Tue 6 Apr 1790
Meeting at at Brimscombe Port House
Mr Smith to push forward and finish the building of this navigation to the utmost of his power and procure some additional hands to finish the insides of those erections already covered in and to make the Watchman’s House at Inglesham his first object.
Mr Watts be desired to remove the buildings he has placed upon the towing path walls at Stroud or to prevent the eve drops and a water spout from running upon the towing path. Also pay an acknowledgement for placing building upon the fence walls.
Timber to be purchased for building more Thames boats at Brimscombe.
Coping stone for the wharf walls to be obtained from Beesly Common.
Proper benches to be made on the outsides of the high banks at Kempsford.
Tunnel proving to be imperfect and leaky. Ralph Shepherd and John Holland with miners, masons and a carpenter and proper assistants under them do remedy and perfect the defects in the tunnel using gravel, masonry and proper materials.
Also, in order to discover the defects, we order that on each side of the tunnel where the leakage is in the rock or bottom of the tunnel shall be laid dry and open to inspection three feet from the side walls. And every crack or hollow be racked with gravel and well secured after being laid open across the tunnel bottom. And also that such cracks and or hollows which are in the rock be well corked with hay and solid masonry placed on the face of them before the lining and side walling is again erected. The same remedies to be applied to other defects.
Whenever rubble or stone is found behind an opening, it should be removed and the back of the wall well clayed.
Whenever the clay is found deficient, the wall is to be built up of a proper thickness with a fair face against the clay lining and there being some places where the tunnel has been carried out of its direction that these be referred to the report of the head men to the committee as before directed.
That a journal be kept of every days proceedings with an account of defects, where found, and the means applied for the cure of such defects to be delivered to Mr Smith.
Ralph Shepherd and John Holland to start the work at the parting of Mr Nocks and Richard Jones work and pursue it to Sapperton one way and Haley Wood the other way.
Committee elected.
