Ryburn - Path clearing above Bar Lane.

 October the 5th and it still feels like Summer! Well almost - apart from the drizzle - as the sun did come out . . . but after we'd finished!

Carla, Chloe (new volunteer), Jerry and Angus firstly headed along the A58 to  Cairnwood Drive, at the end of which was the badly overgrown footpath that leads down to Bar Lane. 

This footpath has been visited by CROWS on several occasions but, yet again, despite some work by local householders, it was almost impassable.

Path off Cairnwood Drive is highlighted on the right of the map, the bridleway on the left. 

  

The path as we found it. You can just see Chloe disappearing into the overgrowth!

Carla and Jerry started from the top and Chloe and Angus worked from the bottom. Despite previous annual clearing, brambles, nettles, bindweed, ivy and various other shrubs had taken over. 

After a couple of hours the path reappeared and we were able to remove the majority of the cuttings to expose steps and a cleared thoroughfare.

Path clearance completed, steps cleaned and overhanging branches trimmed.

Chloe brought homemade flapjacks for elevenses - yum!!

Having completed this in good time, we headed to the bridleway which links the A58 with Bar Lane. Work (which is done annually) to cut back the overgrowth started on this bridleway a couple of weeks ago but while it looks to have had use by walkers, there wasn't much evidence of horse riders or mountain bikers taking this route which would help keep the growth under control.

The bridleway cleared and ready to welcome 2-footed, 4-hooved and 2-wheeled users.

Despite the rain at the end of the shift, we managed to get a lot done. The opening up these two routes from the busy A58 to other walks around the dams, along the Riverside path and up towards Scammonden reservoir gives plenty of options for the local community. 

A big thankyou to Ripponden Parish Council for funding this work.

TODMORDEN - Mankinholes Fingerposts

A day for fingerpost aficionados, as Duncan, Gareth & Neil B spent the day erecting or repairing a series of fingerposts around Mankinholes.

We started with a new fingerpost off Woodhouse Road providing directions up the hill towards Mankinholes.  Our second post was a replacement for a rotten fingerpost at the top of the same path on Mankinholes Tops on the way to Cross Lane.  Number 3 was a new “flag” (the correct term for the “finger” of the fingerpost bearing the words Public Footpath or destination of the footpath) for an existing post on the same path just off Cross Lane.  Number 4 was a replacement fingerpost on Upper Shaw Wood Road, replacing a post lost when the adjacent wall was demolished by a careless driver some months before!  This last post sits at the top of an attractive flight of stone steps leading down into Deep Clough which we cleared of vegetation a few weeks ago

Today’s work was funded by Todmorden Town Council.  Thanks as always to all those who support our work.

Neal with his arm down the post hole to the required depth

Post number one

Post number two

Post number three, pointing to the rainbow's end

Duncan & Neil sensibly not stepping back to admire their work

Post number four

The steps & path down into Deep Clough

TODMORDEN - Various

 There were three teams out from Todmorden today:

Team 1: Duncan, Gareth and Neil B were installing three new fingerposts in the area and fettled up a couple of flags (on marker posts below Mankinholes) which were rather hard to read. See separate Blog.

Team 2: Neil Mc and Richard A were working up near Hartley Royd (beyond Shore Green) to improve ease of access to two stile on Tod 049 - one near Ridgegate Farm and the second one further down the path towards Back Wood. They also re-erected some of the short yellow topped posts which mark the route of the Fielden Trail. These posts seem to have a habit of uprooting themselves and throwing themselves into nearby patches of soft rush! Mmm! . . . 

Team 3: Catherine and Kasher replaced the small boardwalk near Flailcroft on Tod 082 (which we checked a couple of weeks ago) and then went to survey a nearby stile on Tod 102 (which is the footpath which runs parallel to Stones Lane and Bacup Road). It is a stile we hope to replace in the next couple of weeks.

Many thanks to Todmorden Town Council for funding today's tasks and for the various landowners who have supported the work of CROWS.

The blue "pin" marks the location of one of today's stiles.

The blue "pin" marks the location of the replaced boardwalk.

Team 2:

The very high stile leg which certainly does not conform
to British Standards.

New legs being added. Please note that the footpath 
beyond the stile is rather narrow due to the conifers
on the RHS.

The new legs and treadboard now in place. Getting 
over the stile may be a little easier!

The two step stile with the two legs braced.

Team 3:

Removing the existing short boardwalk. The stringers
were not in bad condition but the majority of the 
cross-treads were rotten.

The basic framework of the boardwalk now in position and
being checked.

Catherine with the first of the cross-treads
being added.

The boardwalk nearing completion. We will return to 
add in the trim at the edge of the boardwalk. 

We had a visitor: a fast moving woolly caterpillar.

 A convenient place for lunch and cake!

MIDGEHOLE - fallen tree on path to the Blue Pig

The tree team went to deal with tree branches which had fallen across the path. The branches were all cut back so the path is now easily passable. The main trunk that had fallen (but not blocking the path) seems secure, but if necessary we will deal with it on our next tree-sorting day. 

 Nearby to the tree a low point on the path has become very muddy, so we have earmarked this to be sorted in the next couple of months 

TODMORDEN - Near Stones

David and Kasher returned to Tod 102, which is the footpath which runs parallel to Stones Lane and Bacup Road, to sort out the legs and treadboard on a stile.

The one-step stile is far from aesthetically pleasing but more importantly the legs were rotten and in need of replacement. One leg was positioned extremely close to a large stone gatepost and we had hoped to move the leg and treadboard to be more central. Unfortunately very large, deeply embedded stones which may have been wall footings (or even a built up track between the gateposts) prevented us from doing so.

The treadboard on this one-step stile is slightly higher than we would have liked but the stile itself is easy to use. We may return to sort out the mixture of rails and posts that comprise this stile.

After dealing with this stile, we carried timbers to a stile on Tod 080 which we hope to fettle up on Friday. This path runs between Todmorden Edge North and Dyke Green Barn.

Many thanks to the two landowners who have been most supportive in working with CROWS to improve these stiles.

Thanks too to Todmorden Town Council for continuing to fund CROWS to carry out footpath and bridleway maintenance in the Todmorden area.

The blue "pin" marks the location of the stile on Tod 102.

We hope to be able to repair this stile on Friday.

The stile  before.... note how close to the stone gatepost
the treadboard is positioned.

The rotten stile leg.

The legs were certainly well packed!

New legs in position.

David sorting out one of the stile legs.

The new legs and treadboard in position.

The stile to be repaired on Friday.