Words and picture originated from reports submitted by John Guyler Nov-Jan.

A total of 476 volunteer man-hours were expended in this period at Baggarlee


Picture shows one of our volunteers using the FCC digger at Beggarlee

November 2024

FCC Volunteers installed a drainage pipe at one end of the flood plain extension and cleared some trees to allow the start of moving topsoil to the landscaped bank of the flood plain extension. A second pipe is to be installed later at the other end of the extension. Volunteers levelled the path on the offside of the flood plain extension and started moving the topsoil to the landscaped edge of the flood plain extension.

Clearance work continued on the bund to allow surveyors to work on the site at the end of January – this was very hard and slow work: the team alsocleared some trees on the lower edge of the bund ready for the stumps to be pulled out. The area to be surveyed is from the end of the canal boat moorings up to be in line with the end of the in-water section and twenty-three metres from the water’s edge towards the River Erewash

December 2024

To avoid crossing the unsafe bridge, volunteers managed to gain access to the compound area by unbolting the fencing and managed to cut a large area of brambles ready for disposal by a controlled burn at a later stage. The team continued clearing vegetation along the bund. A large amount of brush was then control burnt which cleared the top of the bund.

Work continued on the removal of self-set tree around the end of the in-water section.

A mixed group of FCC & ECP&DA work party volunteers repaired the 3m long bridge over the canal channel: new boarding was used to replace the original rotting boards which made the bridge unsafe to walk on. Later in the day they also cleared an area within the compound of thick brambles and work continued clearing vegetation along the compound fence near the moorings at the Great Northern Basin.

January 2024

FCC volunteers continued the job of clearing the area along both sides of the compound fence of small trees and brambles: at mid-morning they were informed that the surveyors were on site the following day to conduct TOPO investigations, so the emphasis changed to clearing the site for good access for the surveyors to work. Surveyors were given access to the site and were supervised all day by a FCC volunteer.

Work party volunteers continued to remove brambles and small self-sown trees along the bund, two controlled burns were active to dispose of a large amount of brush and vegetation – all fires were raked out before leaving the site. The site is now completely clear and ready for the next stage, pulling the tree roots out.

Volunteers used FCC’s digger to place large stone in the outfall of the new headwalls, serious erosion around the 900mm outfall was noticed. Work on profiling the steep banks around the headwalls was done. Clearance along the crash rail of the vegetation was completed.