I arrived Saturday afternoon to find the Hanbury flight a hive of activity, especially here at Lock 3 ...
... where amongst other things an opening was being prepared for new coping stones ...
... and the offside lower wing wall was being made ready for its coping stones.
Zoe was finishing off the speps.
Meanwhile the coping stones were being pointed up ...
... on both sides.
At Lock 2 the pointing was being completed ...
... and the upper gate recess was being prepared for brick copings.
A view of the activity at lock 3.
Everybodys favorite job - brick cleaning.
Work to the Lock 3 coping recess continues.
On the Sunday removal of the dam above lock 1 commences.
Water entering the lock ...
... which starts to fill the sidepond ...
... much to the enjoyment of the local swan family.
The dam removed.
Work continues on the Lock 1 wing wall ...
... however we weren't going to win any prizes for our shuttering!
The Lock two gate recess copings - how level are they!
Mike praises whichever god of canals exists as the first boat for an awful long time enters the flight.
Meanwhile the lock 3 copings are placed ...
... the pointing completed (except for the birds nest) ...
...and the coping stones are dressed
Another view of Lock 3 on the Sunday afternoon before ...
... the site is tidied ...
... the equipment cleaned
.. and the site left looking like a proper canal.
On the following day the paddles were connected and the BW work boats taken through lock one ...
... a moment we have waited a long time for.
The formal opening of the locks will take place at 11.0am on 31st May.