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Latton Basin Open Day
Sunday June 1st 2008

After weeks of planning and much hard work preparing the site for the Open Day, our nerves were on edge as the unpredictable weather continued. Our fears that the plan to use the adjacent field as the Car Park would be thwarted proved correct. It was so wet that it was just impossible to even contemplate using it. We had erected most of the tents on Saturday in the dry, so naturally Sunday started off wet. Not heavy rain but a humid drizzle which forced us to keep everything under cover. Fortunately by the time our visitors started to arrive the rain had stopped. Our reserve car park by Weymoor Bridge being much smaller was soon full. But thanks to the kindness of the owner of Waterpark Storage Ltd. who allowed us to use his land we had sufficient space. There was a steady stream of people including many of Alfred Howse's descendents.

Along with our display of Latton Basin material we also had displays from the Somersetshire Coal Canal, Cotswold Canals Trust and the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. This certainly added to the interest and reinforced the idea that our groups do not work in isolation.

At the end of the day it was judged to have been a success. Although we had hoped for a greater number of visitors given the weather conditions throughout the area we were very pleased with the turnout.

As well as saying thank you to everyone that visited our thanks and appreciation goes out to all those who put in so much hard work before, during and after the event.

This was to be our car park. But the rains put paid to this plan.

Our tents were erected on the Saturday and John, with his four legged friend acted as security overnight, staying in his caravan.

In spite of some early rain the day eventually brightened and the visitors started to arrive.

The early tea break was essential.

Our Friends from Cotswold Canals Trust

Somersetshire Coal Canal also came to support us.

The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust supplied most of the tents and a great deal of the manpower.

The Basin display had a marquee to itself.

Thanks to the efforts of one of our members we had some great display material.

Even more thanks to Graham, our archaeologist, who has been surveying and recording as we progress. We had the results of his work expertly laid out.

Elsie and Dmitry "manned " the refreshments and did a fantastic job.

The view west from the flood relief aqueduct.

The view to the east.

Because of the uncertain state of the aqueduct the lock is being cleared the old fashion way -- with a shovel.

The brick invert at the lock entrance. The gate swung on the right hand side.

The lock gate closed in to this recess.

This purpose of this is still a matter of debate.

We have also found a number of stones with carvings on them; unfortunately broken.

These pins were part of the lock gate assembly.

The odd old bottle turns up.

Mill Leat in foreground with the remains of aqueduct behind.

The stone wall to right of aqueduct was to prevent the water flowing down the leat from damaging the Basin walls.

The abutments of the Junction Bridge.

The bottom of the aqueduct over the leat was lower than the water surface, so there was a siphon under it. The wooden stake marks the upstream edge of the siphon.

The downstream end.