TODMORDEN and ERRINGDEN - Various

 There were three teams out from Todmorden today.

Team 1: Neil Mc and Mick travelled around Todmorden to replace missing marker posts and to firm up posts which have been used as back-scratchers by local sheep and cattle. The posts on the Fielden Trail, below Hartley Royd, were replaced (again!). Additional 'pink' posts across the golf course were added. A square yellow-topped post was installed on the route from Ramsden Wood towards Cranberry Dam. Sadly, there are no photos of the post replacements!

Team 2: David and RJ: completed the rebuild of the stile on Erringden 026 at the top of Parrock Wood. This new one-step stile is much easier to use than the previous stile. We have re-attached all of the stock fencing and have improved sections of fencing in this area too. The previous stile was dismantled with some of the timber being reused.

Team 3: Andrew and Ian V: replaced the revetments and created a set of steps on Erringden 026 at the bottom of Parrock Wood. Catherine and Kasher also worked in this area: clearing the bridge, adding staples, putting in marker posts, cutting back overhanging vegetation and widening the footpath etc. 

We will need to return to install more revetment and to further widen the path. We hope to be back here next week.

We would like to thank the residents of the nearby house who allowed us to park in their yard, thus minimising the distance we had to carry tools and timber. This was much appreciated.

Today's work has been funded by individual donations to CROWS. We would like to thank everyone who contributes funds to help us to keep footpaths open and safe to use.

Team 2:

Parrock Wood: position of stile indicated.

The 'rather hard to use' stile, before we started.

The stile at the end of the first session with the initial
stile (on the LHS) still in place.

RJ sorting out the stone steps near the stile.

The (nearly) completed steps and the stile: field side.

The completed stile: road side.

Team 3:

David and RJ previously assessing the revetments.

Ian V and Andrew sorting out the revetments at the 
start of the day.

Catherine, Andrew and Ian at the start of the day.

Catherine uncovering a solid base to the path.

Ian, Andrew and Kasher working on the path and adding staples
to the bridge.

Andrew: the bridge, steps, widened path and the new revetments.

The new revetments, widened path and cleared bridge.

ERRINGDEN - Above Parrock Wood: stile built part 1

 A team of three (David, Kasher and RJ) were above Parrock Wood today to make improvements to the very difficult stile on Erringden 026.

It was a day of sunshine, showers, snow and hail, with a beautiful rainbow in the valley. We were also rewarded by having two walkers on this path today.

We have repositioned the stile so that it is in line with the existing (but hidden) stone steps. We have installed two new uprights and a single step. We have temporarily added cross-rails and have stapled the original stock fencing to the uprights. The team will return on Friday to complete the stile; to remove the original stile structures; to tidy up the fencing and to make improvements to the steps on the approach to the stile.

The stile is certainly wider than the original structure and will be much easier to use (once we have finished our work!).

Today's work has been funded by Todmorden Harriers from their Flower Scar Fell Race. Many thanks. 

The location of the stile at the top of Parrock Wood.

The original stile.

The original stile, part 2.

David dismantling part of the original structure,
and securing the stock fencing.

RJ and David and the first upright now in place.

RJ and David, sorting out the second upright.

Our reward: a fantastic rainbow in the valley below.

David trying to deepen the hole for the
downslope step leg.

In the hail storm: Two uprights in position.
Two legs in position but now need to be packed.

End of Phase 1: a safe stile in position.
We will return on Friday to complete this
and to dismantle the original structure.

Wicken Hill: the final steps!

 Wicken Hill steps.

Today was 'all-purpose weather forecast' day: light rain, driving hail, dark grey skies, distant views, no views, bright blue skies, sunshine and a chill breeze - all in varying combinations! 

Fortunately Jan and Frank H were working in the lee of a banking so were partly sheltered from the worst of conditions.

The task was to continue the work on the twin flights 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 location of the steps.

The Detail.

The steps start just beyond a stile above Wicken Hill Farm. Initial steps lead to a platform step from which a walker can go left (directly towards the golf course) or right (up to the moor). Steps were installed to both branches with the steeper right branch getting five steps and the 'easier' left branch just one!

2. Left-hand route - golf course path.

The technique for all the steps was similar:

i)   Excavate a tread area level with the top of an existing riser. 

ii)  Position and check the horizontal level of the new riser.

iii) Use the heavy bar to create pilot holes for the new stobs.

iv) Hammer-home the new stobs (as vertical as possible).

v)  Use hex-head 100 mm screws through the stob to fix the riser in place.

vi) Tidy up the tread area and side-banking.

Repeat for all steps  . .  . or to the point of exhaustion.

3. Pilot hole being created: Good technique, Jan:
Stable stance, back straight, eye on task and
bar under control for a heavy hit.

4. Right-hand route - moor path.

5. End of session (as the mist rolls in): two formerly
awkward, slippery steep sections now easily negotiated. 

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

ERRINGDEN

It was fierce March weather today with strong wind and gusts of horizontal hail between bursts of wild sunshine and long views.  Guy and Stella parked on Kilnshaw Lane and climbed up behind Higher Rough Head Farm to improve some confusing/absent waymarking reported by a local resident.  

At the dog-leg from path 04/9/4 to path 04/9/5, downhill  to Kilnshaw Lane, the stone squeeze was easily missed - but hopefully no longer!  

We rebuilt the edge of the path, and put in a waymark post.

We were here....

....in the hail.  And now you can see where to go.

We also cut back the reeds and long grass in the tumbledown walled-lane coming down from Whittaker Lane (path 4/9/4), to make the route clearer. The hazardous stile at the top of Whittaker Lane leading onto this path ideally needs replacing with a stock-proof gate, an option which is being explored.

Further waymarking is needed to indicate the route of path 04/9/3 towards Rake track, along with some small improvements to the access over a couple of stiles on this route. 

Your generous donations to CROWS funded today's work.  Thank you, as ever!

PENNINE WAY at Colden

Today was a second visit to Edge Lane for Andy and Rich to re-erect a finger post, clear steps, fix a fence and fettle a gate. This work was funded by a partnership of 'Calderdale Highways' and 'Natural England'. 

The post: - out of the ground and looking sad. It will need replacing at some stage, but is OK for now. 

 

The top of the path was quite narrow with bushes encroaching. These were cut back and the path widened. We are hoping a contractor will be fixing the drainage problem lower down. 

Then it was over to Edge Lane to clear three flights of stone steps. 

The final two jobs were to sort a barbed wire fence that was leaning across the path and to repair a catch on a gate at the edge of the moor.