TODMORDEN - A day of many tasks

 There was a team of seven out from Todmorden today.

The main task of the day was to build a new two-step stile on a fence line crossing Tod 095 above Lydgate.  All of the team carried timber and tools for this work which we delegated to Frank H, Dunstan and Gareth! Please see the separate Blog for their exploits.

After carrying items needed for the stile across an exceptionally slippery hillside, the team of four (Andrew, Catherine, Kasher and Neil Mc) then tried to locate the elusive Tod 095 as it plummeted down the hillside, emerging onto the main Burnley Road immediately opposite Lydgate Post Office. We have cut-back this route and trimmed a path which should make it easier to follow. We are extremely grateful to 'persons unknown' for cutting back the first section of the path - you did an amazing job!

We will need to return to firm up a few yellow-topped posts along this route.

The team then split up with Kasher and Neil Mc going to Cornholme and fettling-up the seat on Pudsey Road. This bench was installed in memory of one of our CROWS colleagues who died in 2020. The wooden seat was sanded down and then given a new coat of wood preservative/stain. It now looks so much better. Sit awhile, admire the views, look at the nearby harebells and remember Gerald King.

Andrew and Catherine travelled to Bridestones to work on an open access stile (between Bridestones and Golden Stones) which had been reported as being slightly loose. The team have firmed-up this stile and levelled the treadboard to make it even easier to use!.

The quartet then met up to finish the cutting back on Tod BW 059 and Tod FP 059 from the 'dinosaur' at Shore to Pitts. We have had two previous work parties on this route and this session completes our work here for this summer. The route is clear and much easier to use. However, if you are walking this way please take some secateurs to cut-back the fast-growing brambles!

Today's work has been jointly funded by Calderdale Highways and by Todmorden Wind Farm through CFFC (Community Foundation for Calderdale). Many thanks.

The path from the main road in Lydgate up towards the new stile.

Stile repairs at Bridestones.

Cutting-back the path between Shore and Pitts.

Cutting-back on Tod 095 above Lydgate:

Catherine clearing the steps at the bottom of Tod 095.

Andrew and Catherine trying to clarify the 
direction of the path.

Cutting back . . .  Andrew and Neil Mc in action.

Brilliant views from this path.

The bench on Pudsey Road

Clearing the vegetation from near Gerald's seat . . .
taking care to avoid the harebells.

The fettled-up seat. The 'wet paint' signs have now been removed!

Sorting out the Bridestones Stile

Andrew: and "where do we start with this??"

Progress has been made. A strengthened upright and
an easier to use stile.

Cutting back between Shore and Pitts

Neil: the final section to be cut back.

The FP to Pitts (before)

The FP to Pitts (after).

The final section of the bridleway now cut-back.

TODMORDEN: Stile building on the slippery slopes above Lydgate

 Lydgate: Steeps paths and a tricky stile

On a multi-working party day. Gareth, Dunstan and Frank H worked in ever-increasing heat to install a stile where the right-of-way (Todmorden 095) crosses a stock fence to drop down to Lydgate (see Map).

1. Worksite marked with blue 'pin'.

 Fortunately, thanks to landowner's permission, we were able to get a vehicle with tools and materials reasonably near to the worksite thereby reducing the carrying distance across awkward slopes. Kasher, Neil Mc, Catherine and Andrew helped with load hauling before diverting to their own tasks. Phew! Thanks.

2. Beasts of burden! . . . but well balanced.

3. Brew time . . . then it's off to our different tasks

The detail.

The right-of-way is clearly signed but any trace of a previous stile had disappeared although the direction is marked with a r-o-w disk. The task therefore was to install a stile to get walkers safely across a well-installed and correctly-tensioned stock fence. 

4. Before: Lovely views . . . here's the stock fence . . . 
. . . but where's the stile!

The plan was to make this virtually a one-step stile on the upslope side and a definite two-step on the downslope with the side-uprights being in the line and plane of the existing stock fence . . . all without removing any of the excellent fence. Here's how the job went:

5. Short side-post hole: 750 mm depth.
"Keep digging, Dunstan!"

6. Taller side-post hole: 900 mm depth. There's
some lee-way, Gareth, if you hit bedrock!

7. Not a snooze: but a full-stretch excavation!

8. Step-leg hole: Heavy bar needed to
break up the impacted rocky ground.

9. Cross-rails: Top and bottom cross-rails
being fixed in place.

10. Fine adjustments: sizing-up the treadboard.

11. Nearly there. Another cross-rail and further
treadboard adjustments.

12. Will it take a load? "Never in doubt" says Frank!

The perspective is deceptive in the final picture. The ground slopes down towards and beyond the stile so walkers coming up hill have a 300 mm step-up on to the first treadboard then another 300 mm step-up onto the second treadboard before a 400 mm swing-of-the-leg over the top rail . . . just as recommended in 'British Standards for Stiles'.

Although working conditions were not ideal - rising temperatures, slippery slopes, hard impacted ground and a slight compromise of build to accommodate the alignment of the stock fencing - we were pleased with the end result. The stile is secure, stable and can certainly take an 85 kg load!

Today's work was paid for by Calderdale Highways. Many thanks.

DODD NAZE ESTATE - High Hirst Walk

Under an agreement with Dodd Naze Community Association (DCA) and the now disbanded Friends of High Hirst Woodmeadow (FOHH), CROWS have undertaken to ensure that the 'High Hirst Walk' - which follows a mostly tarmac path that passes through the woodland from the entrance to the allotments on Manor Drive to some steps down to Wadsworth Lane - will be cut back twice a year.

                                            Entrance to the High Hirst Walk from Manor

                                            Drive on the Dodd Naze Estate

In addition, a permissive path previously opened up and signposted by CROWS which loops round the top of the wood - offering an alternative route when another permissive path up from Sandy Gate through the meadow itself has to be closed after Hay Time when sheep are grazing the 'aftermath' - is included in this agreement.

So, after some delay at the depot when we arrived to find a team of even-earlier birds had already taken some of the tools we'd specially reserved (no names, no pack drill!), Angus, Kasher and Neil D. met with a couple of DCA Volunteers up at Dodd Naze to tackle the extensive overgrowth.

Slowly, paths were cut back and widened, long lost path edges appeared, as did picnic tables and benches which had been completely overgrown with brambles, bracken and the like.

Here are a few typical shots taken 'before'...

 

 

... and 'after':

 

 

  

 

The High Hirst Walk was first opened in 2004, and is a popular and convenient route for local people. It is also well used by the Forest School children who are based at the Community Centre nearby. Towards the end of our work, we even uncovered one of the entrance stones, long lost to the years' cumulative vegetative growth!

Before: 

And after:

                                                   The High Hirst Walk entrance stone sees the light of day again!

Of course, while working along the length of the path, a fair bit of litter was removed too - most commonly the ubiquitous dog poo bags!

                                                        The Commonly Spotted Dog Poo Bag

Residents we met walking the path seemed very pleased, and readily expressed their gratitude at the work we were doing to open up their path again for community use.

Reflecting on our day's work, we left feeling that despite the setbacks and seemingly excessive amount of 'admin' time behind the scenes that was taken in setting up the agreement in the first place, at the end of the day this is really a great example of CROWS working at what it does best. 

P.S. We've plan to return in the autumn, as per our agreement, to tackle this summer's growth again - and have already booked the tools out on the CROWS calendar. Fellow volunteers please note the date: Wednesday, 21st October! 

 

TODMORDEN - Ramsden Wood and Slant Lane

 David and Duncan worked in two different areas near Todmorden today.

Task 1: sorting out some of the revetments on Tod 135 below the Fishing Lake near Ramsden Wood. The problems with these revetments were identified a couple of weeks ago when the team were cutting back on this section of the footpath. We managed to re-use some of the revetment timbers and installed new sections and stobs. 

Today's team then continued the cutting back of this route behind the "new" houses. How can brambles grow so quickly? We will investigate whether we can improve the route down from the fishing lake by adding in new geotextile and some MOT.

Task 2: Cutting back on Slant Lane (Tod 040) from Cross Stone Road towards Little Cornwall. This local path is one we try to clear regularly as it is a well used . . . and also a popular blackberrying route! Thank you to the residents of this area who had already tackled some sections of this footpath.

Many thanks to Todmorden Town Council for providing funds for today's work.

Slant Lane, Cross Stone.

Tod 135 at Ramsden Wood.

Today's revetment work started out like a 
giant game of 'Jenga' or 'Pick-up-Sticks'.

A small amount of fettling, and a new stob, needed here.

Revetments in place and anchored securely with new stobs. 

Now on to tackle the brambles on the second
section of the path.

Slant Lane which gets overrun with brambles, ferns and
Rhododendrons.

Cutting back but trying to leave foxgloves
and flowering plants (even if it's Ragwort) is a real skill!

CRIMSWORTH DEAN

Encouraged by a cooler, misty morning Frank, Ian S, Jan, Paul and Stella headed up Crimsworth Dean to start work on a sort of 'path-botox' project: i.e. starting an uplift of a path which is slowly sliding down the hillside . . .  and in wet weather is lethally slippery. 

The path runs south above Crimsworth Dean Beck towards Hardcastle Crags

There's always kit to carry before we can start

In several places the path needs straightening and levelling.  Today we tackled the worst section, which involved creating a new route through the head-high bracken.  The ground is tinder-dry which made the digging out easier than we expected (although the fire risk is a worry at the moment).

This is the old path, disappearing down the hillside.
 

And this is the high bracken we needed to route the new path through

..

Early stages

Making progress

We started from both ends - a bit like the Channel Tunnel - and with a bit of waving at each other above the bracken we managed to connect up with the existing path further along, past the sagging section.

Here you can see the new path running above the old.

We have "closed off" this section of the old path with piles of cut bracken to encourage walkers onto the new route.  Several people came through today as we were working.  With a bit more footfall the new section will be well compacted.  The camber on this needs a bit more attention in places, and there are other sections to do, so we'll be back, perhaps when the bracken has died back a bit.

We are very grateful to the farmer who let us park by his barn and ferried our tools on his quad-bike to and from a point near the start of the path.  It's a steep hill and that saved us a lot of sweat.

Today's work was funded by donations to CROWS. These are hugely appreciated. Thank you.