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 lots of 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 slippy.

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.

Todmorden - Walsden - Blackshaw Head - Cornholme - Marker Posts

Mick, Catherine & Richard A tackled jobs around Todmorden on a very wet Friday morning. The weather did gradually improve as the day went on. The trio resurrected three marker posts. Firstly on the path just after the hairpin bend on Allescholes Road. Then on to Blackshaw Head near Great Rock on a path below the Full of Joy animal sanctuary. And finally at Cornholme on the steep path above Monkroyd.

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

Site of Job 1

Site of Job 2

Site of Job 3

This footpath post on Allescholes Road
needed to be reinstated.

Richard A admiring the finished job.

Then it was on to Blackshaw Head and
 a very muddy walk to the site!

Richard A with another reinstated marker post.

Then on to sunny Cornholme and a
steep hill to climb for the last job. 

The team got to admire a stunning view
with a tiny Stoodley Pike.

Mick and Richard A with the final post in place.

We'd noticed the stile above Monkroyd was a bit
slippery so Catherine knocked in some staples.

Ryburn - Stile replacement off Birks Lane.

A wet and windy Friday saw Eleanor, Linda, Jerry and Angus head up to a footpath leading off Birks Lane above Mill Bank, where it was considerably blustery . . . and very wet! 

Spirits undampened (unlike our clothing) we unloaded tools and materials and started work clearing the entrance to the path off the lane. The jobs were to make the entrance to the path more accessible, replace the stile and do further cutting back at the start of a second path near Bowood Farm. We are grateful to Ripponden Parish Council whose funding allowed this work to be done. Thank you.

The blue circles show today's work locations.

Battling the strong wind and scything rain, Eleanor and Linda set about cutting back the overgrowth at the edge of the lane, whilst Jerry and Angus started to dismantle the old stile and connecting fence. The wind made keeping the cut material under control a challenge and as Jerry and Angus started digging holes for the new posts, the dry earth was whipped up by the wind so they were soon cover in a thin film of mud.

Two views of the stile to be replaced. The images don't really show how wet and windy it was.

Starting work to clear the entrance to the path and to improve sightlines.

Linda in full "step clearing" mode.

Unfortunately, once cleared, the lower section of steps was found to be non-existent!

Once most of the old stile timbers had been removed, we dug out the rotten bases of the posts and set about measuring up the available space in order to fit a single-step stile and dog gate. With a very old fence strainer concreted into the ground at one side, and a crumbling wall at the other side, it was going to be a tricky fit! 

Fortunately the digging was fairly easy (if a bit dusty) and we soon got the basic stile structure as we wanted.

Jerry, rigged for foul weather, positioning the treadboard supports.

After clearing the vegetation, Eleanor and Linda headed along to Bowood Farm to fit new waymarks and attack a section of footpath overgrown with nettles. The remainder of this path is clear and follows the field wall down to Mill Bank. 

Just as we were finishing, the weather started to clear and the warm breeze that replaced the rain soon dried us out.

Linda checking the stile and the action of the dog-gate.

Angus fitting a CROWS information plaque.

The finished job . . .  now with blue sky and glorious sunshine!

 Despite the weather, this was a successful day but we will need to return and sort out the missing steps that should lead down to the lane. If you are walking this route, take care when exiting onto the lane (especially if it is wet) as the lack of steps makes this section quite slippery.

Wadsworth: Parrock Lane; Tricky stile!

 Parrock Lane: heavy going for a complicated stile

On a day when threatened rain was replaced by blue skies. light clouds, gentle breezes and ideal temperatures Paul and Frank joined by Kris (for the morning) and by Jan (for most of the day) worked at a 'cross-roads' of paths (all described as Wadsworth 028). See map.

Today's work is being funded by the landowner. Many thanks.

1.Worksite location: A stile in a wall corner

The views from the worksite were magnificent:

2. Panorama: Pasture, settlements, redundant mill chimney,
woodlands and distant moors.

The original stile was built over a railed-off wall corner where stone steps gave access through a drystone wall. The stile and rails had seen hard times and looked like this:

3. The old stile: collapsed rails, rotten step-leg,
unstable treadboard and a decayed strainer
post doubling as a rail post.

The sequence of tasks was to:

i) install a post to act as a right-hand support for new cross-rails.

ii) decided on the best position of new step legs and install them.

iii) add treadboards so the higher board was level with one of the stone steps.

iv) fix cross-rails at appropriate heights.

v) install an extra vertical support for the cross-rails and a high-step side grab pole..

vi) landscape and tidy the approaches.

Mmm! Lots to do here . . . and extremely difficult ground conditions. Time to flex muscles and crank up physical efforts to a maximum!

The Detail.

4. Hole for new right-hand post.

This simple task gave immediate problems. Immovable rock limited the depth of the hole so the post had additionally to be secured to the wall with hex-head screw and rawlplug.

5. Quality control?: "What no oats?" 
One of several curious but friendly horses.

6. Decisions! Decisions! Will four
legs and two treadboards fit?

7. Heavy digging.
Problem: Massive stonework just below the surface.
Solution: Batter with bar, stone-chisel & lump hammer

Some time later:

8. Progress: step-legs being positioned.

9. Two legs in place and braced but  . . .
. . . more resistant rock!

10. Cross-rail time: Cutting to length to fit wall batter.

11. Lower cross-rail in place. Awkward
perspective but it is 'spot-on' horizontal.

12. End result: Two-step, three-rail stile with grab pole. (Note extensive decay in right-hand
strainer post which originally doubled as the stile side-post!)

13. Testing! Testing!

This was a long and tiring session but perseverance prevailed. The stile is safe, secure and easily negotiated. Minor tweaks can be made if necessary but it has the twin essentials of being horse resistant and pedestrian friendly . . . and there's always the view to admire . . .

14. Panorama: Wonderful view but . .  .
"Is that old mill chimney on the lean?"

More next week once we have recovered!