DODD NAZE ESTATE - High Hirst Walk

Under an agreement with Dodd Naze Community Association (DCA) and the now disbanded Friends of High Hirst Woodmeadow (FOHH), CROWS have undertaken to ensure that the 'High Hirst Walk' - which follows a mostly tarmac path that passes through the woodland from the entrance to the allotments on Manor Drive to some steps down to Wadsworth Lane - will be cut back twice a year.

                                            Entrance to the High Hirst Walk from Manor

                                            Drive on the Dodd Naze Estate

In addition, a permissive path previously opened up and signposted by CROWS which loops round the top of the wood - offering an alternative route when another permissive path up from Sandy Gate through the meadow itself has to be closed after Hay Time when sheep are grazing the 'aftermath' - is included in this agreement.

So, after some delay at the depot when we arrived to find a team of even-earlier birds had already taken some of the tools we'd specially reserved (no names, no pack drill!), Angus, Kasher and Neil D. met with a couple of DCA Volunteers up at Dodnaze to start to tackle the extensive overgrowth.

Slowly, paths were cut back and widened, long lost path edges appeared, as did picnic tables and benches which had been completely overgrown with brambles, bracken and the like.

Here are a few typical shots taken 'before'...

 

 

... and 'after':

 

 

  

 

The High Hirst Walk was first opened in 2004, and is a popular and convenient route for local people. It is also well used by the Forest School children who are based at the Community Centre nearby. Towards the end of our work, we even uncovered one of the entrance stones, long lost to the years' cumulative vegetative growth!

Before: 

And after:

                                                   The High Hirst Walk entrance stone sees the light of day again!

Of course, while working along the length of the path, a fair bit of litter was removed too - most commonly the ubiquitous dog poo bags!

                                                                     The Commonly Spotted Dog Poo Bag

Residents we met walking the path seemed very pleased, and readily expressed their gratitude at the work we were doing to open up their path again for community use.

Reflecting on our day's work, we left feeling that despite the setbacks and seemingly excessive amount of 'admin' time behind the scenes that was taken in setting up the agreement in the first place, at the end of the day this is really a great example of CROWS working at what it does best. 

P.S. We've plan to return in the autumn, as per our agreement, to tackle this summer's growth again - and have already booked the tools out on the CROWS calendar. Fellow volunteers please note the date: Wednesday, 21st October! 

 

TODMORDEN - Ramsden Wood and Slant Lane

 David and Duncan worked in two different areas near Todmorden today.

Task 1: sorting out some of the revetments on Tod 135 below the Fishing Lake near Ramsden Wood. The problems with these revetments were identified a couple of weeks ago when the team were cutting back on this section of the footpath. We managed to re-use some of the revetment timbers and installed new sections and stobs. 

Today's team then continued the cutting back of this route behind the "new" houses. How can brambles grow so quickly? We will investigate whether we can improve the route down from the fishing lake by adding in new geotextile and some MOT.

Task 2: Cutting back on Slant Lane (Tod 040) from Cross Stone Road towards Little Cornwall. This local path is one we try to clear regularly as it is a well used . . . and also a popular blackberrying route! Thank you to the residents of this area who had already tackled some sections of this footpath.

Many thanks to Todmorden Town Council for providing funds for today's work.

Slant Lane, Cross Stone.

Tod 135 at Ramsden Wood.

Today's revetment work started out like a 
giant game of 'Jenga' or 'Pick-up-Sticks'.

A small amount of fettling, and a new stob, needed here.

Revetments in place and anchored securely with new stobs. 

Now on to tackle the brambles on the second
section of the path.

Slant Lane which gets overrun with brambles, ferns and
Rhododendrons.

Cutting back but trying to leave foxgloves
and flowering plants (even if it's Ragwort) is a real skill!

CRIMSWORTH DEAN

Encouraged by a cooler, misty morning Frank, Ian S, Jan, Paul and Stella headed up Crimsworth Dean to start work on a sort of 'path-botox' project: i.e. starting an uplift of a path which is slowly sliding down the hillside . . .  and in wet weather is lethally slippery. 

The path runs south above Crimsworth Dean Beck towards Hardcastle Crags

There's always kit to carry before we can start

In several places the path needs straightening and levelling.  Today we tackled the worst section, which involved creating a new route through the head-high bracken.  The ground is tinder-dry which made the digging out easier than we expected (although the fire risk is a worry at the moment).

This is the old path, disappearing down the hillside.
 

And this is the high bracken we needed to route the new path through

..

Early stages

Making progress

We started from both ends - a bit like the Channel Tunnel - and with a bit of waving at each other above the bracken we managed to connect up with the existing path further along, past the sagging section.

Here you can see the new path running above the old.

We have "closed off" this section of the old path with piles of cut bracken to encourage walkers onto the new route.  Several people came through today as we were working.  With a bit more footfall the new section will be well compacted.  The camber on this needs a bit more attention in places, and there are other sections to do, so we'll be back, perhaps when the bracken has died back a bit.

We are very grateful to the farmer who let us park by his barn and ferried our tools on his quad-bike to and from a point near the start of the path.  It's a steep hill and that saved us a lot of sweat.

Today's work was funded by donations to CROWS. These are hugely appreciated. Thank you.

RYBURN - Longley Wood

A beautiful day and not too hot. Lynda, Jerry and Jak returned to Longley Wood. It's so near to Rough Hey Wood that we have grown to think of that area as one wood when it is in fact three - Rough Hey, Butterworth End and Longley.

Location of work

The first task was to get to the work site without troubling the large number of cows who were a bit curious.

Just right where we need to walk!

Once that was achieved, Lynda got busy with cutting back brambles, nettles and holly. This is part of our annual maintenance of this lovely area.

Lynda hard at work

Jerry also got busy with strimming so as to make it clear where the path actually is.

Jerry clearing the path

We went on to install a revetment to keep the path safe for walkers where there is a steep drop. 

Revetment starting to take shape

We cut the path in to widen it as well.

Revetment completed

Today's work was funded by donations to CROWS for which we are very grateful.

TODMORDEN - an Afternoon at a Fair

The Community Volunteer Fair 2026

This event, involving some 25 Calderdale charities and volunteer groups, was held in the highly ornate setting of Todmorden Town Hall's ballroom. A rota of CROWS members - Kasher (main organiser), Mo, Ginny, Gareth, Stella, Mick and Frank H ran a table-top stall to showcase the work done on local rights-of-way.

1. Todmorden Town Hall: 151 years old and straddling
the former Yorkshire-Lancashire boundary

2. Flying the banner for CROWS. Lots of
interest packed onto a table-top!

3. CROWS work: High quality examples of stiles, footbridges,
cutting-back, steps, path widening, revetments and boardwalks.

4. "Is this a customer I see?" Mmm! Looks
like an important guest . . .

5. . . . time for Stella to turn on the charm!"

The event ran from 12 noon to 3 pm. Despite the sweltering heat outside and the sporting distractions of international tennis, football and rugby, a steady stream of visitors (perhaps partly tempted by the coffee and cakes) visited the stalls. CROWS got some firm enquiries about how to join . . . which was most useful as we are now recruiting following the 'retirement' of several members.

It was a pleasure to be in the ballroom which fills an upper floor of the Grade 1 listed Town Hall, and has a quality of finish that is inspirational!

6. Top quality work! The Town Hall ballroom ceiling.

More next week when CROWS will be tackling rampant overgrowth, rotten steps and wobbly stiles!