CROWS (Community Rights Of Way Service)

Thursday, 13 November 2025

Wadsworth

Calderdale Way: Slackhouse Lane / Wainsgate

Duncan and Paul were out today attending to some drainage work on the CW. This was a revisit to some earlier work undertaken on this site with the aim of shoring up revetment where water erosion was starting to undercut the sides of the drainage channel. The weather forecast initially lived up to the days forecast - Pennine mizzle shrouding the hilltops, but an unexpected downpour at noon exacerbated work conditions but was very revealing! We saw at first hand the torrent of water pouring off Slackhouse Lane into the drainage channel we had dug. After this heavy deluge and lunch, sheltering in the car, we managed to finish off the work and had time to sort out an additional problem downhill toward Shawcroft where the water had come over the banking onto the footpath.

site map

Work funded by Wadsworth Parish Council - thank you!

Duncan fitting new boarding.

Then came the rain!

The River running off the road!

The channel put to good use:

It works!

We completed adding extra revetment under the existing lengths fixed with metal pegs.

Job completed

It is difficult to see the new installed timbers from this photo but this work will ensure a more robust drainage channel.

Banking of channel further down the path.

MYTHOLMROYD - Nab End stiles

Luckily for us it was a fine day so a team consisting of Jerry, Angus, Graham, Andy and Jak were out at Nab End next to the disused quarry. Nab End is south of Mytholmroyd and east of Cragg Vale.

Location

Initially we split into two groups. Angus and Jak to work on repairing a stile and Jerry, Graham and Andy on deconstructing a decrepit ladder stile and constructing a new stile. Both sites were challenging in different ways, the repair stile was very wet and the new stile was very stony, being right next to spoil from the old quarry.

Very wet conditions for putting in a new step

Stile repaired, with a lovely view towards Mytholmroyd

The five of us continued with the work on digging out post holes and installing the new stile. We re-used some timber where possible. The ground was a serious challenge.

The old ladder stile, always much quicker to take a stile down than put one up

Starting to get the posts in position

Checking the level

We took a short break for lunch in the Millennium sculpture garden which is located just beyond the old quarry and is a very peaceful, contemplative place to spend some time.

Millennium sculpture garden

Back at the stile, we finished off by putting in support posts to assist climbing the stile and by tidying up the fence. We managed to evade the rain so a good day all round.

Finishing off

A happy crew!

This work was funded by donations to CROWS. We are very grateful for all the support for our work.

Wednesday, 12 November 2025

TODMORDEN: Bridestones Moor: 'Driller in the Mist'

Bridestones Moor: Open access stiles.

On a drizzly day Kasher, Guy, Andrew, Jan and Frank H ventured into the mist over Bridestones' Moor to replace a decaying access stile (see map) and to survey, for future work, two other similar stiles.

1. Location: Blue tag marks worksite for stile to be replaced.

Today's work was funded by Todmorden Wind Farm through CFFC (Community Foundation For Calderdale). Many thanks.

The detail:

The job started with a 15/20 min walk-in from Eastwood Road carrying timbers and tools up to the Bridestones before dropping down to the worksite. This was perhaps not the shortest route but it had the benefit of being the smoothest underfoot!

2. The Bridestones: but which is the
groom and which the bride?

At first glance the original stile seemed to be in adequate condition:

3. Original stile: . . . but many defects

The main issues included:

i) stile width far too narrow.

ii) rotten side-post and step-legs.

iii) treadboards weakly attached to top of step-legs.

iv) stockfence partly de-tensioned by lower wire being cut (by persons unknown).

v) barbed top wires cut (again, by persons unknown).

vi) awkward and too high a step on downslope side.

4. Decay!: example of rot in main timbers.

In case the weather became worse or in case we hit technical difficulties it was decided to leave the stockfence in place and install the new side-uprights (with a wider gap) before removing the old.

5. Alignment: Stile side-post being
checked with right-angled spirit level.
Is it vertical, Frank? . . . "You bet it is!"

6. More open than usual!: old stile timbers removed and
temporary cross-rail and old fence post being positioned.

7. Progress!: New stile side-posts and steps
in position and cross-braced as needed.

8. Fencing skills: stockfence being fixed using
'staple and twist' method. Neat work, Kasher.

9. More fence work: Top barbed strands above
stockfence being repaired and re-fixed.

10. Woof!: Lift-type dog-gate being fitted.
It's a spectator sport!

11. End result: downslope view of completed
stile . . . but will it take a load?

12. Stress test: Courtesy of Guy photographed
through a mist affected camera!

This was a long working session. There was much hidden effort - long carries of timber, de-nailing of old timber, salvaging of any potentially useful timber (hardly any!), scavenging packing stone, surveying (by Kasher and Andrew) of two other open access stiles for replacement or repair, a tidy-up of the site and the final clean up of tools etc back at the depot.

Although the mist cleared on a couple of occasions to give atmospheric views, there were spells of drizzle and enough heavy rain to ensure we got wetter than expected!

Overall, despite one or two design compromises created by ground conditions, we were satisfied with the end result. The stile is secure, stable, easily negotiated and has specific access for dogs . . . which should eliminate the irresponsible de-tensioning of stockfencing.

More in future weeks when we may be working on the other access stiles

HEPTONSTALL - Colden Clough

The path known as Heptonstall 042 provides a beautiful walk alongside Colden Water between Jack Bridge and Heptonstall. It includes a set of 11 steps that were in dire need of attention. Several steps were missing and some were still in place but completely rotten. A team of four, Andy, Ian S, Steve and Frank S, was needed not just for the work, but to carry all the timber and tools down the 100 steps from Shaw Bottom Farm. In spite of the rain, the job was completed and the steps are now greatly improved.

This work was funded by Heptonstall Parish Council and an individual donor. Thank you for your support.

Ian S just starting work on the top step

The completed steps

STILE SURVEYS Luddenden, Erringden, Brearley

Every so often we have a minor log-jam of reported problems which need a "technical" survey before we can decide what can be done. So today (not quite avoiding some very wet rain) Jerry and Stella set off with clip boards, a tape measure and some grid references to inspect some stiles which have been reported as giving problems to walkers and/or dogs.

We checked four stiles and came up with a proposed solution for all of them. Our next step is to contact the landowners for amendments and then, hopefully, their agreement to the work.