A Productive Day on the Grantham Canal
On Friday, 15th November, a Greenfields team returned to Bridge 23 on the Grantham Canal to assist the Grantham Canal Society (GCS) with their ongoing efforts to clear, restore, and rewater this historic waterway. This was our second day helping out, and we approached it with lessons learned from our earlier visit this year.
A crisp but bright start to the day
Reversing the compact tractor like a pro
With narrow access along the canal towpath and an ever-increasing distance to the worksite as clearing progressed, we opted for a more streamlined approach. Instead of using ton bags for wood chippings, which required constant manual handling, we brought along our compact tractor with tipper trailer. This allowed us to chip directly into the trailer, significantly reducing the time spent on logistics and giving us more hours to focus on the real task: clearing the canal!
The day was a resounding success. Our team’s expertise allowed us to haul out several large trees that had fallen across the canal bed. Using our industrial-sized chipper, we made quick work of the self seeded willow expertly felled by our chainsaw operatives. Larger logs were set aside for GCS members to collect and transport to their Woolsthorpe depot, where they’ll be dried and sold as firewood to help fund further restoration efforts.
Of course, no day at the canal would be complete without the fantastic support from the welfare caravan team, who kept us fuelled with cake, soup, and rolls – a massive thank you to them!
The day was such a hit that some of our office staff joked about defecting to the site operations team. That enthusiasm, however, quickly waned when snow arrived the following week, temperatures plummeted, and they realised that a welfare caravan didn’t come as standard!
