MID-SLACK: the downward path revisited

 Down into Hebden Wood.

The right-of-way (Heptonstall 048) goes down from the dwellings at Mid-Slack to enter Hebden Wood (see map). 

1. The worksite

Transport of tools and materials down the track from Mid-Slack was in a four-wheel-drive vehicle driven by a friend of CROWS. Many thanks. This saved us a long(ish) carry of large(ish) loads in sweltering conditions with temperatures again nudging the 30 Celsius mark.

2. Trackside flora: Foxglove (or Digitalis Purpurea). 

The Foxglove may look delightful but beware. The entire plant is toxic causing nausea, headaches, skin irritation, diarrhoea . .  . and that's just for starters!

The work for Ian S, Andrew and Frank H (aka the 'Yorkies' *see later) was to build a flight of steps down into Hebden Wood from the edge of the path that was shored up two weeks ago.

3. Original state of the path.

4. Shoring put in two weeks ago by Guy and Ian.

Today's work was geometrically tricky and involved shaping and installing revetments to define the sides of the path, and fitting risers that coped with the necessary angle change at the shoring end of the flight. It was a long session in sweltering conditions but with the fortunate appearance of Jan and canine companion (sorry Marley - no photo of you!) bearing a supply of cakes. 

5 Yummy! . . . but fast disappearing!

Many thanks.

Boosted by a sugar overload, work progressed . . .

6. Revetments: One revetment in place and the
end of another being cut to give a flush fit. 

7. Revetments: Channel being dug to accept
second revetment. Positioning must be exact.

8. Nearly there! Complete flight. Flat tread areas.
Risers and revetments anchored by same stobs
with a very tight fit all round..

9. End of session.

We were pleased with the end result although a check if there has been any 'settlement' may be done next month. However, the steps are secure, stable and easy to negotiate. The side-banks have been landscaped and a take-off/landing stone embedded at the bottom of the flight. Walkers enjoy! 

This task was funded by a donation from Heptonstall Parish Council. Many thanks.

{* Yorkies? Ian, Frank and Andrew all, at some stage, lived and worked in York. Ian and Frank were there at the same time and (apparently) unknown to one another went on the same joint-venture pot-holing trip . . . . but that was before Andrew was born! Mmm! . . . "Tempus fugit"}

TODMORDEN - Warland and Bottomley

 On a slightly warm day Duncan, Kasher and RJ decided to complete some more cutting back. 

CROWS have been contracted to cut some sections of the Pennine Bridleway in the upper Calder Valley. Today we tackled Bottomley Road (Tod 198) from the canal to the hamlet of Bottomley. This path was not too overgrown but needed the trees cutting back especially at the bottom of the route. This path can be exceptionally slippery when it has been raining . . . not a problem we were faced with today!

After completing this path we moved on to Tod 185 which crosses the hillside in Warland and meets up with Tod 145, which we cut back a couple of weeks ago. We will need to return to the first section of this path to prune some of the tree branches which impede the path and cause walkers to walk slightly further up the hill. The bracken on Tod 185 seems to be getting the message that it is not wanted! Regular cutting back seems to have reduced the amount of bracken on this route . . .  but more walkers using this path would really help! 

We will return later in the year (hopefully) to work on a stile which needs some TLC.

Today's work on Tod 198 was funded by Lancashire County Council on behalf of the Pennine Bridleway. Many thanks to all for your support in helping to keep open the footpaths and bridleways of the Upper Calder Valley.

The work on Tod 185 was funded by Todmorden Town Council. Many thanks.

Thanks too to the people who allowed us to park in their yards, close to the worksites, thus minimising the distance we had to carry tools.

The blue "pin" marks the Warland footpath tackled today.

The blue "pin" marks the route of the Pennine Bridleway in Bottomley.

Cutting back on Bottomley Road.

RJ stacking the stones off the path which had come
from the adjacent wall.

RJ and Duncan.... where shall we go next?

Bottomley Road now cleared.

The path through the bracken on Tod 185
above Warland.

The path is now well defined and well worth walking.

The route through the copse above Warland. The 
path is well marked with yellow-topped posts.

COLDEN - second session on the Pennine Way

 Ginny and Rich went to to complete the work from last Wednesday - more cutting back and clearing the remaining steps. This work was funded by a partnership between Natural England and Calderdale Highways.

 

The steps were very overgrown with vegetation. 

 Digging out grass, pulling out nettles exposing the step risers - tough work!

 But well worth it at the end. 

 In a couple of weeks time we will be back to re-stone the steps (and inevitably do more cutting back)

Ryburn - Fallen branch along Stubbing Lane.

Following a call from a local horse rider, Jak, Jerry and Angus headed over to the bridleway along Stubbing lane at Beestonley. Over the weekend, the strong winds had taken their toll on an Oak tree, causing one of its branches to break and fall onto the bridleway. Whilst you could pass through the fallen branch, it was somewhat precarious and needed to be cleared. This work was funded by Calderdale Highways.

Location of the fallen branch circled in blue.

Jerry and Angus set about carefully dismantling the branch, Jak acting as look-out to stop any walkers/riders entering the work area. Within 45 minutes the branch had been removed, and the path was once again safe to use. We spent a further hour cutting back vegetation which had started to encroach at various points, mostly brambles and nettles.

 

Before and after images of the path, you can see where the branch at broken from the tree.

With the cutting back work finished, Jerry and Jak headed to Rough Hey wood to complete work on the stile started last Friday. This was to make-good some local alterations which made the passage over the stile somewhat hazardous, replacing an old piece of wood and a length of barbed wire with more suitable lengths of wood.

Jerry checking access/egress following the alterations, all good!

 

Rough Hey wood looking great, plenty wildflowers and no Himalayan Balsam!

Rough Hey work was  funded by ongoing donations to CROWS, for which we are eternally grateful.

Ryburn - Blue Ball Lane bridleway.

A return to this bridleway off Rochdale road leading out of Ripponden, we first worked here around 18 months ago, clearing out the watercourse to alleviate flooding on the path, cutting back low hanging branches and several sections badly overgrown with brambles. This initial work was done at the request of some local horse riders, as it gave them safe access off the A58 at a particularly fast bend. 

Today, when Jak, Linda, Jerry and Angus arrived, it was apparent that the bridleway has had very little use by 2-legged, 4-legged or even 2-wheeled users, as it was well overgrown by the usual suspects. Today's work has been funded through donations to CROWS, a big thankyou to all who've donated.

The bridleway is shown in green.

The start, evidence of use, but only 50m's up to a path heading off to the right.

Jak and Linda head into the unknown!

Fortunately, the vegetation was relatively easy to clear, being mostly Balsam, nettles, grass and some stubborn sections of brambles. We soon cut our way through and opened up the full length of the bridleway, along the way we uncovered an overgrown bench, which was in remarkably good condition despite its age.

As if by magic, a bench appeared from the undergrowth!

Much better, the bridleway now fully cleared and accessible once again.

Start of the bridleway next to a nicely decorated phone box.

With this job completed in a couple of hours, we headed to Rough Hey wood to sort out a fallen branch and some issues on a stile, noticed when we took the "We In Front" group through the wood last month. The fallen branch was a rotten limb from a holly tree which had split and fallen across the path, passable with care but precarious and needing to be removed. 

The fallen branch to be removed.

All clear, obstacle removed.

The second job was to reroute some barbed wire which the farmer had wrapped around one of the upright stile posts. Whilst the wire had been knocked into the post, there were a couple barbs sticking 

out which could catch the hand or clothing of an unwary walker, not the best. Our plan was to remove the wire and fit a second post on the other side of the wall onto which the wire would be attached. It looked as if this wire was to deter livestock from entering the adjacent field, but there was very little evidence of stock having been in the field this season.

There had also been a piece of wood fitted as a cross rail above the last rail fitted to the stile which made it difficult to cross safely, this will be replaced next week. When we replaced this stile and repaired the fallen wall next to it, we ensured that it was stockproof, safe, and considerably more robust than the construction it replaced.

CROWS make a point of ensuring that where stiles are repaired, or replaced, in fields where stock is likely to be held, any constructions are fit for purpose, safe and secure for both walkers and livestock,  in many cases, better than the original they replaced.

Barbed wire hammered into the left upright, with an old piece of wood attached at a higher level making it difficult to cross the stile safely.

New post fitted, barbed wire secure and support spar attached.