CRAGG VALE - Will Clough

Frank S and Graham L went back to the concrete steps beside Will Clough near the top of Cragg Vale. A year or two ago these were badly undermined by water washing down from the fields above. At one point  many of the steps had collapsed so they became almost impossible to negotiate. Here's a reminder of what they looked like at their worst.

Since then we have made several visits, first to stabilise the worst steps, then to repair the handrail, and finally to re-lay those steps that were still in poor condition. After another day's work the steps look like this.

Instead of using two breeze blocks on edge for the risers (they fall over too easily) we have laid the blocks flat and used four for each step. These are then topped by a long narrow paving stone, and all are held in place with metal pins. In a couple of places large tree roots meant there wasn't room for that design and so we used wooden risers, again held in place by metal pins. It still looks a bit scruffy because of the mixture of old and new, but weathering will soon sort that out! 

The steps are still very steep and they need care to negotiate, but they are mostly flat, free from wobble and much easier to use. There's still a little more to do, so we'll probably be back again for one more session.

This work was funded by Calderdale Council Luddendenfoot Ward Forum and donations to CROWS.