One team out in the field today with another, a planning group, indoors.
It's Wednesday so it had to be yet another day in the Gaddings/Langfield Common area for Bernard, Frank H, Ray and RJ. However, for the umpteenth Wednesday in succession, it was fine, clear(ish) and refreshingly cool!
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| Slightly hazy view down to the Shepherd's Rest pub. |
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| Gaddings Dam and 'beach'. |
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| The old drained dam, just beyond Gaddings, with beautiful stonework buttressing a clay and rubble embankment. |
Frank H and Ray added the final group of steps to the slippery sloping path near the breach in the above dam.
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| Work in progress. A couple of steps in place and the treads firming up nicely. |
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| The top of the flight rising up gracefully to level ground. |
This is the last of the steps (for now) in this area and hopefully
'. . . these high wild hills and rough uneven ways . . .'
(Richard II Act 2 Scene 3)
are still high and wild but a little less rough or uneven! We have put about 40 steps in place so not only is the path protected from erosion, but also walkers can negotiate the once precarious sections more safely. The path, however, is still a high-level moorland route and should be treated as such.
Frank H and Ray then went down via the Jail Hole route to join Bernard and RJ (aka 'Pipe Dreams Incorporated') who had been doing some drainage work.
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| Bernard contemplating the location for the pipe. |
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| Trench for pipe being excavated. |
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| Pipe now in place and taking water under the path. The stone 'splash-plate' where water flows out of the pipe, significantly reduces the amount of erosion. |
The whole group went on to install some marker posts that should direct walkers along the Jail Hole route to Gaddings Dam from 'The Shepherd's Rest':- a 60 min toil for the novice walker!
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| Marker post in place. |
The post is vertical, secure, deep in the ground and, most importantly, well rammed-in:- predominantly with stone. How hard do you have to ram the hole fillings? Answer: very! And then ram some more . . . but even harder! Wanton vandalism is rare but back-scratching cattle can have a bit of an attitude!
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| The 'post-boys'! |
Today's work was supported by the Crook Wind Farm Community Fund and Calderdale Small Grants.
