Draught horse at work on Grantham Canal

Grantham Canal Society volunteers were in for a treat when Donk, the Belgian draught horse, arrived
to help remove logs from Lock 13.

Jonathan Booty, from Park Farm Horse Logging, was signing up to volunteer with the society when he spotted a unique opportunity to get involved.

‘After a warm welcome at the Woolsthorpe Depot, I decided to take a walk down to see the preparation work at Lock 13.’ Jonathan said, ‘I spoke to Tony Osbond, General Manager, and offered the assistance of a draught horse to remove felled trees.’ The use of draught horses has a much lower impact on the
natural environment than modern forestry techniques.

The Grantham Canal Society were very keen to work on the canal using the same methods as when
it was originally built, and Donk now has many admirers amongst the volunteers!

‘The old ways are quite often the best. What an amazing animal.’ said Mark Poyser, member and volunteer. Colin Bryan, who volunteered alongside Donk on the day, was very impressed with how easy Donk made it look. ‘We can’t wait to have him join us again. He’s a solid worker and certainly made our job easier!’ he enthused.

Donk, ably assisted by Pete Woodman, made light work of clearing the logs and Lock 13 is now ready for the next phase of renovation. Volunteer workparties will be required five days a week during the next stage, so if you would like to find out more, email: volunteer@granthamcanal.org.