Midgley; Revetment work on footpath above Chapel Lane

 Midgley: Coal Dyke revetment

The footpath (see map) that is a continuation of Chapel Lane, traverses the gorse and heather slope above Coal Dyke (shown on older maps as Coal Dike). CROWS have done much work over the years to keep this footpath open and today's tasks were to install new revetment where the path was collapsing and to re-instate a section that needed the existing revetment stabilising.

1. Coal Dyke: The blue pin marks the area where improvements were made.

The day for Ian S, Paul and Frank H started with the sight of an inversion layer (where warmer air acts like a 'cap' to trap cooler denser air) . . .

2. Upper Calder Valley inversion layer.

The session began with a carry - revetments, stobs, tools and personal gear had to be ferried up a rough track and an even rougher path to the working area - before a day of 'heavy hitting' could begin.

The Detail:

Spoiler alert: The before and after pictures will appear at this point. This narrowed path is collapsing because the up-slope gorse and heather have encroached to force walkers more and more towards the unprotected down-slope edge.

BEFORE:

3. Path before: Yes it is there! -  just to
the right of the clump of gorse!

AFTER: 

The day's work was to cut-back vegetation, widen the path to get 'working room', install revetments then further widen and backfill the path's tread area to give . . . .

4. Path afterwards: A lot of effort need to get this!

DURING: This is how the day went:

5. Narrow path with collapsed edges revealed.

6. Vegetation on L cut back: First section of revetment
being fitted but further widening still to do.

7. More alignment; revetment in place
and 'stobs' being hammered home!

8. Further up the path: Existing revetment re-'stobbed'
and the path widened.

9. All braced and stable? Then the long 'stobs'
can be hammered into place.

10. End of session i) Down-path view of new
revetment, and the widening is underway.

11. End of session ii) Up-path view of new
revetment and cleared path.

This was an energy sapping session. Heather was tough, gorse was prickly, ground was stony, stobs were prone to drifting out of the vertical . . . but, at least, it didn't rain until the final half-hour of the day!

There is further work to be done on this path. Certainly more cutting-back and perhaps one or two steps but for now it is easily passable.

PENNINE WAY - Heptonstall Moor

A team of four took a long trek in wellies up from Clough Hole car park. Two major sections of drainage (identified on the 2025 survey) needed sorting. This work was funded by a partnership between Natural England and Calderdale Council Highways. 

Before - two clean volunteers standing in the pool across the path,  After - no pool but two somewhat grimy volunteers!

 

The first job was to deal with the Clough Head Bullion stream that was running across the path and creating a pool. A channel was dug out to allow the water to drain, the top side deepened and some of the flags were re-laid. 

Then on to Clough Head Hill where the flagged path was frequently under water. Both sides were dug out and an exit channel created. 
 

Making a plan

Getting stuck in 1

Getting stuck in 2

Before and after

RYBURN - Off Longley Lane

 Today we worked on a stile on a path that links Longley Lane to New Longley Lane. A team comprising Carla, Jerry, Rich and Jak turned out in the rain which thankfully abated.

Location of stile

First we took down a very old and rotten stile.

Old stile

The ground was very stony because of being on two old wall lines so it was hard work to create the holes for the primary stile posts. This done we then made further holes for the two steps.

Steps and treadboards in place

Work in progress, it must be lunchtime soon

We were delighted to meet the owner of the field and after lunch we finished off and tidied up. We will return to do a little more work to the side of the stile. 

Topping out ceremony

This work was made possible by donations to CROWS. Very many thanks for the support.

Todmorden - Path Clearing - Scaitcliffe Woods

RJ, Duncan & Catherine set out to clear the path through Scaitcliffe Woods on the day before the 2026 UKA Fell & Hills Relays. With hundreds of runners from all over the country due to take part they needed to clear the leaves, acorns and beech nuts to make the path safe. CROWS previously worked on the path last year replacing rotten steps and installing many more so there was plenty of brushing required.

Today’s work was funded by Todmorden Town Council. Thank you.

This is the path the team worked on today.

The wet leaves on the stone
steps make them slippery.

RJ & Duncan set to work with
spades and brushes.

Easier to run up now!

More clearing needed here.

This is a section we worked on last year.

RJ removes the thick carpet of
beech nuts higher up the path.

Catherine working on the lower section.

This step was wobbly so RJ & Duncan
packed in stone to steady it.

The beech nuts gone.

All ready for the race!

Ryburn - Return to Birks Lane.

As promised on last week's blog, Linda, Jerry and Angus returned to Birks Lane to work on the access from the stile onto the road. As predicted, the previous day's rain had made the slope treacherous.

Initially, we considered building stone steps, but the lack of suitable materials made this a non-starter, so we opted for wooden risers secured by lengths of rebar. As with last week's work, this was funded by Ryburn Parish Council, to whom we are extremely grateful.

Blue circle at Birks Lane is where the steps were constructed.

 

No steps! Just a slippery slope. After an hour, things are looking a lot safer!

With such stony ground, using wooden stobs was a non-starter, using rebar which can be hammered into the ground, forcing its way between the stones, gives a strong anchor which can be stapled to the step risers. While Linda and Angus set-to with the steps, Jerry repaired parts of the wall above the steps removing and repositioning a number of loose stones.

The finished job, complete with a yellow-topped grab post (which 

will also serve to alert road users).

We then went to the top of the path where we had previously built a stile (generously paid for by the landowner, Mr Ian Boulger). There was a second job to be done on his land (marked by the other blue circle on the previous map) where a crossing point through/over a wall/fence takes the path into some woodland towards Cottonstones.

On inspection, we discovered that the treadboard and one of the step-legs had rotted through; the wall was in poor condition and the fence posts were only held in place by the stock fence!

A tricky crossing, fraught with challenges.

After discussion with Mr Boulger, we decided that as there was no stock in the adjoining fields (and it was unlikely there would be) the best solution was to cut a gap in the fence and rebuild the wall but with an access gap. 

Linda started cutting back the overgrown vegetation to get some light on the job, whilst Jerry and Angus assessed the best way to dismantle the existing structure. 

Angus considers the options for this wall/fence/stile conundrum.

 

Decisions made! Linda and Jerry get to grips with rebuilding the decrepit wall.

We left an original post in place as it was ideally positioned for waymarks. The gap in the wall soon took shape, new posts were embedded, the fence tensioned and fixed to the posts. In the future, if the fields are to be restocked, it would be simple enough to fit a gate or a stile into this gap.

The weather was considerably calmer than last week, though when it did rain, Mr Boulger brought us very welcome cups of coffee! Hooray!

Another satisfying day's work completed.