Riff Raff Diary for August 2012

Published on: 5 Sep, 2012
Updated on: 5 Sep, 2012

Riff Raff Cottage and Weir

Riverbank tales from our local St Catherine’s Lengthsman/Weirkeeper

by Robert Craig

The drier days of August have made the task of catching up with the strimming and mowing along the navigation far more pleasant. August also saw a final assault on the invasive Himalayan Balsam which by now, at the end of the month, is going to seed.

Work on rebuilding the Riff Raff weir is progressing with the widened footbridge now in place and the downstream dam is also in position. Access along the public footpath remains available, as it will throughout the project. The steel sheet piling dam above the weir will go in at the beginning of September, allowing the weir structure to be dewatered, after which the business of replacing the old weir can begin.

Riff Raff Weir with widened footbridge now in place

When the new weir structure is in place the dam will then be removed and the banks above the weir will be piled to protect them from erosion. The piling will also continue along the moorings in front of the weir cottage where the path has become uneven. The path will be levelled off and resurfaced.

I have noticed lately that the sightings of Common Buzzards along my length have become more frequent, so if you look skywards and see a large broad winged bird of prey (one and a half to two feet in length) soaring above you there is a good chance it is a Buzzard.

See you by the river.