For neither the first time nor the last, this Saturday found those of use who were able digging away at the spoil that has accumulated at the foot of the bank at Hotchley Hill. Although not entirely foreseen when we started-out on the project, restoring the ditch has become a priority, due to its interaction with other jobs.
As well as allowing rainwater to flow away from the building, removing the plants and soil will allow a proper inspection of the fence, which is clearly in need of repair. However, the steps we built earlier this year, providing safe access to the foot of the bank (and to the signalbox from the field, if required), only reach the old ground level. With at least two feet of soil to dig away, we needed to extend the steps downwards, and in such a way that they do not block the concrete channel that runs into the culvert. That was today's job.
Before that, though, we spent the first part of the morning at Ruddington with a new recruit, discussing plans for signalling the station. We then made use of our newly-acquired van(!) to take some concrete blocks down to Hotchley Hill.
When we got there, the younger members of the group took to the shovels and excavated a deep pit at the bottom of the steps, eventually finding the continuation of that concrete channel seen in previous posts. In the process, we also found a fork, a dinner-plate in pieces, several bits of lever-frame and interlocking, and a padlock. These joined the growing collection on the locking-room shelves.
We then took the concrete blocks, and built a miniature culvert over the trough, before reconstructing the steps on top of it. As we were pushed for time, we left this as a temporary arrangement which will be revisited next week, as we continue to remove spoil from the area.
Meanwhile, other members of the group took on wheeling-away the barrow-loads of extracted soil, and lighter jobs, including rubbing-down the upstairs window-frames, and pulling up the last month's crop of weeds.
Note, in one of the photos, the unusual sight of gypsum containers left behind in the goods loop over weekend. In others, see evidence of the dauntless campaign to clear the lineside of vegetation, piled up for disposal!
