Ground Nesting Birds posters and litter picking

 It's mid-March - the time to put up the 'Ground Nesting Birds' posters.

Neil D and Kasher commenced this annual task by putting posters in areas where there are curlew, lapwing, skylarks, meadow pipits etc. We were rewarded with the fantastic sights and sounds of these moorland birds as well as an amazing low level fly past from a Kite when we were enjoying our coffee and cake at the end of the day at May's shop!

As well as putting up the posters, we took the opportunity to check out stiles, markerposts, boardwalks etc which may be in need of repair. Problems found will be added to the CROWS "to do" list.

We also spent significant time today picking up litter along the road from Blake Dean to the Briercliffe boundary. See https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/the-great-british-spring-clean/ .

Please let us know if you could put a poster up in your area to raise awareness of the need to do more to protect our ground nesting birds.

Thanks to everyone who makes a donation to CROWS to support our work. It really is appreciated.

Poster at the top of Blake Dean.

and another . . . 

Not sure I can get any more bags of litter
into the car!

Neil D enjoying his job. No training required . . . 
. . . you just pick it up as you go along!

Let's hope we can keep the curlews safe this year.

Neil D putting up a poster on Edge Lane.

TODMORDEN and ERRINGDEN...Various.

 What an amazing day to be out! A team of three from Todmorden were working on a variety of jobs including drainage, cutting back, way-marking, and surveying for future tasks.

David, Kasher and RJ worked in the area east of the Rochdale Canal between Eastwood and Stoodley Glen.

We worked on the following:

1)    Tod BW 034 (at the stream crossing over Stoodley Clough) to clear the stepping stones and remove debris from the clough.

2)    Way-marking and replacing rotten marker posts on Erringden 010 near Heights Farm and on Erringden 024 near Burnt Acre.

3)    We returned to try (once again!) to sort out the drainage issues on Erringden 014 above Heights Wood. The water from the pipe coming from the hillside is in danger of washing away the footpath. Hopefully we have sorted this (for a while!) although we may return to widen parts of this path.

4)    We also tried to improve the drainage at the junction of Tod 034 and Erringden 022 (just off Stoodley Glen) which had been reported to CROWS. Sections of the path have been scraped and the water flowing down the hillside has been directed into drainage channels. This work should allow the track to dry out.

5)    Surveying the stream crossing and the stile on Erringden 026 in Parrock Wood.

Today's work has been funded by Calderdale Ramblers to whom we extend our grateful thanks.

Today's work area: east of the Rochdale Canal at Eastwood.

Sorting out the stream crossing at Stoodley Clough.

David and RJ working on drainage issues above Heights Wood.

RJ and Kasher improving the drainage 
at the edge of Heights Wood.

David and RJ sorting out the drainage issues at the junction 
of Tod 034 and Erringden 022.

A slightly less muddy path!

Why is it that digging out old posts takes so much 
longer than installing new ones?

Fixing waymarkers at Burnt Acre.

Packing one of the new marker posts at Burnt Acre.

One of the marker posts at Burnt Acre.

A stile to be fettled . . . 

And how do we sort out this revetment??

Hebden Bridge: Wicken Hill again!

 Wicken Hill - steps to the Golf Course boundary or the moor

On a warm blue-skied, idyllic Spring day Ian S, Jan and Frank H continued construction work on the junction of steps that lead from behind Wicken Hill Farm towards the Golf Course or up onto the moor.

Many thanks to the residents at Wicken Hill who allowed us to park as near to the job as possible - the shorter the distance we have to carry tools and timber to a task the better! 

1. Approximate worksite position: the blue tag marks the spot!

The Detail:

Two weeks ago CROWS created a Y-junction, each branch having three new steps. Today's task was to replace  the two rotten approach steps to this junction (only one visible in picture 2) then extend the upward flights of both branches. The rising ground varies in gradient and has very stubborn compacted shale bands. Mmm! Time to flex a few muscles.

2. Before work began: Y-junction but
with rotten, half-buried approach steps.

Jan and Ian tackled the two approach steps and additional steps for the right-hand branch while Frank did a solo turn on the left-hand section. The sun shone, the air was still, the temperature rose and sweat flowed!

3. Right-hand branch. First step of the
day before the path starts to curve

4. Left-hand branch: Two of today's steps in
place. Frank working on next two risers.

5. Left and Right:  ever upwards!

6. Right-hand branch: end of session.

7. Left-hand branch: end of session.

8. Left and right: overview.

 Much use of the heaviest bar was needed to drive pilot holes for the anchoring stobs and then to hammer home the stobs themselves. Waste material from levelling the step platform was shovelled and shovelled to create side-banking. Depending on one's point of view, it was either a tiring day or a useful upper-body workout . . . or perhaps both!

Meadow pipits and dunnocks made themselves heard (but not seen), a buzzard circled hopefully outlined against the blue sky and, most gratifyingly of all, mugs of tea appeared courtesy of Wicken Hill Farm. Many thanks.

9. The most anxious moment of the day:  Will
Frank get the empty mugs (and tray) safely back
to Wicken Hill Farm? .  .  . Never in doubt!

Today's work was funded by a donation from Midgley Community Forum. Many thanks for your support of local projdects.

WIDDOP GATE

This was our second session on jobs in the Blake Dean area, Paul, Nick, Kris (first session), Stella and Rich. The three tasks to do on the Hardcastle Crags Railway route were:

i)  Start clearing and replacing steps that have obviously given up the ghost! 

ii) Divert the path away from a sloping edge towards a steep drop.

iii) Widen and cut-back the path beyond the steps (red dotted line on map). 

It was a great sunny day . . . and a brilliant spot for lunch. 

This work was funded by friends and family of Robert Heaton - this area was a special place for him. 

 The carry-down

The site involved carrying everything down a steep run of very uneven stone steps. 

'Base camp one' - tools, timber and aggregate

 The steps

The survey showed that al least ten steps had badly rotted and needed replacing. The steps were very overgrown and unsurprisingly, when they were cleared several other rotten steps were identified. 

Clearing in progress

 

Some of the replaced rotten steps with extra infill

By the end of the session we decided we might as well replace all the steps! that's another session! 

The re-routed path

Below the steps, the path went over bedrock sloping towards a steep edge. People have started creating a safer route to avoid the slope, so we carried out improvement work to make this option even safer. 

The path heads back towards Blake Dean - this section was cut-back, steps cleared and some widening and levelling carried out. 

The final job was to add waymarks at the path junction. 

After a good lunch

 

 

RYBURN - Clough House Lane, Butterworth Lane and Stoney Lane

There were five of us out today so we split into two teams. Jerry and Angus tackled two jobs on Clough House Lane and Graham, Andy and Jak went to Butterworth Lane.

Showing sites of fingerposts on Clough House Lane

Jerry and Angus replaced a rotten fingerpost directing walkers to the east of Clough House Lane and also one leading from Clough House Lane south up the footpath that we recently reopened. The path goes up from the lane to meet a bridleway and neatly cuts off the road corner.

Before, looking east

A work in progress, using a recycled fingerpost

Showing the way

The second job for Jerry and Angus was to waymark up the hill towards last week's new steps.

New post in place directing walkers towards the steps

Meanwhile, over on Butterworth Lane, Graham, Andy and Jak were finishing off the stone steps which lead into the field to a footpath joining Butterworth Lane and Bowood Lane.

Pin shows location of steps

Andy testing

Steps and wall

After this, we joined forces and put in two waymark posts on a footpath going east from Stoney Lane which meets the Calderdale Way. Both existing waymark posts had rotted.

Location of new waymarks

New waymark

It was satisfying to clear up several smaller jobs. This work was funded by donations to CROWS, for which we are very grateful.