11 hours Ago By [email protected] (Andrew Forgrave)
A scheme to safeguard a popular visitor attraction from flooding has been completed. Engineers found themselves battling the elements and racing to meet deadlines at Loggerheads Country Park, Denbighshire . Not only did construction teams have to contend with mud and snow, it was beset by the very issue engineers were trying to resolve.
Constant flooding from the River Alyn caused ongoing delays and at one point the complex was forced to close after being left under water. But staff at Colwyn Bay’s MWT Civil Engineering struggled on to complete the work in time for the festive period. A section of a river retaining wall was rebuilt and a refurbished footbridge was lowered back on to newly strengthened foundations.
The 15-week scheme was commissioned by Denbighshire Council as part of a programme of improvements at the country park near Mold . UK Government Levelling Up funds worth £1.4m were earmarked for flood alleviation works and a series of building upgrades yet to take place.
Managing director Mike Thomas said the flood works were not without their challenges. “We needed to rebuild and raise a section of the existing river wall which had become undermined,” he said. “This was increasing risk of flooding and wall collapse during periods of heavy rain.
“All river works had to be completed by the fisheries deadline of October 15 - this is when the fish spawning season starts. It didn’t take much rain for water levels to start rising and to overwash the dry working area we built in the river. The water then needed to be pumped out from this area before work could resume.
Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now “We began noticing that the slightest rain would increase river levels quite severely. Strangely however, when we had all the severe flood warnings, the river level hardly moved. Autumn and winter is not always the best time for these kind of works.
In recent years, the risk of sudden flooding has increased as downpours become more intense. Floods can come out of nowhere and be more severe.” Three pumps were used to remove water from a dry compound built in the river by segregating its flow.
These faced their sternest test when Loggerheads was hit by severe flooding just two weeks before the October 15 deadline. The attraction’s gallery, volunteer room and mill were all flooded as water rose above the flood bank and over Loggerheads’ tea gardens. Some buildings were forced to close but the café, visitor centre and toilets remained open.
Once the new masonry-faced concrete wall had been built along the river, the construction team were able to relax slightly as the focus turned to the refurbished wooden bridge. This crosses the River Alyn to give pedestrian access to the country park from the A494. In early November, the bridge was craned back into position Buckley’s Mobile Crane Service.
The public were invited to watch, some perhaps noticing the bridge was positioned slightly higher than before. Within weeks, the country park was blanketed in snow and ice . Resurfacing and planting work was still needed and these finished on December 12, just after Storm Darragh levelled some of the country’s forests .
To enable access to the river wall, a section of yew hedge had to be removed - this was one of the most dramatic changes to the site. In places, the hedge was part of the problem: its roots had grown into the wall’s foundations, causing significant undercutting and bank subsidence. A new hedge has since been planted.
Sharing photos of the completed scheme on social media, MWT Civil Engineering said: “It wasn’t that long ago that our team were up to their waists in mud. A difficult project due to access restrictions and a volatile watercourse but the team cracked on and got the job done.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find family activities near you.
