Hebden Bridge: Erringden Dick's Lane

 Dick's Lane - boardwalks in the sun!

On a ideal, blue-skied South Pennine day, a team of six CROWS (Stella, Jan, Andy, Nic, Neil B and Frank) carried out boardwalk replacement and stabilising work on a stretch of path (Erringden 012) that is part of a popular route for the ascent to or descent from Stoodley Pike.

This boardwalk job was funded by Calderdale Highways who have the unenviable tasks of monitoring Calderdale's massive and intricate  rights-of-way network.

1. East (ish) of the Pike: the blue 'pin' marks the work area

The detail:

Preliminaries:

Earlier in the week, Stella and Frank moved (in Stella's car) all the prepared timbers from the Mytholmroyd depot to Lower Rough Head Farm.

2. It's a full boot . . .

3. . . . and a full roof!

From the farm, it was loaded into a trusty Landrover and transported to Swillington then up (on ever rougher tracks) to the worksite.

4. Loaded Landrover: Stringers, bearers, stobs,
cross-treads, kickboards and oddments!

5. At the site: timbers under cover. Perhaps as well -
the rain the following day was torrential!

Two days later, the work gang with a heavy load of tools and fixings met at Swillington where once again Lower Rough Head provided transport up to Dick's Lane. Many, many thanks to the owners for this invaluable help - it saved us hours of carrying!

6. Safely delivered! Many thanks.

The detail:

The lengths of boardwalk on this right-of-way have had heavy use over the past 10 years. The structure is on a popular walking route and (even though it is designated as a footpath and not a bridleway)  has seen much use by mountain bikers. Consequently, the following has happened:

i)  one section of boardwalk is broken in half! Mmm!  (complete replacement needed).

ii) three sections are unstable (improved underpinning, replacement of cross-treads, levelling and additional stobs needed)

The work begins:

7. Broken boardwalk: End section missing
and the rest collapsed into the bog.

8. Out with the broken boardwalk:
some cross-treads will be reused.

9. Out with the old stobs (the anchoring
stakes for the old boardwalk).

The new boardwalk takes shape. It'll have a similar design to the old one so some timbers can be recycled and will consist of two parallel stringers, evenly spaced cross-treads, substantial bearers, kickboards and anchoring stobs.

10. "Is it stable? Will it take a load?" 
"Never in doubt!"

11, Well on the way: Cross-treads will
be a mixture of old and new.

12. Break time: Yummy! Courtesy of Jan.
A welcome 'sugar rush'! Thank you.

13. Repair work: Levelling up, re-stobbing
and then replacing rotten cross-treads.

14. Support work: Sagging stringers re-aligned on
stone and timber piers. Extra long stobs
embedded to reduce boardwalk bounce!

This was an enjoyable and successful day. The weather was finer than the pictures suggest. Stoodley Pike had numerous visitors many of whom expressed interest in and thanks for CROWS' work.

For the tasks, we worked (in the main) as two groups with Andy and Frank constructing then installing the new boardwalk while Stella, Neil, Jan and Nic levelled, stabilised and repaired the other sections. Neil enjoyed his first session with CROWS . . . and will back for more!

                                   (Other pictures will be added as they become available)

TODMORDEN.... Cutting back . . .and the gate saga continues

 Thankfully it was a bright and dry day! There were two teams out from Todmorden:

Team 1.  Duncan and Ken:  returned to the gate on Todmorden 034  (below Stoodley Glen), to try to rehang a gate and to fit both a closure spring and a new latch bar.

Team 2, Kasher and RJ: continued the task of cutting back overgrown footpaths. This time we worked on Tod 007 (below Great Rock/Devil's Rock) in a beautiful, sunken walled-lane with fantastic views to the Pike (and a reliable source of very good blackberries). Today, we even met a few walkers on this path - a rare occurrence!

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

The location of the problematic gate on Tod 034. 

The blue "pin" marks the location of today's cutting back.

Team 1:

The fettling of this gate seems to be causing a few problems. The strong spring which had been fitted meant that the gate was very hard to open; one of the hinges of the gate had broken; the latch bar appears either not to have been fitted or has been broken off and one of the side uprights for this gate was not vertical . . . an interesting mix of problems.

Our challenge was to sort out the gate so that it could easily open; could self-close by means of a correctly fitted spring, and could be latched.

We have made some progress but we will need to return to complete the task! At least there is a gate in place and a hanging loop for people to use to secure the gate. We will be back (soon)!!

Team 2:

We continued cutting back overgrown paths, this time on Tod 007. We will need to  return to cut back the badly overgrown section of path which descends into Common Bank Wood. 

Thankfully the blackberries on the upper section of the path had all finished . . . so we have not deprived people or birds of their annual bramble fix!

Team 1:

The original gate closure spring.

The gate in need of TLC.

The broken bottom hinge now removed.

The gate upright which is not vertical.

The gate in position and with a closure loop. We
will be back to complete this task.

Team 2:

The top of the path, before...

and after.

We have tried to cut back to the walls in places
where the brambles were taking over.

But tried to leave the small oaks which were present.

The route will be easier to walk once the vegetation
has dried. There were lots of trip hazard brambles.

Good views across to the Pike and Sunderland Pasture, where another 
CROWS team were working today.

WADSWORTH - OLD TOWN

 Link Path to Wadsworth Community Centre Old Town

Ginny and Paul were out today in Old Town village repairing fencing on a stretch of footpath (Wadsworth 075) that runs between Westfield Housing Estate and the site of the Community Centre Community Garden. The line of fencing on the side of the Community Garden had sagged outward narrowing the footpath. Four new posts were installed to stablise and secure this bowed section. In addition, time was spent clearing this pathway and the permissive pathway that goes to the rear of the Community Centre.

This work was funded by Wadsworth Parish Council - thank you!

Site map showing said pathways in red.

First task - putting in the posts:

The "bowed" fence line.

This wooden fence has seen better days and we have been here before to install three posts at the foreground end of this photo. The fence's general decay has been exacerbated by heavy items stacked against it by previous garden users. Ideally it needs replacing (though the cost will be high) so today's  intervention may be temporary.

Ginny 'finishing off' by trimming the post tops.

We dug in four new posts and fixed them to the existing 'wobbly' ones. Following this, Paul cleared the mulch off the flagged pathway.

Straight as a die and exceptionally tidy!

Meanwhile, Ginny cleared the overgrown flagged pathway that leads to the back of the community centre.

Overgrown

Grassy turfs and other smaller plants were cleared from the flagstones and the hedgerow was cut back.

That's better!

A good effort today in the sunshine!

Finished!

CRAGG VALE - Broad Head

 A stile repair in Broad Head today. Jerry and Rich from the Ripponden team came over to Cragg Vale to help Andy with the job. We replaced 2 steps on the stile as the existing ones were loose and starting to rot.

We also installed a markerpost and surveyed 3 other jobs nearby.

The work was funded by the Cragg Vale community 

BLACKSHAW HEAD: Flying the flag for CROWS

 Blackshaw Head Fete

The Blackshaw Head Fete was held in the fields next to the Chapel and, as usual, was a delightful community event. The conditions, blustery at first, became calmer and sunnier as the day wore on. 

1. Banner in the breeze!

Teams of CROWS prepared display items, transported these and the gazebo up to the fete site, erected the gazebo, assembled the displays, ran the stall, sorted out the dismantling and eventually re-stored all the items back at base. Thanks to the twelve CROWS who took part.

2. The Gazebo . . . on only its second 'outing': Well anchored against the blustery conditions.

Positioned in the lower field, just below the 'Circus Skills Paddock', with 'Stone Carving' on one side and the 'Traditional Oak Structures' on the other, the CROWS stall had a steady stream of visitors all day. Our tasks were discussed (thank you for the praise!) and perceptive interest shown in the logistics of our work days, the funding mechanisms and the opportunities to get involved. We might have an influx of new volunteers in the next month or so. Mmm! Given the long term forecast, we hope they like mud!

3. Five minutes before the start: "Is that a rush of visitors, I see? " . . .

4. . . . "They are on their way, but for the moment it's me again! Elsie!
Your exuberant Lakeland Terrier-Collie cross towing my favourite
human around the field. It's hard work! Where's my biscuit?"

5. . . . and the visitors arrive.

Overall, the day was most enjoyable. Nothing blew away . . . or down . . . or  over . . . or even up! The individual display pictures and the photo 'story-lines' stayed firmly 'blu-tacked' to the display boards. The gazebo, easier to dismantle than to erect, fitted neatly back into its carrying bag and, with no hint of rain, all could be stored away without the problem of having to dry everything. Phew!

More next week when a damaged boardwalk on Dick's Lane below Stoodley Pike needs some repairs. Unfortunately, the damage may not have been due to normal wear and tear. 😢