Beyond Higher Cragg House: a stile with multiple problems!
On a day when early drizzle cleared to leave pleasant sunny conditions, Ray and Frank H worked just beyond Higher Cragg House on repairing the dilapidated stile where the path (Hebden Royd 072) leaves the track and goes up into Brink Wood.
*The approach to this stile goes up two partly-buried stone steps to reach the solitary, rotten wooden step.
*The stile itself has a missing treadboard, and one rotten step-leg on the other side of the fence.
*The sagging, dilapidated stock fence has a left-hand post which is sound, a right hand post with a damaged top and an insecure foam protector on the top wire.
A considerable amount of thought went into this repair!
*Two stone steps (front of picture) have been cleared and two wooden steps constructed to lead walkers up to the stile.
*The existing fence posts (far left and far right) remain untouched but an extra support post has been driven in (deeply!).
*Two cross-rails have been fixed in place with the top rail masking and securing the somewhat distressed stock fence.
*A grab pole has been added.
*A replacement step leg (on the far side of the fence) is in place as is a new treadboard . . . but does it work?
. . . never in doubt!
A 'swing-leg-over', one-step stile with grab post . . . as tested by an elderly pensioner!
(Note: the whole stretch of fencing before and after this stile is in poor condition so we have tried to make a structure that can be re-cycled or converted into a two-step stile if other major repair work is carried out).
Today's work was funded by donations to CROWS. Many thanks.
