SOWERBY

i) Sowerby: below Crow Hill

Ray and Frank H carried out repair work on a stile. 

Start of the session:

The existing stile has adequate side-posts and cross-rails. However, the steps have rotted away - apart from a single surviving leg.

Fine but cool conditions made it an ideal day for digging, installing, levelling, packing, sawing and nailing. 

Work in progress

*All the remnants of the old step legs have been dug out.

 *Two new legs for the lower step are temporarily in place. 

*The surviving 'old' step leg for the higher step was in very good condition so has been re-used but re-embedded

End of the session:

Both steps in place with grooved treadboards and cross-braced to create a sturdy two-step stile.

Overall, this was a straightforward task. The original step legs had been carefully and very firmly installed (they wouldn't have disgraced a training manual) but had succumbed to old age. We were fortunate, therefore, to be able to use the original deep holes and their ideally shaped packing stones.

ii) Sowerby: near Clough

In the afternoon we moved to the nearby area of Clough to paint the top of a marker post and replace missing waymarks.

Frank H demonstrating a combination of balancing and decorating skills at high altitude with high quality, high visibility paint. 

The coat of paint is supposed to have a 7 year 'life-span'. If this is true for a wind, rain and snow lashed location in the South Pennines, then CROWS will recommend the paint without reservation . . . more detail in seven years time!

iii) Sowerby: back at Crow Hill . . . or thereabouts

Meanwhile, Frank S and Paul were still on Crow Hill repairing a stile that led downhill to Shaws Lane: 

We then went to secure two loose marker posts on Crow Hill. Example 1:

Then we followed part of the 'Walks around Sowerby' trails to Long Edge Moor and Tavern Bank, fixing waymarks at key points where the path became unclear. 

Paul showed his pleasure at undertaking such a task . . . 

. . . and some bovine friends arrived to make sure we were doing the job properly:

A good day's work in fine weather funded by Sowerby Residents Association (and indirectly Tesco 'Bags of Help').

iv Sowerby: Cottonstones and Toothill

Graham L, Rich and Eleanor started the morning by installing a post at Upper Lumb Farm at Cottonstones 

to mark the path from the farm buildings through a very pretty woodland, which had been planted some 30 years ago by the landowner to form a wildlife habitat for deer, badgers, foxes and birdlife. 

Eleanor then waymarked the rest of the path over Lumb Hill and onto Helm Lane, whilst Rich and Graham moved on to work on a narrow and rather waterlogged path near Shaw's Clough.

 

 

View from Lumb Hill above Mill Bank with waymark in place!

( more photos from Toothill to follow) 

Thanks to Sowerby Residents Association (and indirectly Tesco 'Bags of Help') for funding this work