Works at Bridwick Farm and Rowley Moor Farm - July 2021 UPDATED

Following on from the excellent work recently completed at the Calvert Trust at Wistlandpound, John Rice, Martyn Budd and members of the Wednesday and Thursday Gangs comprising Martyn, 2xSteve’s, Dave, Nick, Keith and Anne went to Bridwick Farm where they focused their attention on more drainage and culvert clearance work.

1. Locations of the works at Bridwick Farm.

The first job was to lay a field drain from the outlet of an old cross culvert in the railway embankment a few yards east of Bridge 54 across a field to discharge into a field ditch.  The work was undertaken in perfect dry conditions with excellent results.

A temporary fence was erected to prevent livestock trampling the stream above the embankment and to protect the chamber below. Hopefully before too long we will be erecting the permanent fence to enclose this length of the railway.

2. Pipe laying gang, gravel hopper and railway excavator.

3. Collection chamber and line of field drain.

4. Outlet from field rain at an existing ditch.

The second job was to locate and unblock a culvert under the railway located approximately half way between Bridge 54 and 55. This area has been a swamp for many years.  A&B Contractors assisted with one of their long reach excavators, which made easy work of locating the pipe.  The old clay pipe was found to be cracked and was replaced and then extended by approximately 8m to enable the embankment to be widened to accommodate a field access track adjacent to the railway.

5. Culvert half way between Bridge 54 and 55, located, unblocked but unfortunately
cracked and so needed to be replaced.

6. New extended culvert under construction.

Work Rowley Moor - Monday 19/07/21

Whilst the long reach excavator was available one final job was undertaken.  This was to clear the inlet to a culvert at the embankment below Rowley Moor Farm that was originally located several years ago.  This is now cleared and free flowing ready for a suitable headwall to be constructed at a future date.

7 (left), 8 (centre) & 9 (right)    –    Before  -  During the work  -  After.

Regular Volunteer, Keith Lamprey adds:

Once swing-shovel driver Derek from A&B Contractors, had finished what he was asked to do over near Bridwick Farm, he bought the machine over to Rowley Moor. While it is dry, and he was close and working for us, we asked him to find and dig out the end of the culvert under the small bank below the farm. Anne Belsey has regularly been keeping an eye on the end of the glazed pipe since our first attempt to clean this are of the trackbed. Tantalisingly visible but too deep to dig by hand, this opportunity was too good to pass up, and with our Manager's instigation, we planned to do this before Derek left site.

The area on the higher end of the culvert has now been cleaned out - ready for the winter. The Exmoor weather can now do it's worst; we are now confident leaving this area alone until we commence tidying up this secion of our trackbed.

1. Site map.

2. & 3. The excavator at site.

4. & 5. Outer end of the culvert before and after.

6. & 7. The other end of the culvert.

Our thanks to all involved in undertaking this work.

Text: John Barton
Photos: John Barton & Keith Lamprey.