BLACKSHAW HEAD

Today Linda and Billie surveyed several paths around Blackshaw Head where reports had been received. we completed some of the work and will be back to complete the jobs.

Todays survey work was kindly funded by Blackshaw Head Parish Council.

RIPPONDEN - Spa Green Lane, Bridleway clearance.

Today's team of Lynda, Jerry and Angus tackled the overgrown bridleway on Spa Green Lane above Ripponden, which links Nursery lane to Ripponden Old Lane emerging near the cricket ground.

Bridleway is shown between the two blue markers on the map.

It was encouraging to see that the path has been used by walkers and mountain bikes which has kept it open, but for horse riders the thick vegetation and low hanging branches made it virtually impassable.

Whilst there was a footpath the majority of the bridleway was badly overgrown.

The marker post had seen better days having rotted out at ground level.

Jerry set to work to replace the damaged way marker post whilst Lynda and Angus started to cut back a thick patch of Snowberry and the usual dense clumps of nettles and brambles, along with several low hanging branches which required the use of an electric pole saw.

As we progressed up the lane to where it levelled out near Ripponden Old Lane, the area's of overgrown vegetation started to clear though there were still several trees who's branches encroached to such an extend that horse riders would find it difficult to navigate.

The halfway point of the bridleway before cutting back.

Lynda and Jerry attacking with some particularly stubborn brambles.

Bridleway opened up and accessible to walkers, horse riders and mountain bikers.

The finished job from the Nursery Lane end.

Now cleared, we hope that it attracts a steady flow of 2 legged, 4 legged and 2 wheeled travellers which will help keep the vegetation down and maintain it as a usable bridleway. A big thankyou to Ripponden Parish Council and donations to CROWS in allowing this work to be done.

 

 

TODMORDEN and BLACKSHAW HEAD - 'A Thriller in the Mist?'

 There were three teams out from Todmorden today:

Team 1: Andrew and David: constructing an alternative route on the moor above Daisy Bank (off the Long Causeway) to avoid the collapsed footbridge on BS 044. (See the post of 18 October).

Team 2: Mick and Gareth: initially helping Team 1 and then on to Todmorden Golf Club to reinstate the pink-topped marker posts across the golf course on Tod 026.

Team 3: Catherine and Kasher: initially setting out to paint the yellow-topped marker posts on the TCW above the Bacup Road . . .  but, in the mist, they could not find the posts! . . . 

. . . So plan B was put into operation: improving the drainage along a section of the causey path on the Calderdale Way near to Whirlaw (Tod BW 019).

Today's work has been funded by generous donations from members of the public. Many thanks.

Details:

In hindsight, it may have been a day for low-level tasks but all the teams managed to work in exceptionally misty, dank conditions. Heroic! Unfortunately, we were without the delights of the usual panoramic views and, unsurprisingly, somewhat short of autumnal colours! (see next picture)

The 'view' on Tod Moor above the Bacup Rd.

Team 1:     Unfortunately, part of the footbridge at the top end of the moor above Daisy Bank has been undermined and is now not safe to use. Permission from Calderdale Highways has been given to temporarily close this route until we can decided upon the best permanent solution. 

The team by-passed the footbridge by strimming a route through the heather and soft rush to provide an alternative path which went through an already broken-down wall to a manageable stream crossing. This slightly circuitous route was waymarked with yellow-topped posts.

Whilst in the vicinity, we looked at the small packhorse bridge which was repaired in the summer. We may need to make further improvements to the clough bank to reduced potential erosion adjacent to the bridge.

Mick, Andrew and David on the moor above Daisy Bank.

Putting in the new marker posts.

Andrew creating a safe and secure passage
through the wall.

Soft rush strimmed to create an alternative path.

Team 2:     Route 026 (from Hey Head Lane to Broad Gate) across Todmorden golf course is way-marked with pink-topped posts. Over the last few years many of the posts have been broken or moved. The team went back today to install new marker posts and ensure that the posts were on the correct line. Please follow these posts if you intend to walk through the golf course otherwise use the alternative route which takes you along the edge of the course.

Mick with one of the new marker posts.

Team 3:      Catherine and Kasher were hoping to paint the yellow-topped posts on the TCW above the Bacup Road. Unfortunately, the visibility on this moor was so poor that, without our TCW expert (aka Mick), we were in danger of becoming lost! Consequently plan B - drainage along the causey path on the CW and TCW near Whirlaw - was put into operation. 

Pre-existing, but blocked, channels were reopened so that water could drain from the causey stones. Although we only worked on a short section of the causeys it is now possible to walk this route without getting your feet wet . . . unlike Catherine and Kasher who finished the session both wet and bedraggled! 

Hint: Please take care along this route and do not step off the stones onto the side of the track. There are some deep ditches . . .  full of a delightful mix of mud and slurry!

Causey path partly under water.

Catherine clearing channels for the 
water to drain away.

Success! A drier route . . . relatively so!

LUDDENDEN: Old Riding wall gap

 Old Riding: Wall gap (step-down repairs)

On the footpath (Halifax 527) that goes down the hillside just above the dwellings at Old Riding (see map) Jan and Frank H were reconstructing the access where the right-of-way passes through a low retaining wall  between two fields.

This work has been funded by general donations to CROWS. Many thanks.

The detail.

The location is stunning. On this fine Autumn day the panorama down the hillside over the roof tops of Kiln House was extensive and breath-taking. Unfortunately we were so task-focused that we forgot to take a photo!

However, where the path passes through a wall between two fields, the stonework has slipped to leave slippery badly angled surfaces. Picture 1 shows the situation after cutting-back and clearing some of the worst stones.

Picture 1: Uphill view of cleared gap. The perspective
 is deceptive - the ground is steep and very slippery.

The main problems here are:

i)  The route through the wall is tricky to negotiate. Any flat surfaces were either buried or tilted.

ii) The wall-end to the left is precarious. The way the top tiers have been placed has produced courses that wobble and are on the point of slipping!

The plan was to create a safe route either by using existing stonework or by installing wooden steps. The left hand wall-end will be minimally dismantled and then re-stabilised. The right hand wall-end, although 'ugly', was stable and, given the size of the interlocking stonework, was judged to be best left undisturbed!

The work.

Picture 2 shows an up-slope view. A flat 'take-off slab' has been embedded and a riser for the first step  has been installed. These two actions have stabilised the lower end of the steps.

Picture 2: 

Picture 3 shows the end of session. The first step-up has a large flat stone surface as the tread area. The next two steps (perspective is difficult) are created from existing stonework and lead on to the top two wooden steps and then into the upper field. The left-hand wall-end has been re-configured (compare with Picture 1) and is now stable.

Picture 3:

The area around the steps was then tidied and the banking 'landscaped'. Overall the job was more intricate than expected but the outcome is a big improvement. Further remedial work can be done . . . .  . . . . all depending on the effects of a Calderdale winter!

WADSWORTH

 Bog Eggs Edge / Calderdale Way Area

Ian S and Paul were out today repairing a stile near Bog Eggs Edge. The stile uprights had rotted over the passage of time and one of the treadboards was worse for wear. The stile enables footpath access to the fields below where the Calderdale Way skirts around the Edge. 

The work was funded by the local landowner - thank you.

The wobbly stile before work.

We set about dissembling the cross-rails and digging out the two rotted posts. 

Work in Progress.

The taller right hand upright was mainly reusable and so we cut off the rotted section and "replanted" the post in the same place. The new left hand post was dug into the ground and the remnant of the old post fixed to it to act as the gatepost. A new treadboard was nailed in place with staples added to improve grip. We finished off the job by nailing the cross-rails into place and attaching a couple of waymark disks for good measure.

Job completed!