Hurst Road: CROWS' cunning stile!
A very chilly day for Paul, Ray and Frank H to start work following last week's survey of an awkward stile on the right-of-way (Wadsworth 081) leading up from Bethel Terrace.
The Start: Here is a picture taken in the summer.
The stock fence is well constructed out of good quality materials so will want disturbing as little as possible.
Both the step-up to the tread-board and the step-over the top rail are too high.
The ground is very difficult with a substantial amount of stone just below the surface.
One step-leg and part of the very narrow tread-board are rotten.
Actually a variation on plan A but using more substantial timbers!
The locations of the original step-legs were the only places where holes could be dug, in the very rocky ground. This partly explains why the original stile was a 'one-step'.
New 0.8 m x 100 mm x 100 mm legs were installed but more deeply using the original holes. These legs formed the supports for the top step of what would become a two-step stile.
For both of the new step legs, one end of a side-section timber has been screwed at ground-level to the step leg and anchored at the other end by a rectangular-sectioned peg.
This means we can now create a lower step by screwing a tread-board across the two side-section and a more traditional upper step by nailing a tread-board to the tops of the legs.
Height were pre-determined so that the original cross-rails did not have to be removed and the fence wires did not have to be cut. Mmm! Quite tricky!
We now have a 'standard' two-step stile.
A grab post has been added by screwing it to all the cross-rails.We kept the post as short as practicable - its depth into the rocky ground was negligible and we wanted to avoid any 'long lever' problems.
All-in-all this was a very satisfying outcome. The stile is safe, secure, durable, functional and aesthetically pleasing.
The path is well-used by local walkers and those passing today expressed their thanks for our efforts.
This job was funded by local donations to CROWS. Many thanks.
