PENNINE WAY AT WINTERS

 Team of four - Stella, Jan, Jerry and Rich to do four main jobs with showers and sun all day.

• Repair some rotted off steps
• Clear the stone steps
• Cut back encroaching vegetation along the whole stretch
• Re-seat a rotted off finger post 

This work was funded by a partnership of Calderdale Highways and Natural England. 

 

Repair some rotted off steps

Five of the risers had rotted off and some of the infill had shrunk

New risers and aggregate infill

 Clear the stone steps

Overgrown with lots of mulch on the steps 

Cut back encroaching vegetation along the whole stretch

A vast improvement (it is the same path)

Re-seat a rotted off finger post  

The day was going well with just the finger post to do. First job was to remove the old stump. Took about 45 minutes to get out!

...and it rained

 Finally 

 

Pennine Bridleway: Cutting Back

 CROWS have again been contacted to cut back specific sections of the Pennine Bridleway.

Today, David and Kasher cut back the Pennine Bridleway on Blackshaw 094 at Sand Bed. This section is one of the easier ones we are contracted to work on, so it was an ideal task for a 'poor weather forecast' day.

Now that this cut back has been done, it will give an opportunity for local litter pickers to clear away debris from this path. We also cut down lots of the Himalayan Balsam. In the next week or so the remaining plants could easily be cleared before they have had time to set seed.

The Pennine Bridleway at Sand Bed (Blackshaw BW 094)

Before cutting back.

After cutting back (1).

After cutting back (2).

Funding for today's task has come from Lancashire County Council. Many thanks to the Pennine Bridleway team for their support of CROWS and our interest in keeping paths open for all users.

Luddenden-MIdgley; Slack Lane wall and steps

 Slack Lane: slippery-slope steps and heavy-duty walling.

On a day when the threatened, non-stop rain turned out merely to be occasional dampness, Ian S, Andy and Frank H worked at the Western end of Slack Lane to construct a series of steps and to rebuild a wall where a footpath (Sowerby Bridge 008) climbs up from the bridleway (Sowerby Bridge 009).

1. The blue 'pin' marks the worksite: The views are extensive.

Today's work was funded by Luddenden Mayor's Fund. Many thanks for your support.

The detail.

Ian and Andy worked on the steps and occasionally helped Frank who had the heavy lifting task of repairing the vandalised wall top.

The situation before work began was like this :

2. Before: Slippery approach to a wall which
is missing its top tiers of stonework.

The slope has been eroded by heavy rainfall and the determined but slippery efforts of valiant walkers. This footpath and the lower bridleway (which contours around the hillside) are popular and we encountered several groups of walkers and runners during the day. Thank you for your interest and supportive comments.

The capping stones and their support tier of stones had been dislodged to tumble down the hillside. The lighter ones (visible in the picture) could be carried back up to the wall and others could be moved by using straps and the combined effort of the three of us. Unfortunately, three extremely heavy slabs had to be left in the undergrowth as their shape, size and the underfoot conditions made lifting and manoeuvring too hazardous.

Work could begin:

3. Stage 1: four wooden steps already in
place and wall top being levelled
to accept capping stones.

4. Stage 2: More steps in place and, at the wall, capping
stones in place on either side of the stone through-steps

5. At the wall: level surface being created to 
accept more capping stones.

6. Popular path: With care, it's safer to use. 

7. Repairs progress: More capping stones or slabs needed!

8. End result: View of wall from field side.

9. End result: steps leading up to a stable wall.

10. End result: Overall view.

Despite the slippery condition of the slope and (for the wall) a shortage of suitable stone we were pleased with the end result. There is still some work to be done - banking, infill and revetment for part of the steps and a check on stability (and whether a grab pole would be useful) for the wall - but the footpath and wall are now much safer in 'normal use' . . . as several walkers and runners could testify!

More in a week or so . . .  once we have managed to straighten-up!

Midgley - return to the steps below Height Road.

As promised, a team consisting of Paul, Guy, Steve and Angus, returned to complete the flight of steps on a steep, and badly eroded section of this path. From the original blog you will remember that we had two groups out, one working up, from the bottom of the slope, the other working down from the top. Today's task was to complete the final, steep central section. Again, we are extremely grateful to Calderdale Fell Runners, who's kind donation made this work possible.

Area circled in blue identifies the location of the steps.

Two views of the work area: above, looking down the slope, and below, looking up.

 

Again, it was a bit of a trek with materials and equipment to get to the work site but, fortunately, it was drier underfoot and the cattle were no longer grazing. We did, however, have to carry several bags of rubble and earth from a nearby stream to back-fill the steps,as there was very little material close to hand.

Much debate about the size of step risers required - 150 mm or 200 mm . . . decisions! decisions!

Decisions made! Let the back-filling (crazy paving) begin!

Despite the rain, the finished job. Well done team!

Ryburn - A day of catching up.

With five of us out today, we split into two groups, Jak, Jerry and Angus headed back to Longley Lane to continue the backfilling of the path with woodchip, see the update on this work in the original post.

Meanwhile, Lynda and Graham headed along the Riverside path to retrieve a short waymark post which someone thought would do a better job lying in the bottom of the river! After negotiating his way down the riverbank, Graham located the post and took it to the depot to dry out, it will be relocated in the next couple of weeks.

Graham making his way along the riverbed to retrieve the waymark post.

After finishing the clearance of the Balsam on the path above the bowling club, see update on the previous blog for more on this work, we all reconvened at the depot. Armed the necessary equipment to replace a fallen bridleway post, we headed to Smithy Clough Lane above Ripponden. Initially, the job was just to reposition the post to direct riders and walkers up the short link path to the bridleway, off Great House Lane, but, after discovering a second fallen post in the long grass we changed our plans and did a bit more re-purposing.

Location of the replaced posts circled in blue.

The original splinted post to be located.

We had planed to put in the refurbished post at the start of the the link track but, decided the second post would be better located in this position. Having been splinted, the original post was better suited for the start of the bridleway, plenty of rock made the digging tough going but we got there.

The re-purposed post found in the long grass now in place at the start of the track.

Graham ensuring that the original post is well tamped into the ground.

The start of the bridleway now clearly marked with the tall, splinted post.

As we finished off, we were treated to a flypast of two RAF Chinook helicopters, flying up the valley and over Bating's reservoir. They'd come in handy for some of the long carry's we experience across the moors!

Chinook flypast.

All of today's tasks were funded by a number of donations to CROWS through the website, many thanks to all who have donated. By recycling and/or repurposing items such as waymark posts, we are able to reduce cost and extend the life of the original materials.