Building Over Basin 2
Once the main walls were completed the curved entrance to the lock was constructed and a gabion wall built along the towpath side of the basin. The wharf wall was topped with blue coping bricks.

 

A hospital mortuary block had once stood across the line of the canal. Its heavy concrete foundations, although challenging, were successfully removed by the excavator team.

 

The slipway was laid with granite sets and the banks leading away from the basin sculptured into a gentle slope. These banks were seeded with grass and a wood chip towpath laid.

 

Filling the basin
It was time to test the basin. The original clay that had lined the original basin was used to line the sides. The basin was filled with water extracted from the River Leadon, just before it reached the Severn. The pump, watched by TV cameras, started the flow into the hollow. It took several days until the correct level was reached.