The remenants of a concrete pier which stood adjacent to the towpath on the south side of the basin was demolished and the debris removed as part of the dredging project.  The intention was to make use of the digger and barges while they were there.

The process began on a smaller scale with a portable compressor and pneumatic hammer being used to break up the top surface to expose the metal reinforcement and structure beneath.

Here some of the structure just below the surface has been exposed

The loose concrete which broke up into convenient sizes was removed by hand

By the end of the first day the upper covering had been removed and thrown into the barge

What remained was small pieces of concrete rubble and the metal girders which supported the main structure, with layers of corrugated metal which probably supported the original pouring.

The pier stood on wooden legs which were sunk into the bank and bed of the canal

On the second day the dredger was moved into a position where it could reach over the waiting barge and use its power to break up the remaining structure.  The bigger pieces of stone and metal were dragged away.

Then with the aid of a couple of helpers straps and chains were attached to the larger pieces of structure enabling them to be torn off and lifted into the barge

The wooden legs were then worked loose by bashing them with the digger bucket and then lifted into the barge

The pier legs were substantial pieces of wood.

The pier debris was kept separate for disposal from the silt and other rubbish

The final tidying up revealed just under the surface what Slough Basin is now famous for – more rubbish.

By the next morning the site was tidied up and made safe pending some other possible improvements to the basin and paths

And before long the wildlife was back as if nothing had happened