Two teams out today.
Team 1. Hardcastle Crags.
Rich and Frank H continued the work on the path from near Hebden Water up to Walshaw.
This is the replacement post we put in last week to mark the start of the path.
P
Rich worked on widening the path and providing Frank with infill for the steps
Frank added revetment to the end pair of steps from last week, then neatly butt-jointed (good luck or good judgement?) a longer section of revetment so as to define the edge line for subsequent steps.
The very stony ground made placement and driving-in of the stobs quite difficult ... but nothing succeeds like 'grunt' so some time later ...
There's still some work to do here - in-fill and more steps both below and above this section - but that's for next week!
Today's work was funded by National Trust (Hardcastle Crags)
Some of Mick's team nearly got 'poached' for the Hardcastle Crag task but fortunately enough spare CROWS were available to give the required number of volunteers for both jobs. Mick, perhaps, does not get the praise he should for the effort he puts into path work in the Todmorden area, so as a tribute, here's a little parody:
This song has appeared in many forms from the late 17th century onwards. A relatively recent version by John Tams was used for the 'Sharpe' television series. So with the Todmorden CROWS in mind, and general apologies all-round . . .
There's no reward, but lots of fun
For those who volunteer to come,
To dig and dig throughout the day
... Over the hills and far away.
[Chorus]
Cross the ditch and o'er the drain
Through clinging mud and icy rain
Mick C commands and we obey;
... Over the hills and far away.
When MC calls me I must go
To trudge for miles through the snow
Slipping and sliding all the way;
... Over the hills and far away!
[Chorus]
Fine stiles are built in meadows dank,
Step after step rise up the bank
And then we have some drains to lay;
... Over the hills and far away.
[Chorus]
So fall-in gang; get in a row
It's all you need to be a CROW,
Along the tracks to come what may;
... Over the hills and far away!
[Chorus]
Team 2 Inchfield Road, Walsden, Todmorden
Mick, Nigel, Ginny, Peter, Ken and Gerald had a glorious day in the February sunshine-well my car was saying 17 degrees C. We went up Inchfield Road to do a variety of tasks, including putting up an information board. vertically straightening up a waymark, various improvement work to stiles and yellow topping a line of waymark posts.
Team 1. Hardcastle Crags.
Rich and Frank H continued the work on the path from near Hebden Water up to Walshaw.
This is the replacement post we put in last week to mark the start of the path.
 |
| Vertical post! Mainly thanks to the quality of the original hole! |
Rich worked on widening the path and providing Frank with infill for the steps
 |
| This is a before and after photo but even if you can't tell the difference here, you would if you tried walking on it! |
 |
| Lunchtime. Revetment and two of today's steps securely in place. The step with the spirit level on it yet to be fixed. |
 |
| Towards the end of the session. |
Today's work was funded by National Trust (Hardcastle Crags)
Some of Mick's team nearly got 'poached' for the Hardcastle Crag task but fortunately enough spare CROWS were available to give the required number of volunteers for both jobs. Mick, perhaps, does not get the praise he should for the effort he puts into path work in the Todmorden area, so as a tribute, here's a little parody:
Over the Hills and Far Away
This song has appeared in many forms from the late 17th century onwards. A relatively recent version by John Tams was used for the 'Sharpe' television series. So with the Todmorden CROWS in mind, and general apologies all-round . . .
There's no reward, but lots of fun
For those who volunteer to come,
To dig and dig throughout the day
... Over the hills and far away.
[Chorus]
Cross the ditch and o'er the drain
Through clinging mud and icy rain
Mick C commands and we obey;
... Over the hills and far away.
When MC calls me I must go
To trudge for miles through the snow
Slipping and sliding all the way;
... Over the hills and far away!
[Chorus]
Fine stiles are built in meadows dank,
Step after step rise up the bank
And then we have some drains to lay;
... Over the hills and far away.
[Chorus]
So fall-in gang; get in a row
It's all you need to be a CROW,
Along the tracks to come what may;
... Over the hills and far away!
[Chorus]
Team 2 Inchfield Road, Walsden, Todmorden
Mick, Nigel, Ginny, Peter, Ken and Gerald had a glorious day in the February sunshine-well my car was saying 17 degrees C. We went up Inchfield Road to do a variety of tasks, including putting up an information board. vertically straightening up a waymark, various improvement work to stiles and yellow topping a line of waymark posts.
Peter digging a hole for the information board
Lengthening (or was it shortening) the legs for the board
The board finally put in place no doubt waiting to be tested by cattle and weather
The board and the now vertical waymark post
The waymark post put vertically after digging a deeper hole
Stile on footpath 120 (Todmorden) which needed some attention to prevent sheep escaping
Same stile-other side
The tree (to left) on footpath 119 (Todmorden) needed some pruning-the photo was taken after the pruning
Stile (after repair) to keep sheep in field
That should stop them escaping but allow human access (the upper stone step projects further than it looks)
We then proceeded to near the summit of the hill to add some grab posts and other timber work to make it easier to climb over this stile on footpath 131 (Todmorden) without snagging clothing on the barbed wire.
Existing step stile which Mick remembers putting in many years ago and still in perfect condition (of course). But the loose barbed wire has become a hazard
Discussing the job
After the job
Admiring the job on a glorious day above sunny Walsden
But should be a lot easier to climb over on a rainy, windswept day
The foreman inspects the completed job and then allows us all to go home
Meanwhile Peter and Ginny (aided by a pot of bright yellow paint) highlighted the posts marking the path over to Gorpley Reservoir.
One of the posts and paint
The information board was funded by Community Foundation for Calderdale, who work with RES (Renewable Energy Systems) who operate Todmorden Wind Farm. The remainder was funded by CROWS.
