have done from Fazeley to Birmingham, Tame Valley cutting trees. they have also done from Fazeley Junction on the Coventry cutting undergrouth

[mrsmelly]

not sure I am moaning when I point out poor quality work

 

Wasnt having a pop at you twass just a general remark

 

Tim

[StarUKKiwi]

The Macclesfield off side has been trimmed of vegetation; unfortunately, it still needs dredging. The infamous Bridge 50 (where NB Alton always gets stuck), is as shallow as ever and we went over a drum or similar near Sutton on Friday. On the plus side, they came out promptly when a hire boater vot key stu k in Oakgrove Swing Bridge

[tree monkey]

 

Wasnt having a pop at you twass just a general remark

 

Tim

[cotswoldsman]

They have done a big stretch between Parbold and Wigan looks good

[MtB]

 

Wasnt having a pop at you twass just a general remark

 

Tim

 

 

Don;t you call my mate Munk a twass

 

[Athy]

So you have left the endless line of boats at Cropredy

That's an almost valid point! But the long-stay moorings there are in two sections with a quite long gap for 14-day moorers in between. There are currently gaps in the line of LT boats. Most crucially, the canal is reasonably wide and straight there. the problem with Fenny is that it's narrow in parts and set on a succession of bends, making for interesting encounters if something is coming the other way at certain points.

[cheshire~rose]

Having just completed a "tour" of the full length of The Chesterfield Canal I can report that it is, as always, being really well looked after by Sean McGinley and his team from CRT. There has been some significant offside veg clearance between Gringley and Clayworth.

 

Wiseton Bridge has been repaired and is looking great with it's fresh grouting too.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

Yesterday two really cheerful lads from C&RT turned up and fixed the jammed wedges on the Burscough Crabtree swing bridge. They helped us through and I glanced at my watch...only 25 minutes after I had rung. Well done team. Canal side veg clearance is quite fair in this area of the Leeds and Liverpool too.

[Emerald Fox]

Summer is coming - start your engines!

[Aground]

AFAIK cutting branches back to the trunk at ground level in order to encourage new growth is coppicing; doing the same at a height of 6' or so (to prevent damage by browsing animals) is pollarding.

[tree monkey]

AFAIK cutting branches back to the trunk at ground level in order to encourage new growth is coppicing; doing the same at a height of 6' or so (to prevent damage by browsing animals) is pollarding.

Just cutting a mature tree hard is not pollarding it's lopping, to properly pollard the cutting back needs to start early in a trees life.

once pollarding has started it should be continued throughout its lifespan, as the branch unions at the pollarding point can be a weak point and cause failure

[larryjc]

The Macclesfield off side has been trimmed of vegetation; unfortunately, it still needs dredging. The infamous Bridge 50 (where NB Alton always gets stuck), is as shallow as ever and we went over a drum or similar near Sutton on Friday. On the plus side, they came out promptly when a hire boater vot key stu k in Oakgrove Swing Bridge

Does this include the bit between the bottom of Bosley to Congleton, last year it was diabolical but after Congleton it was really good. I couldn't work out why. I only ask because I will be heading down there in a week or so.

Edited April 9, 2015 by larryjc