After the storms the sun suddenly came out so I decided on a walk along part of the canal that hasn't been restored yet. I was actually looking for a geocache that had evaded me for a couple of visits, this time I read the clue properly and I found it easily.
A few yards further on I spotted this floating dredger, aptly named "Augustus Gloop" belonging to The Cotswold Canal Triust, the muck and gunge dredged out of the canal is really Gloopy, hense the dredgers name.
I then had a discussion with a gentleman who was out for a lunchtime walk on how they got it there. Miles to it left were dense reeds and mud, the same to the right, so it wasn't floated in. The towpath was very narrow so we decided it must have been craned in over a fence from an adjoining industrial site. Either way it's going to do a wonderful job. Best viewed with the black background.
Wonderful machine. Thanks for the additional comments re Laurie Lee, interesting, I also liked, 'As I walked out one summer morning', and his journeys through Spain. Unique person.
The dredger is the best part of 50 years old now and was made in Germany by a company called Weri. The Cotswold Canals Trust have had owned it since the early 1980s. As to how it got there... believe it or not it comes with its own set of wheels so it can be towed!
@imulford Thanks for the info, unfortunately there was no way it could have been towed to where it was. Towpath much to narrow and the reeds were either side of it. Must have been craned in.
I worked for British Waterways many years ago but never saw a dredger like that!