Reinforcement of the mill dam bank

The boards and piles holding the bank adjacent to the mill were in danger of collapsing so it was decided to replace them with sandbags.

Dry bypass and ford prior to work starting	Drained channel and the first cut of the bank trench

5 volunteers set about mixing cement, filling tying and carting some 300 sandbags to the trench that Philip Grand had skilfully excavated with a mini digger. Another volunteer also worked tirelessly inside the mill painting some of the machinery.

Dry cement mixing	Sandbag filling

Larger sandbags were placed at the bottom of the trench and pillars formed to support the new wall. As the wall was built, it was sloped backwards slightly to provide additional strength.

Careful excavation	Phil Grand taking a well earned break

Finishing touches to the new bank prior to backfilling

Many thanks to Mike & Marion for providing and cooking a full barbeque both at lunchtime and also at the end of the day.

Photographs © Jonathan Neville