A perfect day to tackle drainage issues on Grey Stone Lane (Tod 011) and Back Lane (Tod 031), below Great Rock and near Pex Tenements. A team of five (RJ, Fred, Jan, Andrew and Kasher) went forth with azads, spades, slashers and cutting back equipment to try to tame the waters, coming down from the moors, that threatened to turn pathways and bridleways into streams and gushing rivers.
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| 1. Grey Stone Lane AKA Grey Stone Clough. |
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| 2. Jan trying to clear the drains at the side of the track. |
There is something satisfying about looking at water which is in danger of washing away paths and undermining setts and causey stones and, then, by creating turnbys, deepening ditches and clearing drains, return the flow to its correct channels. It is amazing how rapidly previously sodden pathways then start to dry out.
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| 3. Clearing the drain adjacent to the gateway. |
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| 4. Andrew trying to find the drain near the gateway. |
The team worked from Grey Stone Farm down the track to Mount Pleasant and along the Back Lane to the wooden bridge. We last worked on Grey Stone Lane in the summer when cattle were exploring the trackway to find drinking water as the water troughs etc on this hillside were drying out in the hot summer.
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| 5. Back Lane. |
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| 6. Getting the water into the drain on Back Lane. |
Today's work has been funded by individual donations to CROWS. Many thanks.
