Past Masters: Three Aqueducts, Wootton Wawen, Warwickshire
About the Project
- Principal designer: British Waterways
- Client: British Waterways
- Principal contractor: AWG Construction Services
- Principal engineer: British Waterways
- Contract value:£1.2 million
This repair and conservation of three nationally important canal structures - the Wootton Wawen, Yarningale and Edstone Aqueducts - had to improve both their physical and intellectual access.
Each was in disrepair, and each presented different challenges concerning temporary works and access: small, single span Yarningdale was 80m from the nearest road and cut off by a stream, so materials and paint were transported by canal boats.
Two-spanned Wootton
Wawan crosses the busy A3400 south of Henley in Arden, which had to
remain open, and Edstone was accessible by road at the third of 14 spans,
but
spans four to eight crossed a river and two railway lines, so a 600m
access track was required, while the canal remained open.
The solution
was the
construction of an enclosed working scaffold, crossing a road, river
and railway, with canal boats passing through the works. Overall, this
complicated
logistical problem was completed ahead of schedule and below budget.
The Judges said:
"This repair and conservation project, funded by the lottery, was for three nationally important canal structures and exemplifies how a programme of community activities can support a tricky scheme which had to remain operative throughout. A total transformation."