Thames
Medway
Canal Association
Contact Brian Macknish on 01732 823725
In the early days of the canal Associations formation it organised several large scale working parties where several hundred volunteers worked on the clearance and bank edge securing a the Mark Lane end of the canal. This secured a large attractive open area of water that then became the focus of several Open Days where Local groups came to have fun on and around this safe water.
The regular monthly Sunday Digs maintained and extended this work for much of the eighties. However, work on the canal was financially and physically constrained by the safety aspect for there was no permanent fence between the canal and the railway. A rail official had to be in attendance during and a temporary fence erected prior to each working session.
Later, in line with other canal organisations, any working parties sessions have tended to be machine focused often supported by some sort of funding, and limited to those qualified to use heavy equipment. The building of a pontoon was part of this.
In contrast, in recent years the regular Tuesday Gang have taken on the maintenance and tidying of the canal’s environs. This has also helped communication with its neighbours and towpath users.
Over the last five years there have been joint annual Working Parties with IWAKES working at the Swing Bridge, the Vista, the Obelisk, Watts Landing and at Strood Lock as well as linking up with Dartford groups to clear parts of the Cray Navigation.
2008 sees the return of Sunday Working Parties .
The regular monthly Sunday Digs maintained and extended this work for much of the eighties. However, work on the canal was financially and physically constrained by the safety aspect for there was no permanent fence between the canal and the railway. A rail official had to be in attendance during and a temporary fence erected prior to each working session.
Later, in line with other canal organisations, any working parties sessions have tended to be machine focused often supported by some sort of funding, and limited to those qualified to use heavy equipment. The building of a pontoon was part of this.
In contrast, in recent years the regular Tuesday Gang have taken on the maintenance and tidying of the canal’s environs. This has also helped communication with its neighbours and towpath users.
Over the last five years there have been joint annual Working Parties with IWAKES working at the Swing Bridge, the Vista, the Obelisk, Watts Landing and at Strood Lock as well as linking up with Dartford groups to clear parts of the Cray Navigation.
2008 sees the return of Sunday Working Parties .
