Lady Royd Farm:
A gusty day enlivened by bursts of sleety drizzle for Billie, Nick and Frank H to work on the path (Wadsworth 019) that leads up from Lady Royd Farm towards Turn Hill.
The two main jobs were to repair a rickety stile and to install marker posts to clarify the correct direction to take over this confusing terrain.
1. The Stile.
This stile is rickety! The two side-posts have rotted at the base and the cross-rail has become detached to expose a section of barbed wire with femoral artery ripping potential!
Remedial work would entail; de-barbing a section of the top wire, installing two standard 100 mm x 100 mm side-posts, clearing the path leading into and away from the stile, fixing a new cross-rail, bracing the taller side-post and adjusting the top wire position.
Work in Progress: Downhill view
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| Frank H in excavation mode! |
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| New side-posts in place. |
End of session:
*The cross-rail is horizontal.
*The top wire has been lowered slightly.
*The taller side-post which is hauled on by walkers has had its stability enhanced by a diagonal brace.
*The approach to the stile (on both sides) has been cleared of its ankle turning boulders (see above pictures).
*The capstones on the wall to the left have been re-positioned and stabilised.
*An arrowed waymark disc has been fixed to the side-post because the correct direction down the hill from here is difficult to determine.
The work on the stile was started by Billie and Frank later joined by Nick who, on the path from Lady Royd up towards the open access of Turn Hill, had already done the following:
2. The Marker Posts.
*removed a trip hazard of flattened/trampled stock fence, broken fence posts and other rotted timbers.
*cut back low hanging branches that obstructed the route.
*installed yellow-topped marker posts.
* waymarked the path in both directions so walkers would have a better indication of the correct route and no longer end up in the wrong field . . . and have the dilemma of being faced with walls, stock fences or farmer's (but not the public's) access gates.
Lots of work there, Nick . . . and only the one picture as evidence! (It has to said, though, that marker posts are not the most photogenically exciting of subjects!)
Today's work was funded by The Heptonstall Fell Race - a 24 km category B event that takes place on Sunday 20th March 2022.
