A bridge over Fray’s River has been renovated as part of canal works.
The Canal and River Trust is dredging the entire length of the Slough arm of the Grand Union Canal from Cowley to the Slough basin, and as part of the project is has spent £7,000 restoring the short viaduct that carries the canal over the river.
A Second World War-era pillbox stands at one end. Work included fixing the ravages of vandalism and correcting previous bodged repairs.
Graham Smith, the trust’s construction supervisor for London explained: “When the original canal builders constructed the aqueduct, they used a lime mortar to bond together the brick work.
"However when the aqueduct was repaired by workmen in the 20th century, modern cements was used to patch it up. That cement is much harder and less porous than the original, so it unintentionally caused damage to the old bricks.
“Today, the Canal & River Trust prides itself on sympathetically restoring our old canals and giving them the care and attention they merit so we’ve been able to put that right those mistakes as well as addressing the more recent vandalism.
"The aqueduct is an important structure and piece of local history so it’s great to see it in good condition again.”
