HEPTONSTALL MOOR - Pennine Way

Clare, Ginny and Rich (having reviewed the forecast several times) decided to walk up from the NT car park to the Pennine Way at Clough Head. There were several drainage issues with standing water across the path across the moor. The main solution was to clear/create grips (side channels) to get the water off the path. Today's work (including some waymarking) was funded by Heptonstall Parish Council, many thanks.

The details

Here's a collection of photos:

Flags appear from the water

Channel narrowed and easy to cross

A dry surface

After getting some deep water off the flagged crossing, we discovered a flag was missing, luckily we were able to use a couple of narrow ones to replace it.

That's enough work for one day!

No rain, even a lot of sun. A really useful work session to have completed before the winter.

TODMORDEN - Marker Post & Cutting Back

There were three teams out from Todmorden today:

Teams 1 & 3 See separate post

Team 2: Catherine and Mick: 

The first task of the day was to assist team 1 to transport a fingerpost and tools to their site. It was a bit of a trek but thankfully mostly downhill.

The team left Andrew and Neil to install the magnificent fingerpost and proceeded a little further along the CW to put up a rather more humble yellow-topped post on Tod 090.

To reach the site the team had to get past an extremely prickly gorse bush which was almost completely blocking the path. Catherine took on the task of cutting it back.

Meanwhile Mick got to work digging a hole for the post. In no time at all the gorse bush had a short back and sides and the post was proudly erected and waymarked.

Today's work was funded by Todmorden Town Council.

A path worth exploring: Tod 090.

The Wizard of Whirlaw at Windy Harbour -
the starting point for today's tasks.

Transporting the fingerpost to the site.

Make sure it's pointing the right way.

Gorse bush blocking the path.

Gorse bush not blocking the path.

Mick adds a waymarker to the post.

All done.

Reunited with Team 1 for lunch before
the walk back to Windy Harbour.

Views were admired.

Cake was consumed.

TODMORDEN -Various

 There were three teams out from Todmorden today:

Team 1: Andrew and Neil Mc: installing the new three-way marker post on Whirlaw Common at the junction of the bridleways Tod 019 and Tod 017 (to indicate the directions of the CW and the TCW). We also checked out a nearby stile which will need repairing.

Team 2: Catherine and Mick: see separate post 

Team 3: Ian V and Kasher: cutting back and path widening on Tod 029 down from Scrapers Lane.  We also spent time scraping a few years worth of leaf mold off the narrow sunken path and made some improvements to the bridge over Bent Clough.

Many thanks to the residents of Windy Harbour Farm for both storing the marker post for a week and for allowing CROWS to park two vehicles in their stable yard.

We will be back in Bents Wood/Ridge Wood (hopefully next week) to improve the pathway near the fallen tree and to continue the path widening.

We will also return to the intersection of the CW and TCW to improve the drainage along the causey stones.

Today's work was funded by Todmorden Town Council and also by a generous donation from friends and family of Tim Mihailovic.  Many thanks.

Thanks also go to the provider of the very yummy chocolate birthday cake (with smarties)!

Tod 029 off Scrapers Lane.

The location of the new marker post at the junction
of Tod 017 and Tod 019.

Team 1

Location of new three-way finger post above Todmorden.

Neil M and Andrew... and the post!

The post with its dedication plaque now attached.

Team 3: 

Ian V cutting back along Tod 029.

Path widening (just before a large root ball from 
a fallen tree).

Clearing the path of low hanging branches.

Found during our coffee stop: an Amethyst Deceiver (I think)

It's amazing what you find in old woodlands...

RIPPONDEN - Slack

 Report of a tree down blocking the path by Lower Coney Garth. 

The path was pretty impenetrable!!

Amazingly the stile survived!

After much sawing and clearing the path is now open again. 

HEBDEN BRIDGE: Foster Dam riverside path- Handrails!

 Foster Dam, Riverside Path: Handrails-R-Us

On a day ideal for working, Jerry, Ken and Frank H constructed handrails at two points on the path that follows the river from Windsor View towards Lee Mill Bridge.

Windsor View to Lee Mill Bridge

The first handrail was at the start of a path delightfully described on the Calderdale Council map as Windsor Road, Dog Bottom, Hebden Bridge. 

The second handrail was on the Hebden Bridge Riverside Path near a 'sleeper' bridge where there was a very exposed sheer drop into Hebden Water.

This work and other repairs along the Foster Dam path are being funded by Trustees of the Foster Dam area, Hebden Royd Town Council and individual donations. Many thanks.

The detail  

Handrail 1

This was a scaffolding type handrail fitted to the stone steps where the path from Windsor View passes through a wall gap. The approximate position is shown on the following map:

The handrail itself was bracketed to two cylindrical metal posts anchored vertically on the stone steps. Here's how the work progressed:

The vertical posts are clamped in
a metal 'shoe'which is bolted
to the edge of the step

 

Handrail clamped to the vertical posts.
The exposed ends of the handrail are
covered by end caps (see next picture).

Quality check? Ken seems to approve.

Handrail 2

This was really a timber guard-rail fitted to prevent the unwary walker from falling over an exposed edge into Hebden Water! The approximate position is shown on the following map:

The guard-rail is near a wooden 'sleeper' bridge. This bridge
and its side-rails are earmarked for replacement.

Here's how the guard-rail work progressed:

The short guard-rail will be fitted so walkers
coming along the path from the right are 
prevented from having an early bath!

Two posts already in place and Ken is fixing the
anchoring 'shoe' for the central post.

One set of guard rails screens-off
a potential watery tumble!

Stress Test? Will it take a heavy lean? 
85 kg of Frank thinks so!

This is just the start of the jobs in this area. Extensive work will be done firstly on the sleeper bridge and its fencing, then along the very popular Foster Dam path back to Windsor View.