MYTHOLMROYD: Depot Days

 Mount Shed: Rationalisation of storage

The Mytholmroyd depot contains significant quantities of spare timber, pre-cut items, hand tools, power tools, portable kits, fixings, paints & stains etc. Consequently it is divided up into storage, workbench and administration areas. However, when new or extra items arrive some re-jigging of dedicated storage is necessary.

This week, Ken and Frank H turned their attention to the corner where Husqvarna items - strimmers, brush cutters and a hedge trimmer - are stored along with the ancillary faceguards and ear muffs etc. This section of the depot (pithily, but accurately, described as chaos corner) has suffered from too much equipment, often stored in a random way, being crammed haphazardly into too small a space. Time to fine-tune!

For those volunteers who use the Mytholmroyd depot, the following has happened:

i)  the tubs containing the azads have been removed.

ii) the azads are now stored near the rakes and slashers

iii) the bars and jemmies have been moved to be near the spades

iv) the corner where the tubs (and tap) were has been cleared and hanging boards installed (with landlord's approval) across the redundant doorway and across the end section of the dexion shelving. Two  moveable low storage platforms are being constructed to fit in this area.

v)  helmets + visors and/or ear muffs have their own dedicated storage.

Camera coverage and alarms remain unchanged.

1. Construction work. Ken in action pre-drilling timbers.

2. Chaos corner. Now cleared and improvement work is well underway.

3. So far: Hanging storage for helmets, hanging boards in place, a drip bucket
replaces the old tub and one storage platform has been constructed.

There's more to do here but the task is well underway. Any further storage may be problematic . .  . unless, of course we construct a mezzanine level. Mmm! . . . Perhaps not.

WADSWORTH OLD TOWN

 Chiserley Village paths

Ginny, Sean and Paul were out today in Lower Chiserley cutting back two of the main footpaths in this area of Old Town. The longer and more often used path (Wadsworth 075) travels directly down the hillside from Chiserley Stile to South Mead running parallel most of the way to the back of the houses on Old Mill Ridge. The second path runs along the bottom end toward Foot Kiln (Wadsworth 076). The weather was fair with no sign of the predicted rain so counting our blessings we soldiered on.

Pathways in red

Work funded by Wadsworth Parish Council. Thankyou for your ongoing support.

Attending to these overgrown footpaths has become an annual event and the before photos tell us why.

toward South Mead

Up toward Chiserley Stile

Across the field toward Foot Kiln.

Ginny and Sean teamed up to work on the pathway up to Chiserley Stile while Paul strimmed the main feeder paths:

Overgrown hedge narrowing the path.

There was time to spot some wild life; an inquisitive female Robin!

Any food about?

After lots of work we made headway:

Tidy!

Clearer at the top end!

That's better!

More accessible now.

Overall it was a satisfying day. There is still more to do off so we will return!

TWO PATHS AROUND WADSWORTH

HURST BRIDGE AT NUTCLOUGH

 A few weeks ago a large branch fell off a beech tree on to the bridge. This was speedily dealt with by the council. 

After they had finished we discovered that the nearby fingerpost had been knocked to the floor . . . so needed reinstating. 

 

The reinstated finger post

CALDERDALE WAY BELOW PECKET WELL

Calderdale Highways received a report pointing out the lack of waymarking across Keighley Road. This was true but the least of the problem - the path on the Old Town side was nowhere to be seen! It looked like you were walking into a hedge!

 

Raspberries, Hawthorn, Rosebay Willow Herb, Himalayan Balsam, Brambles and Blackthorn were the main culprits. So Kris and Rich had to use the full set of cutting back tools to deal with the problem. 

 

It's jungle chaos! Where is the path?

A nice place to sit?

The path emerging

It became clear that bits of the stone surface were very large causey stones suitable for pack horses. 

Now you can sit and admire the view

Waymarks attached to an existing post.

 

The bottom of the path is now passable but will need another session to clear it completely. We think the wide causey paths will go to the Keighley Road, so clearing them will save time on future maintenance. It's very exciting to have uncovered this lost path. 

TODMORDEN - a day of unearthing history in Shore

There was one team of four (Catherine, Duncan, Kasher and RJ) out from Todmorden today. A number of jobs needed sorting out in Shore, above Cornholme.

1) Cutting back on Tod 070 by the Baptist Chapel (https://www.tod.me.uk/ and https://sites.rootsweb.com/~todmordenandwalsden/shorechapel_000.htm) and clearing the path to the impressive set of stone steps which go from the clough to the chapel.

2) Cutting back on Tod 062 from Bluebell Lane to the outdoor baptismal area below Shore Law, and revealing the baptismal area once again.

3) A number of minor tasks around Shore Green including a second coat of stain on Gerald's bench on Shore New Road.

Today's work party was funded by a kind donation from the Cornholme Wreath Making workshop held in December 2025. Many thanks for all you do to support CROWS in the Cornholme area.

The stone steps near Shore Baptist Chapel: the site of one of the work parties today.

The blue "pin" marks the site of the Shore Baptist Chapel outdoor baptismal area.

The Baptismal Area:

OK, we know its here somewhere . . . !

The first signs of the baptismal area . . . take care!

The stone steps are emerging...

More of the steps now in view and fallen stones
repositioned.

Catherine working on the stone bridge.

RJ at the top of the baptismal area which has now been
cleared.

Catherine at the end of a satisfying task.

The baptismal area and the bridge.

The baptismal area and the bridge (2)

The stone steps:

The path into the woods.

The wooden seat - now liberated from the 
raspberry canes and brambles!

The path by the side of Shore Baptist Chapel.

The top flight of stone steps.

A second coat:

Catherine giving Gerald King's bench a second coat
of preservative.

WADSWORTH

 Calderdale Way: Shawcroft Hill to Slackhouse Lane.

Kris, Nick and Paul were out on a much cooler day cutting back an overgrown path on a section of the Calderdale Way (Wadsworth 053 path).

Cutting back shrubbery and grasses on this stretch of path has become an annual event particularly at the bottom and top ends where foliage encroaches to such a degree that the pathway is difficult to negotiate.

Red line indicating pathway.

Work funded by Wadsworth Parish Council - thankyou for your ongoing support.

Top end

Overgrown Shrubbery blocking the pathway.

No way through!

We started at the top end and soon made headway with hedge trimmers and strimmer:

Shrubbery cleared:

A way through!

Following this we started at the bottom end by Shawcroft Cottages which was a tad overgrown!:

Lots of summer growth!

We cleared the pathway, and turn byes:

That's better!

Turn byes that run into the drainage channel on the wall side of the path were cleared out:

One of the cleared turn byes.

And steps cleared further up the path:

Nick and Kris at work.

Overall a satisfying day's work making this section of the Calderdale Way easierr for walkers to use.