TODMORDEN - New PRoW off Pudsey Road

 A number of teams were out from Todmorden today, with one team (see below) working on the new PRoW off Pudsey Road and two groups repairing stiles near Cornholme.

1. Duncan and RJ returned to Cornholme to work on the new PRoW (Tod 216) off Pudsey Road. 

CROWS worked last Spring to make this PRoW easier to walk by cutting back the banking and reinforcing the path sides with revetment. We also embedded marker posts, and installed a small seat on a flat section near the end of the route. Additionally, we spent some time removing plastic tree guards from the larger trees at the side of the pathway.

Users of this path have suggested further improvements so today's work was to widen and add revetments at 'pinch' points.

Today's work has been funded by Active Calderdale. Many thanks.

The new PRoW off Pudsey Road.

RJ starting preparation work for the revetments.

Duncan working on the first section of revetment

RJ and the progress of the new revetments.

Ryburn - Footpath above Clough House farm, Krumlin.

After four Spring-like days, the rain returned but fortunately not that much and not for long, so Eleanor, Jak, Jerry and Angus were able to head to Krumlin to rescue an overgrown path which had been reported by a local walker. The path started on the bend near Clough House Farm and headed up the hill to the bridleway, cutting off a nasty bend where Clough House Lane joined Steel Lane and Bank Royd Lane. This work was funded by donations through the CROWS website. A big thankyou to all those whose generosity made this work possible.

Today's work location highlighted in blue. The red circle is where the stile is to be replaced.

There were two jobs to be done - replacing an old stile where the path exited onto the bridleway and cutting back on the lower section through the woods towards Clough House Farm. Eleanor and Jak headed-off armed with shears and loppers to tackle the overgrowth, whilst Jerry and Angus replaced the stile.

The lower section of the path . . . but where is it ??

It must be there somewhere ?

Ironically, the yellow arrow points to the remains of the stile.

After cutting back the brambles, the remnants of the stile were revealed . . . it seemed it was only the tangle of  brambles that was holding it together!

Treadboard in place and a lot safer.

 The finished stile: looking down towards Clough House Farm.

Cutting-back proved challenging for Eleanor and Jak, not so much because of the quantity, but more to do with traversing the sloping ground where the original path was covered in a thick mat of leaf mulch. Having cleared the brambles and overhanging branches, we set about exposing the path and cutting-in some earth steps. These earth structures are temporary. We will put in a number of wooden steps on the steepest sections when we return next week.

Jak and Eleanor get to grips with clearing the path.

And there's the path! Now fully exposed and easy to follow.

Earth steps cut into the bank. These will be replaced with permanent wooden steps.

Hebden Bridge - Wicken Hill steps

 Wicken Hill - steps to the Golf Course boundary or the moor

On a pleasantly warm blue-skied day Ian S and Frank H tackled a junction 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! Today's carry was about 200 m (the record - in a downpour! - held by Frank and Mick is 4.5 km!).

1. The worksite (marked approximately by blue tag)

The Detail.

At the worksite, the path splits into two with the left-hand branch leading directly to the Golf Course Boundary stile and the right-hand branch leading up to the moor.

2. Shortly after work had started. Ian checking
the state of the original steps.

Two steps lead up to the levelled area on which Ian is standing. These steps are adequate but will need replacing. However we judged the best plan for today would be to improve the platform (where Ian is standing) and create the junction for flights of steps - one to the left, and the other to the right immediately behind Ian.

Remains of half-buried old steps appeared. All the risers were rotten (to a pulp in places) but a couple of the stobs were sound and so deeply embedded that extraction was not possible. An hour or two (. . . or three) of strenuous effort later the start of the junction was in place.

3.  Step junction i).

This path is popular. Several walkers (one with a dog) passed by and a sure-footed runner appeared twice either on a circular route or lost!. Meanwhile, overhead, an enthusiastic skylark celebrated the arrival of a definitely Spring-like day.

By the afternoon a couple more steps had been installed and the path edges banked and landscaped.

4. Step junction ii).

Subsequent work parties - probably next month - will replace steps in the foreground (the one shown and one other which is out of shot) and continue building steps upward to left and right until the steep ground is negotiated. This is a reasonably straightforward task but alignment to give a graceful curve and  choice of riser height are critical.

Today's work was funded by 'Picture This', a Hebden Bridge photography group. Many thanks for your support.

HEPTONSTALL - Calderdale Way

 Peter and Rich went to a section of the Calderdale Way above Eaves Wood. The old revetment on the path had rotted away and the path edge was beginning to crumble. We put in a new length of revetment, widened the path and did some cutting back. 

Many thanks to Heptonstall Parish Council for funding this work and to the residents of Sandal House who allowed us to park close by to the work site. 

Banging in the stobs was certainly an upper body work out! A few false starts hit bedrock, but in the end the revetment was well secured. 

 

We will need to keep an eye on this stretch and maybe come back and reinforce more path edges in the future. 

MIDGLEY

 Delph Hill Lane, near Oates Royd Mill

On a superb sunny day, Steve, Andy, Andrew and Paul were cutting back brambles, branches and ivy on Delph Hill Lane a fine cobbled bridleway that leads up from Oats Royd Mill to Pin Hill Lane. In addition, encroaching tree branches and hedging were cut back on a narrow, walled footpath that arced around adjacent fields to reappear lower down on Pin Hill Lane.

Red line indicating work paths.

The work was funded by Midgley Community Forum. Thank you.

Before the cutback

Then after

Cut back and widened.

Higher up:

Before photo

After:

Cut back and widened.

Additional work was cutting overhanging tree branches on the adjacent narrow walled lane:

Branch lopped off!