Dry Stack Brick Walls on the Lichfield Canal

Brick walls only partly mortared have been used on the Lichfield Canal for over 220 years.
All the bricks used in this wall, which is not a structural retaining wall, are recovered and recycled from existing abandoned heritage structures along the canal, or recovered from the the soil that was used to infill the old canal. By recycling bricks and by using less mortar, this makes it a low carbon project.
The open brick joints will also become bug hotels, a habitat for solitary bees, as well provide a root hold for wild plants. We will also plant trees and shrubs in the ground along the top of this wall in the autumn.

[@RangerPaulX]

Hi LHCRT, thank you for receiving my comment. I will mention this video and your channel on my live stream on Saturday 7th October on my channel. Many thanks, Paul.

[@suigeneris3909]

“Two hundred and twenty years in the wall” Absolutely amazing! Quality is built to last 👍🏼

[@HighWealder]

The 'slope' on the wall is called 'batter'.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Lovely job guys 👍🏻

[@colmone5592]

@court above the cut has a new video about a new bridge being built on the Montgomery Canal. The method used may be of interest to you as it is a cheap way of doing it and only requires a fairly small crane.

[@zapfanzapfan]

Was it originally done that way to save on mortar or was it to allow more movement with the ground?

[@LHCRT]

As ever, cost was must have been a consideration but it may also have been to do with speed, bearing in mind the whole seven miles were built in just three years.

[@zapfanzapfan]

@@LHCRT That is an impressive construction speed.

[@stephenwilliams926]

What type and make of brick are they. Made in Aldridge etc ?.

[@RachelLouiseSwann]

I have often passed by this place and never ventured by the canal (until very recently) - I was surprised to see no water, but very happy you are restoring it. When will the work be completed? It's a beautiful area, regardless!

[@maximusmeridius6610]

What's with the hard hat? Is a cloud gonna hit you? Maybe the tender is gonna throw a brick at you.

[@LHCRT]

We always wear full PPE.

[@maximusmeridius6610]

Lol. I hate the hard hat. It gets in my way and slows me down.

[@colmone5592]

On the Railways we were forced to wear hard hats because people used to throw things at us from the trains. Most trains now do not have opening windows.

[@citymccarthy6173]

Awesome. Perhaps later in life I'll one day be able to help in such a project. Out of interest, is it not worth selling those old imperial stock bricks for around £2 +/-each and buying new bricks for £1 +/- each?

[@LHCRT]

It's worth considering. 👍

[@prestoncrewnarrowboaters8619]

it's a fascinating fact that you have exposed,as a builder I have built dry stone walls,but never walled bricks dry on purpose, except when needing to remove them later ,and that would be on a sand bed .thank you for sharing

[@michaelhart895]

I doubt new bricks would be of the same quality, as the originals . They would also be smaller . Unless you went to a manufacturer who still makes imperial sized bricks , they do exist, but the new bricks made to old imperial sizes are expensive. I bought some for my house they were £1.00 or more each 15 years ago .

[@andyyoung4030]

That would not be restoration!!!

[@btudrus]

wow, the towpath seems so wide in this place, will the canal be wide enough?

[@LHCRT]

That's a temporary path, once the wall is finished, the path will be moved over.

[@eppot1]

🙂

[@dirtyface091]

why is there a fire place next to where he’s working ?

[@LHCRT]

Ah, for the answer to that, you need to watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oomnqnaknNhmi80

[@dirtyface091]

its great to see old canals being restored keep up the good work 👍@@LHCRT

[@jcam95]

As a retaining wall for that banking, it will come down under pressure

[@colmone5592]

Great to see the wall being built, but the excavator is stood there idle.

[@LHCRT]

The excavator was being used for a different job. It wasn't in use at that precise time, but was later.