Mo and Ian V first went up to Shackleton to deal with a finger post that had come adrift and was pointing in the wrong direction. The bottom of the post had rotted away and this was sawn off before digging the hole to re-seat it. Whilst doing this a local farmer/fencing contractor stopped by and offered to put the post in for us but as it would have required chopping off the top of the post we declined and continued with the usual arm-down-the-hole technique - but using the new scoop trowel.
 |
| The distressed finger post before and after re-seating |
We then moved to Colden to clear some steps leading down from 'five ways' on the Calderdale Way just below Slack. On arrival the steps actually looked quite clear apart from a few old brambles over the path, and it would seem that the survey report must have been done much later in the previous year when vegetation would have been thicker. Nevertheless we set to to remove the brambles as far back from the path as possible to stop them encroaching later in the year. After an idyllic picnic lunch overlooking the Colden valley in the warm sunshine, we noted that soil and grass were covering part of the steps and to prevent further overgrowth we cleared this to reveal the full width of the steps. The path was easily passable before but it should not now need much attention for a while.
 |
| Before and after |
Work at Shackleton funded by NT; work at Colden funded by Heptonstall Parish Council
