TODMORDEN and BLACKSHAW HEAD - Various

 There were three teams out from Todmorden today:

Team 1: Duncan and Ken completed the work on Tod 209 off Swineshead Road by replacing the handrail adjacent to the very irregular steps.

Team 2: David and Neil Mc rebuilt the stile on BSH 051. This involved a long carry with tools and timber down Cow Side Lane. They were ably assisted in carrying of the items by Mick and RJ before they went to start their own work. We will need to return to this job next week to replace the step legs and treadboards, and to affix  waymarks etc.

Team 3: Mick and RJ: carried out further drainage work above Ashenhurst on Tod 029. There are no photographs of this work. Just think mud, water, soft rush, and even more mud!

Funding for today's work in Blackshaw Head has come from the  friends and family of Sheena McKerrrel, a keen walker who lived in BSH.

Funding for work undertaken by Teams 1 and 3 has come from individual donations to CROWS. Many thanks for your kind donations to ensure that we are able to keep the footpaths and bridleways useable.

Details:

Handrail replacement on the steps off Swineshead.

Stile replacement off Cow Side Lane, BSH.

Drainage work near Ashenhurst.

Team 1:

The original handrail and posts.

New posts being installed.

One section of the handrail now completed.

Duncan at the top of the flight of steps with their
new handrail.

Ken and the completed handrail, but minus waymarks!

Team 2: 

The state of the stile on BSH 051 at the start
of the day.

Neil Mc dismantling the stile.

Neil Mc.. and the remains of the stile.

The legs being fettled... they will be replaced next week.

The replaced but very muddy stile.

Today's stile rebuild but we will return next week 
to complete this.

RYBURN - Path 62 continued

A small team comprising Linda, Jerry and Jak returned to this path between Ripponden Old Bank and Longley Lane.

It had rained all the previous day and this had caused there to be a considerable amount of water along the path at the start from the Ripponden Old Bank. We made a small channel to assist the flow on its downward trajectory.

Jerry and Linda working in a long puddle!

The channels that had been dug out on previous visits had held and were seen to be draining the water down the hill in a more orderly fashion.

We returned to the very bad section before the first stile with the aim of keeping the water contained and providing a secure place for crossing the stream.

Jerry and Linda manoeuvring stone to provide a bridge

Whilst getting very muddy indeed, we laid stone across and at both sides of the contained stream. We dug out some more channels in an effort to move water away from the path.

Steps across and beyond the stream; also embankment to retain water

The crossing

Looking downstream

We are hopeful that the hillside will dry out a bit in time and that the water will go where it's been told to go. The drainage work has now been completed and we will return to work on two stiles before too long.

This work was made possible by donations to CROWS. Many thanks.

TODMORDEN - Return to Green’s Clough

Andrew & Gareth climbed this hillside once more on the old inclined railway to repair some broken steps and install a waymark post.  

The path forms part of the route for Vale Walkers’ forthcoming walk leaflet, “Stone Coal and Orange Water”, which explores the historic mine workings and other remains of Portsmouth’s industrial heritage.  With all the recent rain, there was certainly plenty of orange water (coloured by its encounters underground with iron oxide) to be seen in the clough and even on the footpath itself.

After completing the work and descending back to Portsmouth, we checked out the permissive path above Frieldhurst Road and made notes on some possible improvements to that route as it crosses the stream.  Something to keep an eye out for in a future blog post!

Today’s work was once again supported by individual donations to CROWS. Thanks as always to all those who make donations to support our work.

Some of the plentiful orange water encountered

Andrew hard at work

There is more than one new step in this photo!

A waymark post with a great view

WADSWORTH: Successive stiles off Wadsworth Lane

Pesky Stiles: set-back after set-back!

On a day where a patch of blue sky made an early exit in favour of grey, and a cold but light breeze became a cold but light breeze accompanied by persistent drizzle, Paul and Frank H carried out remedial work on two stiles on the footpath (Hebden Royd 022) off Wadsworth Lane (see map).

Today's tasks were funded by Wadsworth Parish Council. Many thanks.

1. The blue 'tag': marks the location of stiles on the path behind Daisy Bank houses.

A succession of three stiles and a small gate are on the marked section of the above path. Two of these had been reported as requiring attention.

The detail:

First stile:

2. First Stile: The cross-rails, treadboard
and step legs all need attention!

What appeared to be a straightforward task - re-align the cross-rails, dig out the old step legs, install new legs and fit a wider treadboard - turned out to be a strenuous exercise! The damaged treadboard fixed to the partly rotten leg stumps was jammed under the slanting cross-rails and an impressive amount of concrete had been used to form a 'collar' part way down each leg. 

Careful excavation was abandoned in favour of the vigorous use of a bolster chisel and lump hammer so eventually holes of the correct depth were created to accept the legs that would support the treadboard. Mmm! That kept us busy!

3. Close quarters: "Once I've got this hole dug, Paul, 
you can fit the leg while I dig on the other side."

4. Alignment: "Neat work Paul. Exactly the
correct depth and 'spot-on' vertical."

5. End result: a neat one-step stile
ready for its first customer.

Although a disproportionate amount of effort was needed (tree roots and stumpy remains of old step legs were also an issue) we were pleased with the end result.

Second stile.

6. 'Before' picture: Mmm! "Turner Prize material?"

This stile had reasonably sound steps and side-uprights but the cross-rails were detached or weirdly askew and the stock fencing was misaligned, badly twisted and (out of shot to the right of picture) flattened into the ground along with a post. We opted for remedial work . . . but a complete replacement may be a future task!

7. Better looking? Yes! Horizontal cross-rails.

The short length of stock fence to the right of the stile was straightened as best as possible. A flattened fence post was re-embedded (and some bracing fitted) and the stock fence and barbed top-wires re-strung as best as the kinked, twisted and work-hardened strands would allow.

8. Unearthed! Old post and remains of stock fence
given a new lease of (very shaky) life!

Overall, this was a massive improvement over the original . . . and could now be described as adequately functional! 

This was a long, finger-freezing, kneeling in the mud, working at odd angles sort of a day! The path has only light usage so remedial work to the other two items, a stile and a small gate, is a low priority task.

More next month when we might be higher up! 

COLDEN - both sides of Hebble Hole

 Stella, Guy, Steve and Rich went to finish the work done on the Calderdale Way steps (funded by donations) and to sort some drainage and revetment (funded by Heptonstall Parish Council). Many thanks.

Repairing the steps

One step was broken and needed replacing and several of the others needed extra infill. 

 

Drainage and Revetment

The edge of the path was crumbling in places so we installed two lengths of revetment and widened the path. 

 

Further up at the junction of the Calderdale Way and Pennine Way, water was flowing over the stone steps. We dug a channel to divert the outflow from a field drain. Already there are signs that the steps are drying out.  

 It might not look good on the photo, but the water is running where we want it to!