TODMORDEN : Stiles and cutting back

 There were two teams out today from Todmorden . . . .  and who said it was not going to rain??

Team 1: (Andrew, Neil and Sean) went out with a list of potential jobs but concentrated on the particularly energy and time consuming priority task of repairs to a stile on Tod 082 above Scaitcliffe Wood. This work was funded by Todmorden Harriers. Many thanks.

Team 2: (Catherine, Gareth and Kasher) helped with the carry of the tools and timber for Team 1 and then went on to cut back on Tod 009 and Tod 033. (Tod 009 had been 'flagged" on the OS app as being "blocked"). 

Today's work was funded by Todmorden Town Council. Many thanks for your continued support. See the separate blog for this work party.

Team 1:

The stile is on Leg 4 of the Todmorden Harriers' organised UKA Fell and Hill Relay Championships which are due to be held in October 2026. CROWS had been asked to fettle up this stile which had one very rotten leg and, consequently, a loose treadboard.

On closer inspection, it was decided to replace both of the legs and add a new treadboard. The original legs were sections of old telegraph pole and were VERY deeply embedded . . . . the team of three spent a considerable time removing the legs and just about as much time hunting for stone to repack the new legs. We considered making this a two-step stile but eventually decided to "just" replace the existing legs, treadboard and cross-rails. As well as this, we:

• cut back the over-hanging tree, 
• added in a take-off stone on the woodland side of the stile,
• secured the sheep netting (at the side of the stile) which seemed to have been lifted to allow dogs through (but also, unfortunately, allowing lambs to escape),
• covered the barbed wire at the side of the stile,
• added staples to the treadboard. 

The blue "pin" marks the location of today's stile repairs.

The rickety stile before . . . on a sunny day.

The rotten stile leg.

Andrew wondering why . . . !

The telegraph pole "leg" removed - leaving a large 
cavity to fill.

The "who can look the wetter" competition.
Neil Mc and Andrew with a stile more open than usual!

The competed stile: looking uphill.

A slightly wider view of the stile, showing the barbed wire 
protection, the take-off stone, the repositioned sheep netting
and the stapled treadboard.

LUDDENDEN: Operation bridleway!

 Bridleway, St Mary's Church, Luddenden Village

Stella, Ian S and Paul were out today cutting back an overgrown bridleway that runs parallel and above St Mary's Church cemetery. This overgrown stretch of pathway had prompted an urgent referral to CROWS as bikers and walkers had started to use a lower footpath that went through the graveyard!

Red line indicating pathway.

The work was funded by Luddenden Civic Society - thank you.

Entrance to the Bridleway.

The path had become overgrown with shrubs, young saplings and bramble:

Overgrown

Stella and Paul began cutting back the 'near end' by the War Memorial while Ian tackled a drainage problem at the 'far end'.

Stella - sterling work with shears!

Meanwhile, Ian contended with a blocked drain and lots of mulch:

muddy mulch

There's a drain in there somewhere!

After extensive cutting back and widening of the path, we met in the middle!:

All hands to the task

Ian dug out a silted-up drainage channel coming from the banking so that water could flow down to the cleaned out drain. Hopefully, this will stop water encroaching on the path although during high levels of rainfall there may still be some overspill. We'll keep an eye on this and return if necessary.

Drain channel cleared.

We had a very nice lunch sat on one of the church benches!

Artisan bread sandwiches...

Ian saw a kingfisher dart downriver but it was too quick for a photo!

Path widened and cleared.

We waymarked each end of the path to help keep path users on the correct route.

A good day's work!

TODMORDEN - Grey Stone Lane. Cutting Back

 A team of four was needed today to tackle the rampant vegetation on Grey Stone Lane (Tod 011).  David, Jan, Kasher and RJ cut back along this route from Mount Pleasant to Greystone Farm. We would be interested to know if anyone has walked this path in the last few months . . . if so you deserve a medal! We intend to cut-back this route MUCH earlier next year.! However, if anyone want a challenge of ridding a section of countryside of Himalayan Balsam this may be one for you.

One extremely useful thing about cutting back at this time of the season is that it gives much easier access to the blackberries which are growing in abundance along the top stretch of this path.

When you walk this route, take care as some of the ditches and turn-bys are hard to spot. We will return here in the autumn to have a blitz on the ditches but we are unable to do this until the vegetation dies back a little.

Today's work was funded by Todmorden Town Council. Many thanks for your continuing support to keep the footpaths and bridleways of this area open and useable.

The blue "pin" marks the footpath which we worked on today: Grey Stone Lane.

The bottom of the footpath . . . before.

Near the bottom of the footpath . . . after.

The cleared middle section of the path.

RJ getting to grips (literally) with the Himalayan 
Balsam.

Jan on tree cutting duties.

Balsam, bracken, ferns and brambles . . . bliss?

A pathway cleared through the vegetation. Not 
perfect but much easier to negotiate.

Hebden Bridge: Dodd Naze & Machpelah

J

 HEBDEN BRIDGE - 2 jobs today completed by Andy, Kris and new volunteer Chloe on her first day out with CROWS. 

Our first job was adding 3 steps to a slippery slope in Dodd Naze. These fitted between some stone steps we discovered while digging out for the new steps.

The second job was some cutting back and stile repair in Machpelah (on the Burnley Road between Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd). We replaced the broken bottom treadboard and added an extra step to make it easier to get onto the stile. 

TODMORDEN - the cutting back continues

 Duncan and Kasher returned to Stile Lane (Tod 028) and Tod 029 (off Ashenhurst Road) to cut back the rampant vegetation and, on Stile Lane, to secure the fence at the top of the ginnel/snicket as it enters the field. The entrance to the field is through the gap stile at the side of the fence. We hope to work with the landowner to improve the access from the ginnel to the field whilst preventing the landowner's cattle from coming down from the field.

We also took the opportunity to look at some of the willows which we planted earlier in the year, many of which seem to have taken well. We also returned to the drainage issues in this area and will need to work with the Council to try to sort out some of these problems before the winter storms.

Many thanks to the person/people who have cut back some of the vegetation on Tod 029. Your work was really appreciated and made our job slightly easier.

Today's work has been funded by Todmorden Town Council. Many thanks for your continuing support.

The blue "pin" marks the area off Ashenhust Road where we were cutting back
vegetation . . . and admiring our planted willows!

The gate which is at the end of the ginnel off Stile Road. The entrance 
to the field is through the narrow gap stile on the LHS of the gate.

Vegetation taking over the path.

Duncan cutting back brambles, roses and bamboo; escapees
from the adjacent garden.

We have tied the gate into position but will try
to replace it as a matter of urgency.

The path should be easier to walk now!

The sign which we put up in April
about the planting of the willow.

The path . . . in desperate need of a haircut!

Brambles and bracken now cut back.

Many of the willow planted in April seem to be thriving.