View allAll Photos Tagged Waterlogging,
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
River bed area further upstream of the La Vallee Apartment complex, adjacent to the permanent bridge allowing access to the Traveller site. This location is close to the point at which the river changes direction, running beneath the N11 dual-carriageway, and wending it's way back towards Powerscourt and Enniskerry village.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks.
One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks.
One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks.
One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Introduced, yearlong-green, perennial, densely tufted grass to 1.5 m tall. A native of Europe, it is sown in pastures and naturalised along roadsides mostly in the south and at higher elevations in the north. Tolerant of acid soils (to pHCaCl2 4), high exchangeable aluminium and low fertility and is often sown in these areas. Not tolerant of waterlogging, but moderately drought tolerant. Productive, but marginally lower quality than either phalaris or fescue. More tolerant of acid, lower fertility situations than other temperate sown grasses, but also responds to fertiliser.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Work continues along the river bend, adjacent to The Slang area.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
However, to the unknowing eye, it seems that for every time they build a layer of soil, or an embankment, they have cause to re-work it, or strip it away later.
It's quite interesting to see that a simple triangle of wood is perfectly adapted to test/confirm the slope of the bank.
The guys building the Pyramids used similar technology to check their alignment -- and, if it worked for them, well, who needs laser GPS? I approve.
The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.
Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.
Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.
There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.
Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.
For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.
Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
With the river bed/bank protection work partially completed, the 2nd channel was filled in, and water diverted back to it's primary route. Work continued to back-fill the riverside, building up the overall height of The Slang area.
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.
Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.
Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.
There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.
Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.
For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.
Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
With the river bed/bank protection work partially completed, the 2nd channel was filled in, and water diverted back to it's primary route. Work continued to back-fill the riverside, building up the overall height of The Slang area.
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Introduced warm-season perennial large tufted C4 grass; stems usually have hairy nodes, grow 30-200 cm tall and arise from short rhizomes. Leaf bases may be hairy and blades are 10-60 cm long and 3-14 mm wide. Flowerheads are narrow cylindrical bristly spike-like panicles to 18 cm long. Spikelets are 2-flowered and are surrounded by uniformly coloured bristles that remain after the spikelets fall; the upper glume is 40-55% of the spikelet's length. Flowers from early summer to autumn. A native of Africa, it occurs is sown as a pasture species, especially on medium to heavy soils of high fertility; it has also become naturalised on the North West Slopes and Plains. Easy to establish on heavy clays and is tolerant of drought and temporary waterlogging. Has superior production to most other tropical grasses in its first and second year after establishment. Oxalates may affect horses and cattle. Has reasonable palatability and feed quality below about 40 cm in height, but quickly runs to head and is then avoided by stock; generally preferred by cattle rather than sheep. Graze frequently to maintain quality. Heavy grazing in late summer promotes autumn germination of winter annual legumes; however its abundance will decline under heavy continuous grazing. Sufficient soil nitrogen is essential for its persistence.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Introduced warm-season perennial tufted C4 grass with spreading crowns; stems are fine, hairless and to 1.5 m tall. Leaves are grey-green, 6-20 mm wide and nearly hairless. Flowerheads are subdigitate with 4-14 racemes usually in 3 whorls, about 7-17 cm long and brownish-purple when immature and brownish grey when mature. Spikelets are paired, 2-flowered, shortly-hairy and 2-4 mm long. Flowers in summer. A native of Africa, it is a sown species in the north with one variety Premier. Grows on a range of soil types, but is best suited to light-medium textured low-fertility soils. Good drought and frost tolerance, but is sensitive to waterlogging. Recruits well on light-medium textured soils. Can produce some growth in winter and commences growth in late winter-early spring, much earlier than most other tropical grasses. Very palatable, has low oxalate levels (i.e. suitable for horses) and tolerates close grazing.
Introduced warm-season perennial large tufted C4 grass; stems usually have hairy nodes, grow 30-200 cm tall and arise from short rhizomes. Leaf bases may be hairy and blades are 10-60 cm long and 3-14 mm wide. Flowerheads are narrow cylindrical bristly spike-like panicles to 18 cm long. Spikelets are 2-flowered and are surrounded by uniformly coloured bristles that remain after the spikelets fall; the upper glume is 40-55% of the spikelet's length. Flowers from early summer to autumn. A native of Africa, it occurs is sown as a pasture species, especially on medium to heavy soils of high fertility; it has also become naturalised on the North West Slopes and Plains. Easy to establish on heavy clays and is tolerant of drought and temporary waterlogging. Has superior production to most other tropical grasses in its first and second year after establishment. Oxalates may affect horses and cattle. Has reasonable palatability and feed quality below about 40 cm in height, but quickly runs to head and is then avoided by stock; generally preferred by cattle rather than sheep. Graze frequently to maintain quality. Heavy grazing in late summer promotes autumn germination of winter annual legumes; however its abundance will decline under heavy continuous grazing. Sufficient soil nitrogen is essential for its persistence.
Introduced, yearlong-green, perennial, densely tufted grass to 1.5 m tall. A native of Europe, it is sown in pastures and naturalised along roadsides mostly in the south and at higher elevations in the north. Tolerant of acid soils (to pHCaCl2 4), high exchangeable aluminium and low fertility and is often sown in these areas. Not tolerant of waterlogging, but moderately drought tolerant. Productive, but marginally lower quality than either phalaris or fescue. More tolerant of acid, lower fertility situations than other temperate sown grasses, but also responds to fertiliser.
Introduced, warm-season, perennial, erect C4 grass to 1.2 m tall; plant tufts are joined by thick stolons and stem bases are flattened. Leaf sheath-blade junctions are usually hairy. Flowerheads are digitate or subdigitate, with 6-18 thick branches (5-10 cm long) often in 2 whorls. Spikelets are 3-4-flowered, blunt-tipped, greenish brown and 2-awned. Flowering is from spring to autumn. A native of Africa, it is widely sown as a pasture species and roadside stabilizer. Requires reasonably well-drained soils. Suited to drier and less fertile conditions than setaria or kikuyu, but persists best under fertile conditions. Doesn’t tolerate very acid soils or high exchangeable aluminium. Suited as pioneer species as it easily establishes from seed, spreads by stolons and is a good binder of soils. Very drought tolerant, moderately frost tolerant, but has poor waterlogging tolerance. Capable of high yields and has low oxalate levels. Range of varieties that range from pioneering types that are good for soil conservation but are low quality, to higher quality varieties for grazing. Persists best under fertile conditions and responds strongly to nitrogen in the presence of adequate phosphorus. To maintain good feed value, keep growth relatively short and maintain a legume component.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
With the river bed/bank protection work partially completed, the 2nd channel was filled in, and water diverted back to it's primary route. Work continued to back-fill the riverside, building up the overall height of The Slang area.
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.
Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.
Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.
There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.
Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.
For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.
Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.
Introduced cool-season annual C3 herb 30-200 cm tall. Stems are erect, hollow and exude white latex if damaged. Leaves are thin, soft, 6-35 cm long, with irregularly toothed margins ending in soft spines. Flowerheads are panicles, with heads (5-20 mm wide) containing yellow petal-like flowers. Fruits are ribbed, wrinkled and topped with a tuft of silky hairs. Flowers throughout the year, but especially winter and spring. A native of Europe, it is a weed of disturbed areas, such as roadsides, stockyards, dairy laneways and cropping. It is well adapted to a wide range of soils and environments, but is drought and waterlogging intolerant. Edible as a vegetable, either cooked or raw. Highly palatable and nutritious, but suspected of occasionally causing photosensitisation in cattle. Only a nuisance weed of pastures in difficult to access areas, as it is readily grazed by stock where they can reach it. Can be a problem in reduced-till and stubble retention systems due to herbicide resistance. Can act as an alternative host to pest and diseases of crops. Can be controlled by grazing, chipping, cultivation and herbicides. For control, it is essential to prevent its prolific seed production. Fruits are dispersed long distance on the wind.
Cosmeston Medieval Village is a "living history" medieval village near Lavernock in the Vale of Glamorgan not far from Penarth and Cardiff in south Wales. Based upon remains discovered during a 1980s archaeological dig in the grounds of Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, it is a re-creation of 14th century peasant life in Wales in the Late Middle Ages.
The reconstructed village regularly plays host to groups of reenactors, who camp in authentic tents around the outskirts of the village, and perform displays of historical combat for the public.
The original Cosmeston village grew around a fortified manor house constructed sometime around the 12th century by the De Costentin family, who were among the first Norman invaders of Wales in the early 12th century following William the Conqueror's invasion of neighbouring England in 1066. It is unlikely that the manor house at the site was a substantial building and there is documentary evidence that by 1437 the manor house had already fallen into total ruin. Its precise site has just been located. The village would have consisted of a number of small stone round houses, or crofts, with thatched roofs, as depicted in the current reconstruction, and the village population would have been between 50 and 100 people at most, including children.
The de Costentin family originated on the Cotentin peninsula in northern France. They were the first lords of the manor and they called the village Costentinstune, which over time became known as Cosmeston. They built the original manor house and, perhaps, a few dwellings or small farms, but for the next two centuries it appears that little further development occurred.
Around 1316 the manor passed into the hands of the de Caversham family, also of Norman descent.
The buildings that have been excavated so far seem to be from the 14th century. It would appear that the de Caversham family brought a more designed approach to the development of the community and a better regulated and more compact settlement began to develop during their stewardship of the village.
There is little sign that the village continued to develop much past the later middle ages. Unusually, no Norman church was ever established in the immediate area, so by 1824 all that remained of Cosmeston village were four isolated crofts and the Little Cosmeston Farmhouse as shown on the Marquis of Bute's detailed maps of the time. It is quite possible that the majority of the villagers were wiped out during the Black Death plague of the 1340s or the later outbreaks, leaving Cosmeston a Deserted medieval village.
In addition to the plague, the villagers would have had to combat other difficulties. The land is low-lying and at the mercy of the many water sources that now feed the Cosmeston Lake. There is substantial evidence of drainage dykes, but even they would have struggled to keep the arable land free from waterlogging and constant flooding. Additionally the period was one of permanent political upheaval with intermittent resistance and armed conflict between several local Welsh leaders. In January 1316, for instance, Llywelyn Bren attacked Caerphilly Castle, and for the next two months there was conflict and devastation throughout the Glamorgan region.
By the 20th century all evidence of the village had vanished and local residents had no idea of its previous existence. When the Snocem Concrete works and the Cosmeston limestone quarry closed in 1970, the land was developed under Countryside Commission funding as a country park. During the landscaping of the new country park the first evidence of the medieval village was unearthed and an archeological exploration was undertaken.
The resulting heritage reconstruction has been described as the best representation of a medieval village currently available in Britain. In addition to being open to the general public, the village accepts school tours and archeological groups, together with staging of special events and re-enactments throughout the year
Cosmeston has been used as a film location for many productions, including a 2014 episode of the hit BBC TV drama series Doctor Who, Merlin and Galavant.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
With the river bed/bank protection work partially completed, the 2nd channel was filled in, and water diverted back to it's primary route. Work continued to back-fill the riverside, building up the overall height of The Slang area.
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
With the river bed/bank protection work partially completed, the 2nd channel was filled in, and water diverted back to it's primary route. Work continued to back-fill the riverside, building up the overall height of The Slang area.
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Introduced warm-season perennial tufted to shortly rhizomatous C4 grass; stems are branching, ascending to erect and to 100 cm tall. Leaves are 2-13 mm wide, 3-30 cm long and green to blue-green. Flowerheads are cylindrical spike-like contracted panicles up to 15 cm long and usually purplish when young. Spikelets are surrounded by bristles that form a soft burr and which fall with the spikelets at maturity. Burrs are 12 mm long, with one bristle longer than the others and bristles are antrorsely barbed; inner bristles are hairy in the lower part and fused only at the base forming a short disc. Flowers from late spring to autumn. A native of the northern hemisphere, it is sometimes sown as a pasture and is commonly a weed of sandy areas; also occurs on sandy loams to clay loams. Most common on the Plains and western edges of the Slopes. Seeds are difficult to sow and but it is very persistent summer-growing species which is not suited to short-term pastures as it is difficult to remove. Prefers well-drained soils and does not tolerate prolonged flooding or waterlogging. Very drought tolerant and responds quickly to rain, but requires fertile soils for production and is frost sensitive. Moderately palatable, but causes big head in horses. May out compete native pastures and is a weed of roadsides.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.
Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.
Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.
There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.
Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.
For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.
Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.
We managed to get to the Lake District for the Easter weekend. We were open at work on Good Friday so I had to be in at work for a couple of hours and didn’t set off until 9.00am. We had a quick café stop and then jumped on the M62. It took us until 2.00pm to get to Langdale. We crawled up the M61 and M6, reminding me why we used to avoid Bank Holiday traffic. Although staying in Ambleside we drove to Langdale to get a couple of hours walking in. Langdale was packed but we found a place to park at the foot of the pass up to Blea Tarn. We headed up Pike of Blisco – against a steady stream of walkers descending at this time in the afternoon. I didn’t bother taking photos to any great extent, it wasn’t great light, windy and the appalling weekend forecast had depressed me – this was supposed to be the best day and it was nearly over. After a nice settled spell, possibly the first in the north of England this winter (now officially British Summertime) heavy rain and gales were coming our way apparently.
Each morning I studied the maps trying to second guess the light, wind and crowds. On Saturday it was initially dry, much to our surprise, we parked in Coniston and set off up Walna Scar Road. It’s a long steep drag to the top of the pass, the cloud was down and thick, the wind was getting extreme as we got higher – and we didn’t see a soul! We were heading over Brown Pike onto Dow Crag, we weren’t likely to get lost on a ridge. By now it was raining hard and the wind was making staying upright difficult. We slid off the rocky summit of Dow Crag on our backsides, the safest way. We dropped on to Goats Hause, the wind was screaming through and but I guessed there would be some shelter if we headed for the Old Man of Coniston. We met the first person of the day here, arriving at the summit just before him. There was still winter snow on north facing slopes but the wind wasn’t as bad as Dow Crag. It was grim, 30 metre visibility and there was very little point in staying on the tops as originally planned. Jayne was up for heading straight down the tourist track through the quarries. We have only ever ascended it before but we set off down at a trot, passing some fell runners along the way. There was a steady stream of Easter trippers heading up and judging by the questions we were asked on the way down they had little idea of what they were heading in to or how far they were from the summit, and all in appalling conditions. Lower down it was quite calm and many had little idea of the severity of the conditions on the tops. The countryside was rapidly waterlogging again after the belated dry spell.
Sunday brought more very heavy rain and gales on the tops. What looked like snow had accumulated on high ground overnight. It was actually several inches of hail and was horrible underfoot, like small wet marbles but trapping a lot of water on the lower slopes below the freezing line. We parked at Patterdale and walked across slopes that the recent floods had wreaked havoc on, with a lot of remedial work to be done this summer. The plan was to get to Boardale Hause and decide whether to go high – over Place Fell – or head in to Boardale and stay low by doing a circuit of Place Fell. It was raining hard and there was a howling gale but it was behind us, the cloud had lifted a bit so we went high. The summit plateau was a nightmare, covered in slippy, wet, slushy hail with the wind nearly blowing us over. We went north straight over the top and down the other side, the top was in thick cloud but the lower slopes were clear and we legged it off the fell, descending by Scalehow Force waterfall, which was in fine form with the heavy rain. We followed the path above the shores of Ullswater back to Patterdale. Another wet walk.
Monday saw us parked a mile or so south of yesterday’s parking place in Patterdale at Bridgend. With the weather being bad people weren’t out early, even on a bank holiday, so we didn’t have a problem parking. There wasn’t a plan, we were just making it up. Today looked promising, Storm Katie was battering the rest of the country but missed the north for a change. The tops were wintry, again it was hail accumulations not snow, on the high ground it was on very old lying snow and very difficult on steep descents. We decided to take the steady slopes of Hartsop above How to Hart Crag, on to Fairfield and then hopefully over Cofa Pike on to St Sunday Crag, Birks and finally Arnison Crag. This was just less than ten miles and it turned out to be a very tough five hours, exhausting, particularly after the three previous days. A large coastguard helicopter circled us repeatedly and finally landed on the path we were following to Hart Crag, we assumed it was on an exercise. The ground was frozen above 2500 feet and walking was easier as the snow/hail was load bearing and we could yomp on a bit. It was like midwinter with frequent squally whiteouts blasting in. The wind would pick up first lifting the frozen hail in a frozen spindrift that bounced along several feet high blasting our faces, this was followed by, what was more like frozen drizzle than snow, fine, but hard, we could feel it through our clothes it came at us that hard. I decided that we would head straight over Cofa Pike to St Sunday. A mistake with hindsight. The lake of footprints was the first bad sign but we were committed. We lived to tell the tale but Jayne had a bit of a near miss. The crag down to Cofa is steep and it was covered in hail on old snow, the layer of hail was shearing away from the underlying snow and we had to go down on out backsides, keeping a tight grip as we went. At one point Jayne failed to arrest a slide that was above a steep and deep drop. I had hold of her from a position in front of her and to her left and I was fairly well anchored so I felt in control and was sure of the outcome. From her point of view it was frightening and it subdued her for the rest of the walk. She had also ripped the outer lining of her Paramo waterproof trousers as well. Considering that we were going downhill it was hard going, every step a slip or a slide, with the underlying grass saturated and a thin layer of hail it was an unpleasant walk off the fell. At the end of Arnison Crag we took a pathless shortcut – that we swore we would never use again years ago – to save around twenty minutes of walking. This was the only day I had the camera out all day and had to cover it with a dryliner bag whenever a heavy shower came in. I also broke the lens hood. We drove to Keswick for afternoon coffee and toast at Brysons. The new Paramo store across the square was the next stop for new trousers. These Paramos had cost £85 14 years ago and they have just brought a new model out. We had two choices, The old model was reduced to…..£85 – after 14 years we could pay the same price or we could return the old trousers - cleaned – and get a £50 voucher towards the new model, which are £135, or £85 with the voucher. The old ones were ¾ of a mile away in the car – unwashed – so we bought the old model. Needless to say we had a couple of drinks in the Golden Rule in Ambleside every night before our tea.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of August 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
River bed area further upstream of the La Vallee Apartment complex, adjacent to the permanent bridge allowing access to the Traveller site. This location is close to the point at which the river changes direction, running beneath the N11 dual-carriageway, and wending it's way back towards Powerscourt and Enniskerry village.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.
Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.
Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.
There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.
Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.
For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.
Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks.
One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.
Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.
Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.
There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.
Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.
For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.
Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.
Introduced, cool-season, annual, hairless, semi-erect
legume, with thick hollow stems. Leaves have 3 obovate leaflets, each strongly veined, toothed and on stalks of equal length. Flowerheads are ball-shaped clusters of many pink to violet pea-like flowers. Flowering is in spring and early summer. A native of Europe, the Mediterranean and SW Asia, it is sown as an annual fodder. Best suited to clay soils with a pH(Ca) between 5 and 8 and is tolerant of moderate salinity. Requires a medium-high winter rainfall or irrigation and is tolerant of waterlogging. An alternative to Berseem Clover, it provides both a high potential nitrogen input to soils and high quality cool-season feed. Can produce high forage yields with good regrowth potential after cutting, but needs irrigation or good spring rains to maximise late spring growth. Soft seeded, so requires annual sowing. Causes bloat in cattle; sometimes photosensitisation. Make hay/silage in spring.