TODMORDEN - Various

 There were three pairs out from Todmorden today:

Team 1: David and Neil Mc: completing the steps near the stile into Golden Stones (off Windy Harbour Lane) and in-filling steps going into Bridestones Moor.

Team 2: Andrew and Catherine: fettling up another open access stile into Golden Stones.

Team 3: Kasher and Ken: initially helping Team 2 with the carrying of tools and timber to the worksite and then adding in marker posts and waymarkers, and visiting landowners to agree future work.

Many thanks to the residents of Bridestones Farm for allowing the team to park in their yard thus minimising the distance we had to carry tools and timber to the worksite.

Today's work has been funded by Todmorden Town Council (Team 3) and, for Teams 1 and 2, by Todmorden Wind Farm via CFFC (Community Foundation for Calderdale).

Team 1:

The blue "pin" is the location of the open access stile on Windy Harbour Lane.

The stile and access - before.

David sorting out the final box step to improve
access to the stile.

Neil topping up the box steps, lined with a geo-textile, with MOT.

The stile and access - after.

Team 2:

The location of today's open access stile into Golden Stones.

The stile - before. Both uprights need replacing. One of the step legs
is rotten and both treadboards need replacing.
Question: Why was that upright so tall??

Andrew and Ken with the stile dismantled and in the process
of being rebuilt.

The new uprights now in position. Ken and Andrew: June in the
South Pennines!

The stile - after.

Team 3:

Ken checking one of today's new marker posts
below Bridestones.

Ken . . .  and the completely blank waymarks!

Sorting out a post to replace a "flag".

RYBURN - Riverside path and Greave Road

Jerry and Jak set out to reinstate a waymark post that had been put into the river. The post had been  recovered earlier this week and given some time to dry out.

The post had been in quite a shallow hole previously because of the large amount of stone below the surface. This time we were going to make sure that the hole was deep enough and we took some other measures to prevent vandalism.

The actual hole took a long time to dig because of the quantity of large and stubborn rock that had to be moved. The hole ended up being almost four times the size of the post!

Jerry in the hole

"Deadmen" were added to the post. Normally these are something that we curse at when trying to get old posts out of the ground. They were added to posts to anchor them very tightly in the ground. In this instance a speedy technique was adopted.

"Deadmen" at bottom of post

The hole was then filled in using donated 'postcrete' or 'postfix'. 

Post-crete in

Back filling

Post in place to guide walkers along the path

Hopefully the post will stay in place for a longer time.

The team moved onto Greave Road. A stile had been installed near this location in early May. This return visit was to reinstate a damaged signpost. This post was repaired by Angus earlier in the week.

For this hole, the ground was thankfully much kinder and the job was quickly completed.

Signpost back in place

Lovely views in this spot

This work was funded by donations in kind and donations to CROWS. Many thanks all.

PENNINE WAY AT WINTERS

 Team of four - Stella, Jan, Jerry and Rich to do four main jobs with showers and sun all day.

• Repair some rotted off steps
• Clear the stone steps
• Cut back encroaching vegetation along the whole stretch
• Re-seat a rotted off finger post 

This work was funded by a partnership of Calderdale Highways and Natural England. 

 

Repair some rotted off steps

Five of the risers had rotted off and some of the infill had shrunk

New risers and aggregate infill

 Clear the stone steps

Overgrown with lots of mulch on the steps 

Cut back encroaching vegetation along the whole stretch

A vast improvement (it is the same path)

Re-seat a rotted off finger post  

The day was going well with just the finger post to do. First job was to remove the old stump. Took about 45 minutes to get out!

...and it rained

 Finally 

 

Pennine Bridleway: Cutting Back

 CROWS have again been contacted to cut back specific sections of the Pennine Bridleway.

Today, David and Kasher cut back the Pennine Bridleway on Blackshaw 094 at Sand Bed. This section is one of the easier ones we are contracted to work on, so it was an ideal task for a 'poor weather forecast' day.

Now that this cut back has been done, it will give an opportunity for local litter pickers to clear away debris from this path. We also cut down lots of the Himalayan Balsam. In the next week or so the remaining plants could easily be cleared before they have had time to set seed.

The Pennine Bridleway at Sand Bed (Blackshaw BW 094)

Before cutting back.

After cutting back (1).

After cutting back (2).

Funding for today's task has come from Lancashire County Council. Many thanks to the Pennine Bridleway team for their support of CROWS and our interest in keeping paths open for all users.

Luddenden-MIdgley; Slack Lane wall and steps

 Slack Lane: slippery-slope steps and heavy-duty walling.

On a day when the threatened, non-stop rain turned out merely to be occasional dampness, Ian S, Andy and Frank H worked at the Western end of Slack Lane to construct a series of steps and to rebuild a wall where a footpath (Sowerby Bridge 008) climbs up from the bridleway (Sowerby Bridge 009).

1. The blue 'pin' marks the worksite: The views are extensive.

Today's work was funded by Luddenden Mayor's Fund. Many thanks for your support.

The detail.

Ian and Andy worked on the steps and occasionally helped Frank who had the heavy lifting task of repairing the vandalised wall top.

The situation before work began was like this :

2. Before: Slippery approach to a wall which
is missing its top tiers of stonework.

The slope has been eroded by heavy rainfall and the determined but slippery efforts of valiant walkers. This footpath and the lower bridleway (which contours around the hillside) are popular and we encountered several groups of walkers and runners during the day. Thank you for your interest and supportive comments.

The capping stones and their support tier of stones had been dislodged to tumble down the hillside. The lighter ones (visible in the picture) could be carried back up to the wall and others could be moved by using straps and the combined effort of the three of us. Unfortunately, three extremely heavy slabs had to be left in the undergrowth as their shape, size and the underfoot conditions made lifting and manoeuvring too hazardous.

Work could begin:

3. Stage 1: four wooden steps already in
place and wall top being levelled
to accept capping stones.

4. Stage 2: More steps in place and, at the wall, capping
stones in place on either side of the stone through-steps

5. At the wall: level surface being created to 
accept more capping stones.

6. Popular path: With care, it's safer to use. 

7. Repairs progress: More capping stones or slabs needed!

8. End result: View of wall from field side.

9. End result: steps leading up to a stable wall.

10. End result: Overall view.

Despite the slippery condition of the slope and (for the wall) a shortage of suitable stone we were pleased with the end result. There is still some work to be done - banking, infill and revetment for part of the steps and a check on stability (and whether a grab pole would be useful) for the wall - but the footpath and wall are now much safer in 'normal use' . . . as several walkers and runners could testify!

More in a week or so . . .  once we have managed to straighten-up!