Ell Brook Aqueduct

Following completion of the restoration work on House Lock during the summer in 2003, the Trust’s Oxenhall team were able to turn their attention to restoration of the Ell Brook Aqueduct. Although it was known that both faces of the aqueduct were in poor condition, the fully severity of this was not established until loose stonework had been made safe and the vegetation covering the structure had been removed. The Trust was assisted with this early work by the Waterways Recovery Group, who regularly assist the Trust’s own volunteers at Oxenhall and elsewhere along the canal.

Following removal of the vegetation a full structural inspection was undertaken, and the Trust were able to erect a Bailey Bridge across the top of the aqueduct to enable vehicles to cross the stream without overloading the weakened structure. The components forming the bridge structure was kindly donated to the Trust by the army, and were sufficient to enable a further, smaller bridge to be erected over the river lock at Over.

During 2004, work concentrated on taking down the defective masonry, and on recovering fallen material from the watercourse beneath and downstream from the structure.

In 2005, specially designed and fabricated steel centring was erected onto temporary foundations in the bed of the stream below the upstream face of the aqueduct, and a series of timber packs placed to enable the precise profile of the original arch to be reconstructed. This work was undertaken with further assistance from the WRG.